Availability Checker updated

For those interested, https://www.dslchecker.bt.com/ has had the way it displays the results of a search updated to prepare for the rollout of both g.fast and SOGEA

Don't get too excited about this. The WBC SOGEA Availability Date could be a long way off probably around 2025! But, I be very surprise if BT Openreach keep it lips sealed with the full UK rollout of WBC SOGEA g.fast availability next summer in one flick switch on!

SOGEA will arrive much sooner than 2025 - it will probably be available in early 2018

BT have already said there will be an �Alpha� trial in October 2016, with a �Beta� trial set to follow in April 2017 with the final Pilot due to happen in August 2017.

I agree with not getting excited though - I think any cost savings over getting a standard voice line will be marginal.

Yep indeed, and also Openreach think it much cheapest cost of using g.fast installed on every cabinet base to save the cost rather than expensive Fibre To The Premise! But, I guess you could be correct maybe all g.fast available by the summer of 2018 but I think Openreach want to get it done quickly because the FTTC cabinet base already there to installing g.fast on the base. But, I don't know how big job is that? Probably a straight forward job and lots quicker job.

As for FTTPoD that's probably will never be sold to residential customers now due to high cost of installation, monthly charges.

Edited by adslmax (Sun 15-May-16 14:05:32)

Sure looks good

http://s32.postimg.org/5pcowr5dh/speedcheck.png

Telephone Number XXXXXXX on Exchange XXXXXX is served by Cabinet 3

Featured Products

Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)
Downstream Range(Mbps)
WBC FTTC Availability Date
WBC SOGEA Availability Date
Left in Jumper
High
Low
High
Low
VDSL Range A (Clean) 29.7 22.4 4.9 3.2 -- Available -- --
VDSL Range B (Impacted) 22.3 10.4 3.8 1.1 -- Available -- --
Featured Products
Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)
Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)
Downstream Range(Mbps)
WBC FTTP Availability Date
Left in Jumper
WBC FTTP Up to 330 Up to 30 -- Available -- --
ADSL Products
Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)
Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)
Downstream Range(Mbps)
Availability Date
Left in Jumper
WBC ADSL 2+ Up to 16.5 -- 14.5 to 19 Available -- --
WBC ADSL 2+ Annex M Up to 16.5 Up to 1 14.5 to 19 Available -- --
ADSL Max Up to 8 -- 7 to 8 Available -- --
WBC Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available -- --
Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available -- --
Other Offerings
Availability Date
VDSL Multicast -- -- -- Available -- --
ADSL Multicast -- -- -- Available -- --

FTTP being installed on Friday, fibre has been put to the house, just waiting for internal engineer.

That's interesting, which exchange are you connected to? It seems quite strange that both FTTC and FTTP is available to you

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Yep indeed, and also Openreach think it much cheapest cost of using g.fast installed on every cabinet base to save the cost rather than expensive Fibre To The Premise! But, I guess you could be correct maybe all g.fast available by the summer of 2018 but I think Openreach want to get it done quickly because the FTTC cabinet base already there to installing g.fast on the base. But, I don't know how big job is that? Probably a straight forward job and lots quicker job.

As for FTTPoD that's probably will never be sold to residential customers now due to high cost of installation, monthly charges.

It's showing as available for me on the checker, And if they roll out G fast and do go further than the vdsl2 cabs then this could reduce the costs of FoD , And if it was available at a sensible price and from other providers than BT consumer , without mega long min terms, i would jump at the chance of having FoD

In reply to a post by indigobanana:

That's interesting, which exchange are you connected to? It seems quite strange that both FTTC and FTTP is available to you

Indeed! I thought a property could only get FTTC or FTTP, not both.

Quick question on my result is says:

ADSL left in jumper = Yes

For my parent who have fibre:

ADSL left in juimper = -- --

What does that mean lol?

Storm-Force

It means that at the exchange you are still jumpered up to the ADSL equipment.

This will not affect your FTTC as the frequencies are all stripped off at the Cab but means if you wanted to go back to ADSl OR only have to do the work at the cab.

When BTW ( or LLU operator) are ready to compress out the ADSL kit and recover it some of it OR will remove the jumper causing a short ( 30sec) break to your voice service but not affecting the FTTC service.

Leaving the jumper in saves OR money when they provide an FTTC service as they do not have to send someone to the exchange just the Cab.

Max

It shows FTTPoD on mine.

FTTP on Demand 330 30 -- Available --

Mine is:

WBC FTTC Availability Date

High Low High Low
VDSL Range A (Clean) 80 75.4 20 20 -- Available
VDSL Range B (Impacted) 80 55.4 20 17.5 -- Available

WBC FTTP Availability Date
330 30 -- Available

Rare but not impossible, a growing number are appearing as infill takes place to bring some areas to higher superfast coverage levels.

Also have seen new builds get FTTP even though close to a cabinet, i.e. depends on what developer requests

I have had FTTC here, in West London, for several years and have speeds in the high 70's. My property probably has the longest line from the cabinet and I believe all properties served by the cabinet have an FTTC option with many seeing 80Mbps.

There is no infill required and no development taking place in the area, however, we are now seeing FTTP availability for all properties on this and other local cabinets.

I wonder if what you are seeing is related to this oddity?

And the exchange and cabinet is?

As others have said there was an oddity with some data sources recently.

Not sure ...

Here in London, I get the FTTP option. My in-laws just outside Manchester are showing the same. However, the place I use, and friends local to there, in Scotland have FTTC installed and running but NO FTTP option.

Uh ah!

I've just spotted in the new layout, as per the OP, what people may be misreading.

Going down the "WBC FTTC Availability Date" column it says "Available" for me too. (I've been on FTTC for years). However if you track left to the line description it is "FTTP on Demand". Which has been showing as available on the old layout for ages - even though we know they aren't taking orders.

In other words just a careless or lazy bit of column text on the FTTPoD section.

It was not there for me on the previous version ...

Without a screenshot hard to say, people are so attuned to ignoring irrelevant stuff you may have learnt to ignore it in the previous format.

But yes for most people this is a false alarm and is about FTTP on Demand, in locations where native FTTP is available the left hand section says WBC FTTP.

Take a peek at SE18 6FW if you want to see it, very short table as no copper services to that address, and the VDSL Multicast really needs renaming too

Andrew

That post code doesn't work for me.

My Screen shot is below.

My post code has the FTTPoD line whereas Thomas's has WBC FTTP but his VDSL lines show FTTC speeds which is the odd part as if on FTTP these are invalid, (These could be theoretical speeds for the line to the cab If the cab was enabled by FTTC)

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate(Mbps) Downstream Range(Mbps) WBC FTTC Availability Date WBC SOGEA Availability Date Left in Jumper
High Low High Low
VDSL Range A (Clean) 58.5 42.9 15.7 10.2 -- Available -- --
VDSL Range B (Impacted) 42.9 22.7 12.6 5.6 -- Available -- --
Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate(Mbps) Downstream Range(Mbps) WBC FTTP Availability Date Left in Jumper
FTTP on Demand 330 30 -- Available -- --
ADSL Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate(Mbps) Downstream Range(Mbps) Availability Date Left in Jumper
WBC ADSL 2+ Up to 7 -- 4.5 to 11 Available -- --
WBC ADSL 2+ Annex M Up to 7 Up to 1 4.5 to 11 Available -- --
ADSL Max Up to 5.5 -- 4 to 8 Available -- --
WBC Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available -- --
Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available -- --
Other Offerings Availability Date
VDSL Multicast -- -- -- Available -- --
ADSL Multicast -- -- -- Available -- --

In reply to a post by thomaswarne01:

VDSL Range A (Clean) 29.7 22.4 4.9 3.2 -- Available -- --
VDSL Range B (Impacted) 22.3 10.4 3.8 1.1 -- Available -- --
Featured Products
Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)
Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)
Downstream Range(Mbps)
WBC FTTP Availability Date
Left in Jumper
WBC FTTP Up to 330 Up to 30 -- Available -- --

Well spot! Mine is FTTP on Demand 330 30 -- Available - on the left side not WBC FTTP Availability Date on the top right side.

I think lots of us get confused over this FTTP or FTTPoD.

Very misleading on BT Wholesale Checker

It didn't work for me either, but if you enter it in the Address option you get a list of addresses and can select one.

I think yours looks just like Thomas's, just the copy and pastes done differently. Note what I said about the section headings.

Roberto

No it is clearly different.

Mine says "FTTP on Demand 330 30 -- Available -- --"

His says "WBC FTTP Up to 330 Up to 30 -- Available -- --"

He is also having native FTTP provided see the post below his checker result and already has the Fibre to the house.
"FTTP being installed on Friday, fibre has been put to the house, just waiting for internal engineer. "

I am in Wales so FTTPoD is available if I wanted to pay!

I have checked the section headings and can see what you think but they are two different cases.

I was surprised his has the FTTC forecasts but this is what is suggesting that FTTC is available from his Cab but FTTP to his premise! ( I suspect to get SFBB to his area for other customers even further away from the cab.)

(Premises, not premise ).

But I see what you mean. I was going cross-eyed .

I appear to have missed something! https://www.dslchecker.bt.com/ will now only give forecasts for ADSL etc and not for fibre. Is there a new checker which covers fibre forecasts?

The telephone number option works for fibre

Yes, but what happened to the address checker option?

It seems to have been removed.

In reply to a post by mikejp:

Yes, but what happened to the address checker option?

http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/general/t/4508643-a...

The Openreach where and when page is now at http://www.homeandwork.openreach.co.uk/when-can-i-ge...

You can do an address check on there but to get a speed estimate you have to use an ISP checker.

Well, dang me! I even searched the site for 'Availability checker' et al to no avail.

Still no answers, though!

Answers to what question?

er "Why"?

I can't see that being asked before.

Ignore him. He likes to poke people with a stick trying to provoke a reaction to turn into an argument.

Do you know why the address checker has been removed, because I don't?

Edited by deleted (Sun 16-Oct-16 15:37:20)

No

Will be asking officially during the week

It is a bit pestilential, because of the LLU line problem on the normal dsl checker.

We all know the postcode one isn't to be trusted. If they wanted to axe one, it should have been that.

I think it's because too many people have been putting mass automated requests into it. First BTW recently removed the direct access to it and made us have to go through the "home" phone number page to getto it. Now I've seen two or three people on here defeat that and get back to going straight to it - so their mass enquiry works.

BT Wholesale have removed address option because of system abused by peoples like change my page etc as bt doubt don't like this abused

Ok have asked, and am told it should be back in a couple of days.

I did not ask which planet these days are on though.

Andrew

Thanks for finding that out, as it is an important facility for advising many people. I wonder if when it returns it will be with the multi-address function removed ....

If it was me coding it, then would be adding captcha and other tweaks to break the automation, but then its not my code

+1

The DSL Checker data is supplied by Openreach to Wholesale (who provide the web checker - original link https://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/adsl.htm). Both Openreach and Wholesale sell this data in bulk form to ISPs, this is where you go to an ISP page and it tells you what you can order.

I know for a fact some people were creating scripts to essentially pull data from this and it wouldn't surprise me if people were either profiting from it or using it rather than paying for the bulk data.

Edited by deleted (Mon 17-Oct-16 17:52:27)

It may have been changed because of the rise of infill cabinets. The one in our village is now taking orders if you do not have an existing fttc service but for lines on the same postcode (indeed the same premises) with an fttc service the telephone checker says you cannot get fibre.

Database seems to happily cope with infill cabinets in some areas, just some seem to hit issues, suggesting those are a data input or integrity issue rather than a data presentation issue when retrieving data on the public site.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Database seems to happily cope with infill cabinets in some areas, just some seem to hit issues, suggesting those are a data input or integrity issue rather than a data presentation issue when retrieving data on the public site.

If it was just a data input or integrity issue my fttc line would now be running at 50mbps+ , not the sub 3mbps it has always got. It looks like my broadband service is still being supplied from the old cabinet but the phone service is on the new one, so giving a database clash the checker seems to have "resolved" by excluding the fibre service.

In reply to a post by gerarda:

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Database seems to happily cope with infill cabinets in some areas, just some seem to hit issues, suggesting those are a data input or integrity issue rather than a data presentation issue when retrieving data on the public site.

If it was just a data input or integrity issue my fttc line would now be running at 50mbps+ , not the sub 3mbps it has always got. It looks like my broadband service is still being supplied from the old cabinet but the phone service is on the new one, so giving a database clash the checker seems to have "resolved" by excluding the fibre service.

I think you are in the same position as me with the infill cab. Openreach have finished the installation as far as I can tell, and the When and Where checker is showing the cabinet as accepting orders. Putting my number into the BTW checker doesn't return any FTTC results. I know for a fact FTTC is available because I have an active connection right now (15Mbps), albeit from the old cabinet and not the new infill - despite the checker saying I'm connected to the new cab.

My understanding is that while the cabinet shows as accepting orders, no orders can actually be placed until BT have finished migrating all the lines over to the new cabinet. I've been told by my local BDUK team that this process should take 2 weeks, but can take longer. This is where I am at the minute, the cabinet is live but just waiting for our line to be migrated across.

I forgot to overlay your actual issue onto any explanation and to add the BT is evil byline

In reply to a post by gerarda:

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

I think you are in the same position as me with the infill cab. Openreach have finished the installation as far as I can tell, and the When and Where checker is showing the cabinet as accepting orders. Putting my number into the BTW checker doesn't return any FTTC results. I know for a fact FTTC is available because I have an active connection right now (15Mbps), albeit from the old cabinet and not the new infill - despite the checker saying I'm connected to the new cab.

My understanding is that while the cabinet shows as accepting orders, no orders can actually be placed until BT have finished migrating all the lines over to the new cabinet. I've been told by my local BDUK team that this process should take 2 weeks, but can take longer. This is where I am at the minute, the cabinet is live but just waiting for our line to be migrated across.

We are a bit ahead of you because orders can be taken except for lines that already have a service (and ones with Talk Talk for some reason). It appears that existing lines were not migrated across.

Looks like the address checker is working again - https://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/adsl.htm

Edited by deleted (Tue 18-Oct-16 13:02:52)

Thanks . Yes it is, still with the drop-down list as well.

But your link isn't!! You need to move the full stop at the end of the link. Either remove it, or put a space after the m or enclose the link in the tbb URL link format and have the full stop after the closing ].

Edited by RobertoS (Tue 18-Oct-16 10:28:01)

Only ADSL prediction for a postcode check. Address OK and still lists properties under postcode. Link not working.
This one is

That's good re the postcode checker. It isn't an error, it's deliberate. (Note - it says under the table that it only does ADSLx).

It could never be relied on for FTTx and its variants as it only reported on the first cabinet in the Openreach database for that postcode. A postcode can have multiple cabinets serving different parts of it, with hugely different speeds even for adjacent properties.

Edited by RobertoS (Tue 18-Oct-16 10:35:51)

In reply to a post by gerarda:

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

I think you are in the same position as me with the infill cab. Openreach have finished the installation as far as I can tell, and the When and Where checker is showing the cabinet as accepting orders. Putting my number into the BTW checker doesn't return any FTTC results. I know for a fact FTTC is available because I have an active connection right now (15Mbps), albeit from the old cabinet and not the new infill - despite the checker saying I'm connected to the new cab.

My understanding is that while the cabinet shows as accepting orders, no orders can actually be placed until BT have finished migrating all the lines over to the new cabinet. I've been told by my local BDUK team that this process should take 2 weeks, but can take longer. This is where I am at the minute, the cabinet is live but just waiting for our line to be migrated across.

We are a bit ahead of you because orders can be taken except for lines that already have a service (and ones with Talk Talk for some reason). It appears that existing lines were not migrated across.

Weirdly the address checker (which is now live again) shows that FTTC is available, although the speed estimates are what I currently get from the old cab. Nothing is showing for the phone number though, which would make sense as it's awaiting migration.

TalkTalk doesn't show availability regardless of whether I use a phone number or postcode, so I'm guessing the cablelink hasn't been installed just yet. I have a sneaky suspicion that our cabinet might be waiting on the cablelink installation before TT are happy to let all the lines get migrated, could be wrong though.

Edited by Toonshorty (Tue 18-Oct-16 12:33:58)

Each cabinet doesn't need a cable link. Cable links are an exchange based piece of kit that allows connectivity from the Openreach network to the backhaul of whichever supplier is buying the cable link.

Thanks, I removed the full stop

In reply to a post by lee111s:

Each cabinet doesn't need a cable link. Cable links are an exchange based piece of kit that allows connectivity from the Openreach network to the backhaul of whichever supplier is buying the cable link.

does that mean, not all cabinet's need a fibre cable....but in the surrounding area instead?

It's in the exchange not the cabinets

The cable link referred to is specifically named in the Openreach price list as a "GEA Cable Link", which as described by the previous poster is the physical interface connector between the Openreach FTTx termination in the exchange and the relevant (wholesale or sole) provider in the exchange.

The provider has to buy it if they wish to offer FTTx to users on that (fibre headend) exchange.

It is not the external-to-the-exchange network fibre cables. Individual fibre-enabled cabinets end up linked by fibre to that termination kit.

In reply to a post by gerarda:

It appears that existing lines were not migrated across.

I thought the whole point of the recent delay was specifically to migrate the existing FTTC services!

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

It's in the exchange not the cabinets

Ah, okay - Matt at Uno seemed to suggest it was cabinet specific but I may well have misunderstood.

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

In reply to a post by gerarda:

It appears that existing lines were not migrated across.

I thought the whole point of the recent delay was specifically to migrate the existing FTTC services!

It was! The only explanation, other than sheer incompetence, that seems to make sense is that it appears that no orders for new lines can be fulfilled until 9 November, and so the lines may be migrated before then.

However none of this appears to have been communicated to anybody, customers, or ISPs, or potential customers. For a communications company BT's communication skills are somewhat lacking.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

The cable link referred to is specifically named in the Openreach price list as a "GEA Cable Link", which as described by the previous poster is the physical interface connector between the Openreach FTTx termination in the exchange and the relevant (wholesale or sole) provider in the exchange.

The provider has to buy it if they wish to offer FTTx to users on that (fibre headend) exchange.

It is not the external-to-the-exchange network fibre cables. Individual fibre-enabled cabinets end up linked by fibre to that termination kit.

Thanks for explaining that My local exchange is the 'south kensington' one, and it is enabled for fibre. But when I called BT they explained that there is a 'speed upgrade' to be done between October and March? With a minimum speed of 50 meg?

I don't understand what that means in relation to my local cabinet to be honest lol.

In reply to a post by cjdavid:

I don't understand what that means in relation to my local cabinet to be honest lol.

It's highly possible the person telling you didn't either!

The only thing I can think of that would make sense, but in view of BT Consumer's guarantee system I am unsure, is that the minimum on the VDSL2 Impacted line on the Openreach/BT Wholesale estimates table is 50Mbps

Mine:-
VDSL Range A (Clean) 57.2 43.4 15.2 10.1 -- Available -- --
VDSL Range B (Impacted) 44.9 25 11.1 5.5 -- Available -- --

BT Consumer these days apparently quote a guaranteed minimum during signup, which appears to me from several other BT customers to mean throughput. If it is, then goodness knows how they measure it. User speedtests are affected very much by the setup at the customer end of which BT Consumer have no knowledge, never mind control.

This could be related to the various network changes underway in the South Kensington and Chelsea area due to the planned closure of the Chelsea exchange.

Andrew wrote about this in a news item in June. Chelsea exchange to close in 2018

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

BT Consumer these days apparently quote a guaranteed minimum during signup, which appears to me from several other BT customers to mean throughput. If it is, then goodness knows how they measure it. User speedtests are affected very much by the setup at the customer end of which BT Consumer have no knowledge, never mind control.

I wasn't quoted anything to do with minimum speeds when I ordered FTTP on my parents line, the only thing quoted was the dates of the install.

Our Infinity 4 connection during peak times and the weekend can and has dropped down to a speed of 58 Mbps (that I have seen) which is still good, so I cannot moan.

I did ask my case handler at BT when she phoned on Monday what the lowest speed caused by congestion was before its classed as an issue, I was told 20Mbps, which is screwed up in my mind.

So infinity 4 users have to loose 94%, infinity 2 with 75% and infinity 1 with 62% before its classed as an issue / fault.

But yeah, no minimum speeds was quoted to me when ordering fibre.

Paul