Infill Cabinets

Looking for some advice about whether we can influence which cabinet we are connected to - or just give up all hope.
For two years now we've been connected on Fttc with Talktalk (TT) to Burscough exchange via a distant Cab 5 with d/l speeds of about 5.0-6.0 Mbps - a bit less than we had on Adsl. In the last two years two new infill cabinets (17&18) have been installed either side of our address with assistance from Lancs CC to improve speeds in the area, unfortunately our postcode has not been migrated.
I have asked Lancs CC for help and they referred me to O/R who say we cannot get a fibre service.
I have asked TT and they have pursued a re route to Cab 18 about 130 metres from our address but that didn't work out because that cab and its fibre cable are on the other and wrong side of the road and would require a new pole to connect to our DP133. I have asked to be considered for re routing to Cab 17, which although further away than no18 is about half the distance from Cab 5 but so far I'm told there are no plans.
I cannot decide whether to give up and hope something turns up, see what happens with the "Govt" guarantee of 10 mbps, return to Adsl or rely totally on ok-ish mobile phone data.
At present I'm thinking of a switch to BT as for some reason their checker is still suggesting an estimated 7.9-16.9 Mbps on Cab 5 and maybe I could ask for a switch to Cab 17.
Any comments - positive or negative would be appreciated.

Ordering from BT is not going to magically get you better speeds

Also with switching it won't help since Openreach cannot favour one provider over another with rearrangements like this

A network rearrangement is extremely unlikely, you could email the ceo of open reach perhaps pointing out how many other properties would benefit. This is on the basis of if you don't ask you won't get, if you do ask you still probably won't get but you never know.

Other options are fibre on demand, community fibre etc. How good is reception on Three, would an external antenna improve things? Three have some great offers and many people are dumping traditional broadband and using three instead - take a look in the mobile broadband section of the forum.

In reply to a post by R0NSKI:

- take a look in the mobile broadband section of the forum.

With the �Active in� period set to at least a month at today�s date .

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 23-Mar-19 10:32:59)

I agree with others, no matter how logical and reasonable it is getting a network rearrangement is very very difficult.

4g deals are getting good now worth a look (and the aerial can make a big difference in some cases)

USO will get you an upgrade. The nearest cab quite possibly.

Very grateful for each of the comments.
I guess I should explore Mobile Broadband with Three - we already have unlimited data with Three but speed tests can range from 5.0 to 20.0 depending on nothing at all. Maybe an aerial would help.
We had been reluctant to give up Fttc because there is now a waiting list on Cab 5 but none on !7&18. Could try the CEO option as each of our neighbouring postcodes were switched to the new cabinets but our postcode of only about 15 premises was left out. I think I'm just envious.

In reply to a post by dlyn:

Very grateful for each of the comments.
I guess I should explore Mobile Broadband with Three - we already have unlimited data with Three but speed tests can range from 5.0 to 20.0 depending on nothing at all. Maybe an aerial would help.
We had been reluctant to give up Fttc because there is now a waiting list on Cab 5 but none on !7&18. Could try the CEO option as each of our neighbouring postcodes were switched to the new cabinets but our postcode of only about 15 premises was left out. I think I'm just envious.

All depends on how desperate you are. USO is, if we're lucky, late this year.So we should see the first connections via USO going live in 2020.

Iirc correctly 3 do a router for mobile on their site can't remember if they sell an external aerial. Just need to check any router you look at can take an external aerial not all do.

Other routers and antennae also discussed in the existing Mobile Broadband threads. I can't advise, as l don't need one.

According to this, Three's latest router doesn't have an antenna socket, but the older Huawei B311 does, and is cheaper too.

I'd suggest you put it as high in your house as possible - maybe in the loft - so that the antenna cable is as short as possible. Then run ethernet to a second access point, if you need one for good in-house wifi coverage.

In reply to a post by dlyn:

Could try the CEO option as each of our neighbouring postcodes were switched to the new cabinets but our postcode of only about 15 premises was left out. I think I'm just envious.

Could well be worth doing, 15 properties left out could be a database error. MrSaffron might be able to prod Openreach, so could be worth emailing him your details first on Monday.

From looking at the coverage of cabs 5, 17 & 18 using CodeLook and if you referring to postcode L40 0RJ it certainly seems odd that this postcode is still on cab 5 rather than one of the two later infill cabs. All three cabs were funded by the BDUK Lancashire SEP (Superfast Expansion Program) 5 in 2016 and then 17 & 18 in 2017 which would suggest that BDUK Lancs instructed OpenReach as to the required coverage of infill cabs 17 & 18.

Have you considered contacting your MP?

Thanks for the helpful suggestions - they are much appreciated.
I've looked at the Mobile B/B forum, that thread started by RobertoS is one long thread but is very useful,especially for info about routers and aerials.
I am referring to L40 0RJ and the Codelook site does show how far out just one p/code is from the others on Cab 5. It has, though, got the location of Cab 18 wrong, it is inside our p/code!
I think there could be an error somewhere - when Cab 18 was first set up it was about 2 metres from our DP133 and we were told by O/R engineers (about 6 vans) on site that we were being moved over. Literally one day later all traces of this cabinet were gone and the area covered over. It seems nobody had sought permission of the local farmer and so it was moved down and across the road. I did ask Lancs CC what had happened but other than say improvements were being made in this area, they were tightlipped and referred me to the O/R online enquiry form.
I will ask Mr S kindly if he could prod someone and I will try the Ceo of O/R and will even try our MP - she might not have much to do in the next month or two!

Fingers crossed a good result, job has gone in for plan and build to move the premises to a nearby cabinet rather than the one so far away.

Timescale is around 2 months

"Good news" - I don't think so. It is fantastic. I have asked and written to so many over the last couple of years without success, so I am very grateful.

Timescale is no problem. If there is no change, I will set up a Mobile B/B router with a Three sim. I have checked our mobile signal outdoors and it is much better in a couple of different positions and with a bit of height, so an antenna could work.


Thanks to each poster for all the very helpful suggestions.