FTTP but only max 300Mbit?

Hey folks - I remember reading a while back something about ECI(?) FTTP still being limited to max 300mbit... is this still the case?

Are OR planning to upgrade this kit any time soon? anyone we can escalate to? dslchecker reports 1000mbit as available but whenever we order it gets rejected and escalations only report max 300mbit.

R.

In reply to a post by rupert999:

Hey folks - I remember reading a while back something about ECI(?) FTTP still being limited to max 300mbit... is this still the case?

Are OR planning to upgrade this kit any time soon? anyone we can escalate to? dslchecker reports 1000mbit as available but whenever we order it gets rejected and escalations only report max 300mbit.

R.

Well the ECI FTTP kit is still in place as far as I'm aware and there are yet no firm plans by Openreach on how or when they will migrate folks from it - although they are apparently installing Nokia and Adtran OLT gear now in the same parent exchanges to build / extend into new locations within the same exchange serving footprint.

Are you sure though that you are served by and ECI headend? What exactly does the BTW checker report for your address? Do you know when Openreach FTTP was first built in your particular street / neighbourhood? What ONT's do the neighbours have?

"whenever we order it gets rejected and escalations only report max 300mbit."

Have you tried ordering through different providers? Some of them may have limited cablelink capacity at your headend exchange, and are limiting orders there, but others may not be capacity constrained.

The ECI footprint is only about 50,000 properties I believe, out of about 10 million now, so you'd be very unlucky to be on one of these.

"escalations only report max 300mbit"

It seems you've already had your answer, although it would be good if the escalations could have explained to you the reason.

In the end, my advice would be to order 330/50. You'll save yourself quite a lot of money over a 1000/110, and probably not notice the difference (unless you're doing lots of uploads, but even then it's only a factor of 2). Most home wifi networks are unable to handle more than 300-400Mbps anyway.

Use the saved money to buy more tea and biscuits for the slightly longer time you'll have to wait for transferring huge files

Thanks for the replies folks - should add, already on 330, wanted to upgrade to 1Gig to feel the need for speed (no technical reason of course!)

Back of the ONT is marked "ECI Telecom Ltd", estate was built 2013. Wholesale checker lists up to 1000 as downstream speed which is confusing - I guess perhaps Huawei has also been recently installed at the exchange marking all the lines "up to 1000" when really the ECI ones probably shouldn't have been adjusted.

Guess I'm in the "lucky" 50,000 properties !

Edited by rupert999 (Tue 25-Apr-23 17:01:38)

Interesting turn of events - persisted with escalation team and I've been upgraded to 500Mbit but still on the ECI hardware - seems minor miracles can happen!

Cool. I think the issue is with the ECI OLTs having limited external network bandwidth. I guess they decided there are sufficiently few users in your area that they could give you a little more of it.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Cool. I think the issue is with the ECI OLTs having limited external network bandwidth. I guess they decided there are sufficiently few users in your area that they could give you a little more of it.

Correct. In theory there's nothing stopping them from creating a profile that gives a subscriber the entire GPON bandwidth and in fact some OS operators do just that. Openreach are probably the most conservative of the operators on home soil, especially as we know when it comes to upstream bandwidth.

Still cant be soon enough for the old ECI gear to disappear, but they have more pressing issues, like cabling up 30 odd million properties first.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Cool. I think the issue is with the ECI OLTs having limited external network bandwidth. I guess they decided there are sufficiently few users in your area that they could give you a little more of it.

Correct. In theory there's nothing stopping them from creating a profile that gives a subscriber the entire GPON bandwidth and in fact some OS operators do just that.

That wouldn't be a good idea!

The ECI OLT's only have 1Gb ports on the back, meaning 1Gb GEA cablelinks.

Effectively the PON is limited to 1Gb and not the usual 2.4Gb/s you would expect from GPON. Not a good idea to give anyone 1Gb nevermind 2.4Gb/s

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Still cant be soon enough for the old ECI gear to disappear, but they have more pressing issues, like cabling up 30 odd million properties first.

And finishing off exchange areas in a timely manor

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Cool. I think the issue is with the ECI OLTs having limited external network bandwidth. I guess they decided there are sufficiently few users in your area that they could give you a little more of it.

Correct. In theory there's nothing stopping them from creating a profile that gives a subscriber the entire GPON bandwidth and in fact some OS operators do just that.

That wouldn't be a good idea!

The ECI OLT's only have 1Gb ports on the back, meaning 1Gb GEA cablelinks.

Effectively the PON is limited to 1Gb and not the usual 2.4Gb/s you would expect from GPON. Not a good idea to give anyone 1Gb nevermind 2.4Gb/s

Yes John hence the “theoretical” caveat in my post. In reality Openreqxh are extraordinarily conservative when it comes to GPON over subscription as we all hopefully know.