FTTC while under ADSL contract

Hi, for over a week now, my O2 Broadband connection has been suffering severe packet loss. This problem also occurred last February. Both times, 02 dragged their feet, and were hesitant to even admit there was any issues.

I have had enough of O2, and would like to change providers, however, FTTC should be available in June. Therefore, if I change ADSL provider, I will still be under contract when FTTC arrives, so I would like to know what my options could be? Can I keep ADSL and have FTTC at the same time? Thanks in advance.

No, you cannot have ADSL and FTTC (on the same line) at the same time, and in order to switch to another ISP and get FTTC you will need a MAC from O2.
The best you can do is contact them , probably in writing, and ask to be released early due to the problems you are experiencing, but you may need to allow them opportunity to resolve them if you have not already raised it with them.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

I have had enough of O2, and would like to change providers, however, FTTC should be available in June. Therefore, if I change ADSL provider, I will still be under contract when FTTC arrives, so I would like to know what my options could be? Can I keep ADSL and have FTTC at the same time? Thanks in advance.

If I understand you correctly you aren't currently under contract with O2? If so then there's obviously no issue moving to another ADSL provider - you just need to make sure the one you chose will be offering FTTC when it's available in June. At that point you'll be staying with the same company just switching from their ADSL to FTTC product and they will be more than happy to convert you and start your contract period afresh

Most ISPs offer 1-month contracts for ADSLx. Only BT, Sky, TalkTalk and O2/Be don't that I can recall, though some of the ones that do also have longer ones for LLU services.

So there are many you could move to until FTTC comes along. The June date is likely to slip, if you haven't been keeping in touch with that side of things till now.

It isn't just your exchange that matters either. You need to check whether your cabinet will be enabled, and when. Not all cabinets connected to a particular exchange necessarily get enabled.

Given your postcode, people here may be able to help identify the cabinet.

Alternatively let your O2 account running into "monthly contract", i.e. not signing new 12-months contract with O2, when your existing O2 broadband contract expires. This way you can simply "migrate" to whoever you're happy with the fibre-broadband with minimum trouble!

Thank you all for the replies.

Sorry I was not that clear. I am currently not under contract, but would like to change ADSL providers now, and therefore would be under the new ADSL contract in June, when FTTC hopefully arrives.

Before I place an order for ADSL, I will check they will switch the package to FTTC when available (I was initially thinking that I could just get a cheap ADSL package, and keep that running alongside the FTTC when it arrives, as I thought the copper wires carried two lines).

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

was initially thinking that I could just get a cheap ADSL package, and keep that running alongside the FTTC when it arrives, as I thought the copper wires carried two lines.

That's a different question!

The "wire" that comes to your house at the moment has (I think) three pairs. Maybe only two.

A connection requires a pair, which carries both the phone and ADSLx signals.

As has been said, you can't have ADSLx and FTTC down the same pair.

However, there is nothing to stop you having a second line, i.e. a second telephone number and line rental, delivered over the second pair. You could have FTTC on that, and your ADSL stay on the existing one.

As for worrying about choosing an ISP that will upgrade you to FTTC when it comes, as I said before, most will do a monthly contract package. So it doesn't matter. Bear in mind that FTTC from most ISPs is a lot more expensive then ADSLx, so you may not wish to upgrade with the monthly contract ISP.

What you should do is migrate now to a monthly contract, if you are sure that your problems are entirely O2, and no possibility of a line fault. Then when the time comes, you either upgrade or migrate again to FTTC.

Edited by RobertoS (Mon 23-Apr-12 19:10:45)

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

What you should do is migrate now to a monthly contract...Then when the time comes, you either upgrade or migrate again to FTTC.

That would just be making hard work for yourself, potentially having to move providers twice, whilst narrowing your options of the ADSL providers you can chose to those that offer one month contracts (which are probably more expensive as well). Can't see any merit in doing this compared to my suggestion above but the choice is of course yours - let us know what you do in the end

Post deleted by XRaySpeX

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

OP already pooh-poohed your suggestion by replying to you:

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

but would like to change ADSL providers now

But that's exactly what my suggestion is advising. Try reading it again. He changes now to another ADSL provider - one that will offer FTTC in June. That way he's already done the hard part of changing providers (and getting away from his hated O2) so that when FTTC is available it's the easy part of upgrading to the new ISP's fibre product