21CN, FTTC, LLU questions

Could someone please fill in the gaps of my knowledge.
I know LLU is third party broadband providers with their own equipment installed at the exchange. I know that FTTC is fibre from the exchange to the cabinet and wire from the cabinet to the home. I think that 21CN is an upgrade to the existing BT wire network.

SamKnows shows the RFS date for 21CN and FTTC in my exchange during the first half of this year. Am I right in saying that if I opted to move to a LLU provider now, at best I'd be on the 21CN network and that the FTTC will only be used for BT products? Or will non BT/non LLU ISPs be allowed to use the FTTC network? I'm about 600 metres from my cabinet. Am I right in thinking that I could get in the region of 20mbps with FTTC?

LLU is nothing to do with the 21CN network.

FTTC is sold wholesale by Openreach, i..e any ISP (LLU or otherwise) can pick up your data at the exchange. You may have missed the fibre boost that TalkTalk already sells @ £10 a month extra. Just that O2/Sky have not launched their products yet.

600m from cabinet probably a good bit faster

I know LLU is third party broadband providers with their own equipment installed at the exchange.

Correct.

I know that FTTC is fibre from the exchange to the cabinet and wire from the cabinet to the home.

Yes, but still retaining the wire from the cabinet back to the exchange, to provide the voice side of the circuit.

I think that 21CN is an upgrade to the existing BT wire network.

No, it's a change to the DSLAM equipment in the exchange. Meaning that BT Wholsale based ISP's can provide an 'up to 21meg based service rather than the existing 'up to 8' service. If you already have LLU in your exchange, they will already be providing an up to 21 service from their kit, so a move to LLU would hopefully mean a rise in sync rate... This dependent on line length, etc.

FTTC will only be used for BT products? Or will non BT/non LLU ISPs be allowed to use the FTTC network?

No, it's actually a BT Openreach product (slight difference), have a look at Bob's info on the subject.

I'm about 600 metres from my cabinet. Am I right in thinking that I could get in the region of 20mbps with FTTC?

No, I'd suspect nearer, or maybe even the full 40meg.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Meaning that BT Wholsale based ISP's can provide an 'up to 21meg based service rather than the existing 'up to 8' service. If you already have LLU in your exchange, they will already be providing an up to 21 service from their kit

21 -> 24 sometimes marketed as 20!

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

FTTC will only be used for BT products? Or will non BT/non LLU ISPs be allowed to use the FTTC network?

No, it's actually a BT Openreach product (slight difference), have a look at Bob's info on the subject.

Wrong page , but thanks for the link. The owning page.

@PaulG - see also the page on my site about WBC/WBMC/IPSC. That's a fuller explanation of 21CN. There's also a page "What is LLU?"

Thanks for all the replies.... it has really helped.