I've a feeling the BTW checker blocks auto-checks.

And it need the Captcha solving ...

you'd think the majority of people would have a fixed line connection

There are still quite a few of us with no superfast fixed line options at all. Add those to people who choose to use 4G out of preference and there is a reasonable percentage without a fixed line.

Indeed you could say it is somewhat of a self-selecting demographic on a broadband forum such as TBB 😎. Not really quite representative of the wider community.

There’s plenty of folks especially those younger or who have grown up only knowing / having mobiles and smartphones that never would have wanted / saw the need for a fixed line or broadband. Up until lockdown and enforced home working these folks would have presumably carried on that way.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Up until lockdown and enforced home working these folks would have presumably carried on that way.

The first lockdown hit the performance of the mobile networks in my town quite significantly, so to me it felt as if a lot of people did not have a home fixed line broadband, or they had an elderly (ADSL) or slow (FTTC) connection rather than a fast VM one. Perhaps because before lockdown these people didn't spend as much time at home. (No FTTP in this town yet).

By "hit" I mean my local EE mast (visible from my window) went from 60 to 80 Mbps in Feb 2020, down to 4 Mbps after. Vodafone went from 15 Mbps to 3 Mbps.

The networks have deployed more capacity now, but it took a year. Similar capacity deployments to those previously used only in shopping / town centres.

In reply to a post by pluralist:

In reply to a post by autumnbreeze:

You're right - "waiting list" is what it says under "WBC FTTC Availability Date" and "SOGEA FTTC Availability Date".

What does it mean? Do I have to stick with ye olde ADSL broadband at my new address?

On the page that it said Waiting list", the line above the table will have your exchange and cabinet number. If you post those details (without your address) you may find someone can give more information about the cabinet.

In particular if it is scheduled to get extra capacity.

Re the waiting list itself, there is no way you can put yourself on it, and as far as I know these days only one provider (BT) puts potential customers on it. That's if they still do.

The only other way is to check at least twice a day on that site and get an order in within minutes to your chosen provider. Even then you may not be quick enough.

It says (with my full address removed):

Address [removed], on Exchange HECKMONDWIKE is served by Cabinet 28

I hope this is enough information!

Yes it is, for those who can check it. I can't, but such people do turn up now and then.

Fingers crossed.

I believe there is a DSLAM sidepod planned in few months time to add capacity

I didn't specifically mean superfast, but yes for some reason I didn't think of that!

Yes, it's highly unreliable these days. Seems to block you after a few times...