Digital Region South Yorkshire - advice or recommendations

Seen some posts from hippo about Ripwire going back to 2010.

Wondered if anyonne has any advice or information about this FTTC service. I'm considering it (whilst waiting patiently to see if I get a BT FTTC cabinet up the road - Intake exchange was supposed to be enabled in December and a few are appearing on the route from the exchange).

There are no 'big players' reselling the service, and am worried about getting stuck with an ISP that offers little in the way of aftersales service (online support / online billing / service status updates etc.).

Origin Broadband seem to offer reasonable packages, especially they also do a VOIP package, but it says "Standard call rates apply to all UK and International Landlines " yet there is no info regarding these prices. Also their checker says "Our service is not currently available in your area, please contact us for scheduled installation dates" but I know it is (digital regions own availability checker confirms this) - so this doesn't fill me with confidence.

LittleBigOne, again, provide only sparse information online (it says they provide a free phone with their packages, but doesn't say if it's a standard BT service or VOIP, just that line rental is payable!) but at least they can confirm I can get the service.

Really the consumer shouldn't have to go hunting for the basics, so not very inspired by all this.

Also, anyone advise what the hardware is like, both functionally and looks? I've heard is a big, ugly piece of kit!!!!!

Cheers all

Hi,

It's good to hear you are interested in an FTTC service in South Yorkshire, but not so good that you think our website is a bit thin with information. It's not our intention to withhold information, but we have taken feedback on huge complex websites which have so much information that the majority are thoroughly confused by it all. We want to present things simply and easy to understand.

There are a number of ways we can provide services, and usually when you call (or email) us we go through these with you.

That said, we are in the process of putting more information on our website, but still keeping it easy to understand and navigate.

With regards to confidence in us, we operate a 24/7 support desk, by that I mean people in the UK in our own office with phones (and email if you prefer) being attended to. We do not outsource this or go onto skeleton staff outside office hours; in fact there is more resource in the evening (as this is when most people need our help). We have also been in business for over 10 years, so I can assure you we aren�t a start-up who will disappear or doesn't know what they are doing!

Let us know if this helps with your decisions. If you do decide to contact us, I promise you will not get the hard sell, just helpful advice.

Thanks
littlebigone.com

Just an aside - on this page you have a typo at the end of "... uses the latest technology to give you a fantastic service at to ...".

Thanks for that. It's corrected now.

Thanks
littlebigone.com

You're welcome . Though I think it would be better as "... service at up to ...".

Thanks for your reply.

I will put some questions together, but I find as I am reading about the info I want, it tends to prompt more questions.

I fully understand what you say about too much info - you probably have 3 groups of customers 1) Those who know nothing and would be confused (and put off) by the info anyway 2) Those who have a basic understanding and want as much info as possible and 3) Those who fully understand it and dont need the info.

I would say I am in the 2nd group. Having said that, I have clicked every link I saw and can find nothing about call rates if you take the phone service, for example. I will be pleased to be corrected, however.

Anyway, the fact that you have bothered to read, and respond to, my query, has already increased my confidence so thanks.

And an email is on its way lol

Edited by deleted (Thu 12-Jan-12 12:28:27)

Thanks again for taking the time to give us your thoughts and feedback.

I have passed this to our marketing team who as I said, are currently working on putting more information on the website. Like you, I believe there must be a way of keeping it simple, but providing more information for those who need /want it.

I'll let you know when it's updated, but in the meantime if you want any information you can contact us on 0800 6528288 or [email protected].

Thanks
littlebigone.com

I've got to admit that I'm confused by Digital Region and the various ISP's offering it as well. I was looking at DR as an option for home (I'm in DN4)

Is this a FTTP or FTTC service...? There are VOIP services offered...? So why is there a 'phone line rental' cost?

I've had this argument with Virgin, they supply a direct service which brings TV, broadband and phone to my home by cable. I don't need the phone and cannot see why I should be forced to pay line rental. I could understand with other ADSL type services, which require a BT line to be connected - with no phone line there cannot be a service.

Our mobile phone contracts allow for unlimited calls, unlimited texts and all that for little more than the basic landline rental, and we can use them on the move - that's why we don't need a landline. It's costing me to have something I simply do not use. Virgin will let me drop the phone service, but would then re-jig the overall contract to charge me 30p a month more for the same options, without the phone...!?!?

I've used VOIP quite a lot, and have a good provider with proper local geographical numbers, as well as having a Skype account. It just seems stupid to take a phone line when you have a direct Internet connection.

Or is it a direct connection? The more I read, the more I see references to 'cabinets' and distance affecting speeds. So i checked my postcode and see that I'm 1.3 Km from the cabinet, expected speed would be under 20Mb (14.9/5.6 according to the checker) - I should note that I'm about to get 20Mb from Virgin anyway, and don't actually need (at this time) more than the 10Mb (pretty stable at 9.1-9.3/1.0) service we already have.

I am confused even more now, as reading the blurb it appears that Digital Region still use the 'final mile' of copper wire ? So much for a fibre service...!

We're with Virgin at present, so would need a new phone line putting in, then there's a set-up cost... That totals up to more than BT want to connect me, and we've got Infintiy in our area now. BT are very keen to waive the line installation costs as we already have a BT wire to the house form the nearby pole.

At least these are the impressions I get from reading through the information presented - I take it I am failing to see the benefits ?

In reply to a post by yoda2691:

Seen some posts from hippo about Ripwire going back to 2010.

Wondered if anyonne has any advice or information about this FTTC service. I'm considering it (whilst waiting patiently to see if I get a BT FTTC cabinet up the road - Intake exchange was supposed to be enabled in December and a few are appearing on the route from the exchange).

There are no 'big players' reselling the service, and am worried about getting stuck with an ISP that offers little in the way of aftersales service (online support / online billing / service status updates etc.).

Origin Broadband seem to offer reasonable packages, especially they also do a VOIP package, but it says "Standard call rates apply to all UK and International Landlines " yet there is no info regarding these prices. Also their checker says "Our service is not currently available in your area, please contact us for scheduled installation dates" but I know it is (digital regions own availability checker confirms this) - so this doesn't fill me with confidence.

LittleBigOne, again, provide only sparse information online (it says they provide a free phone with their packages, but doesn't say if it's a standard BT service or VOIP, just that line rental is payable!) but at least they can confirm I can get the service.

Really the consumer shouldn't have to go hunting for the basics, so not very inspired by all this.

Also, anyone advise what the hardware is like, both functionally and looks? I've heard is a big, ugly piece of kit!!!!!

Cheers all

After a a fairly long decision and Weighing up all the companys on the DRN plus waiting to see if BT get off there back sides to enable my cab (after 1.2year they still havent even though its there and powered on) i eventually chose little big one and so far they've answered everything i need to no they've been very helpful and honest.

As for the phone service its my understanding its a BT bassed line but dose not enable calling (kinda like a broadband only line) then they provide a phone that (plugs into the back of the router see link below) to offer the voip service i decided to leave my phone line with the post office to avoid any issues that might arise in the future if ever need to leave.

LBO did not mention this in there posts but they currently send out these routers gr8 routers they enable print/hard drive sharing just by plugging the usb port of the printer/drive directly into the router.

i also took the billboard offer to get £25 off my bill so far im very happy with what ive seen and cant wait for my service to go live in a few week

hope this gives a little more info you was looking for.

Ash

Edited by acpsd775 (Tue 27-Mar-12 16:50:08)

Digital Region is a fibre to the cabinet service, i.e. uses the copper phone line from cabinet to property

Virgin Media is fibre to the node, then coax to another cabinet, then coax cable to your property with a copper phone line too.

AH - now I see why I got it wrong - it's DR isn't fibre down the street, as I had been led to believe. Looks like we'll not be going in that direction, thanks for the info.

VM have a copper phone line? Only from the distribution box inside the house, from what I can see, or is that another bit the eye cannot see? The main cab, form which other smaller cabs are served, is the one we're connected to in our area, from what I've been told previously.

Stick with what we have seems the best option.

A VM phone line still comes from the cab outside, just as a BT line would do (although different cabs),

It terminates at a wall socket, just as a normal line would be.

Matt

In reply to a post by TMCR:

AH - now I see why I got it wrong - it's DR isn't fibre down the street, as I had been led to believe. Looks like we'll not be going in that direction, thanks for the info.

VM have a copper phone line? Only from the distribution box inside the house, from what I can see, or is that another bit the eye cannot see? The main cab, form which other smaller cabs are served, is the one we're connected to in our area, from what I've been told previously.

Stick with what we have seems the best option.

If you look at the main cable from the street to you house were it hits the junction box on your house some were, You'll see 2 cables a thick and a thin one the thicker is the coax the thin is the twisted pair for the phone.

just to double confirm digital region is FTTC just like BT infinity but they use there own network cabs and back hull (not open reaches like some other fttc sellers) and only use the open reach coper network to get to you.

Ash

In reply to a post by acpsd775:

You'll see 2 cables a thick and a thin one

So I went out and looked at the wire, for the first time since it was in stalled. Yep, it's a figure 8 with a fat and a thin. I always thought it was one bit of coax.

In reply to a post by acpsd775:

just to double confirm digital region is FTTC just like BT infinity but they use there own network cabs and back hull (not open reaches like some other fttc sellers) and only use the open reach coper network to get to you.

Ah well, at least I looked at the option. Thanks for enlightening me.

In reply to a post by TMCR:

In reply to a post by acpsd775:

You'll see 2 cables a thick and a thin one

So I went out and looked at the wire, for the first time since it was in stalled. Yep, it's a figure 8 with a fat and a thin. I always thought it was one bit of coax.

In reply to a post by acpsd775:

just to double confirm digital region is FTTC just like BT infinity but they use there own network cabs and back hull (not open reaches like some other fttc sellers) and only use the open reach coper network to get to you.

Ah well, at least I looked at the option. Thanks for enlightening me.

No problems i used to be with virgin media my self for about 16 year from cable all the way to vm and from 256k - 100meg lol but last year they took £100 more than they should of 2 times in a row then said they hadn't done it and that id never had a direct debit so it was impossible when i proved they wrong that they did have one and they had done it via bank statements they basically blamed it all on me so i told them to shuv it lol,

BT dont seam to know what there doing with the cab 1.2 year later and they still don't have an activation date changes all the time lol,

So the digital region networks kinda a godsend for me to get me back on fibre biassed broadband my estimate it 40/10 via DRN (talk talks checker predict 66meg with profile 17a) so once digital region update to this later in the year ill be a very happy bunny indeed lol.

Ash

In reply to a post by TMCR:

...i checked my postcode and see that I'm 1.3 Km from the cabinet, expected speed would be under 20Mb (14.9/5.6 according to the checker)...

Littlebigone provided the distance and estimated speed via the checker on their site, I just looked at this again, using the map based results offered on Origin Broadband's site.

Ah - now I see why I'm being given 1.3Km distance and low speeds, the checker is linking me to a cabinet that's way out of my area, there are probably half a dozen connection points that are nearer. The nearest is about 270 metres, which would give a great improvement on expected speeds.

I'm just keeping track of what is available to me, I thought it may help others following this thread if I pointed out that the initial check may not be right, until they start to put wheels in motion, you don't know what you'll actually get.

You are connected to the BT street cabinet that you are connected to, there is no choosing which is the most optimal one to use for VDSL2

And you are correct. I've had confirmation that BT, when they put the lines in for our area, chose to route them to a cabinet 1.3Km away, rather than at least 3 cabs that are on the route from that cabinet to where we live.

Digital Region will therefore be well under 20Mb, if we go for it. We are on Virgin now, and have the 10Mb to 20Mb upgrade due any day now (March/April according to Mr Richard Bolt on the VM site) and then to 30Mb when they feel like that step.

We have a Virgin phone line, so cannot check 100% with BT but a postcode check says they can provide 27Mb on Infinity to our location. This is from the same cabinet that DR would have to use of course - I checked. Crazy.

I often wonder what sort of service we would have had today had we remained with Ionica - back then it was 56K max, and we got 56K constantly on their dish system, such a shame that nobody took the technology up. I still have the dish on the roof