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Hi there,
We've recently moved into a bungalow and are struggling to get anything offered to us more than ADSL 5-10mbps download as the local Open Reach FTTC exchange is at full capacity.
- Tried wireless broadband but didn't have any line of site so couldn't get that installed
- 4G TP-link router I'm using with an unlimited O2 SIM is only giving me 5mb (ish) but is unreliable. Other providers are even worse
- There's also no city fibre or vigrin media in the area.
IDNET are saying they can provide me a SoGEA connection that has speeds of between 50-80mb but I can't check until Monday and if they're relying on Open reach's FTTC capacity then I figured that wouldn't work anyways.
Just wondering if there's anything else I haven't thought of that you all may know to look for?
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The SOGEA from them will be via Openreach FTTC, so don’t get your hopes up.
If you post your exchange name and cabinet number, there are a few users who post on here who can look in more depth at what the future plans with that cabinet are.
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Hi Zarjaz,
Thanks for letting me know, that's a bit disappointing but not surprising.
I used thinkbroadbands exchange finder and it gave me the following: Littlehampton (SDLTTLH)
Is that the exchange name and number you mentioned?
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Register (or login) on our website and you will not see this ad.
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You need to go to the BT Wholesale Availability checker. If it works for your landline phone number or you haven't yet got one, change to the Address Checker.
In the Address Checker the quickest method is to enter your postcode and the CAPTCHA and Submit. That gives you a dropdown list to choose your address.
Both the number checker and the address checker give you a table of estimates for your address. The line above the table gives the exchange and cabinet number  . You must choose your address, as not all the addresses in the list always use the same cabinet.
Connections: OnePlus 8 Pro, 4G+ (LTE) max 165Mbps down, 24Mbps up on Three Mobile, and B311 4G+ router, tbb tests normally 35-45Mpbs down, 65Mbps off-peak, 9-24 up (Three)ZTE MF286D router speedtest.net 113/20Mbps.
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The price of liberty, and even of common humanity, is eternal vigilance. (Aldous Huxley version of the well-known saying)
When you meet Mr Juncker, you realise you haven't got a drink problem. Nigel Farage, 12 Aug 2021
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Thanks for the link, Pluralist.
Here's what I found when I searched using my address (I don't have a landline number): Exchange LITTLEHAMPTON is served by Cabinet 17
VDSL range A and B for both FTTC and SoGEA are "waiting list" and when reaching out to Open Reach, all they gave me via an email was sometime next year.
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I'd expect there will be a new pod on the PCP for capacity in the next couple of months or so
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The previous reply this morning can be relied on, though nothing is certain until it happens. Openreach plans sometimes change, though rarely with this sort of upgrade.
The PCP is the phone cabinet and the pod referred to will be a mini fibre cabinet bolted onto the side of it.
Connections: OnePlus 8 Pro, 4G+ (LTE) max 165Mbps down, 24Mbps up on Three Mobile, and B311 4G+ router, tbb tests normally 35-45Mpbs down, 65Mbps off-peak, 9-24 up (Three)ZTE MF286D router speedtest.net 113/20Mbps.
===========================================================================
The price of liberty, and even of common humanity, is eternal vigilance. (Aldous Huxley version of the well-known saying)
When you meet Mr Juncker, you realise you haven't got a drink problem. Nigel Farage, 12 Aug 2021
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Thank you both for the explanation.
I guess it's just a waiting game at this point in that case.
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Things could be worse. "Waiting list" usually means you are waiting for someone to move house so their connection in the FTTC cabinet is freed up. Then often it's first come, first served.
Apparently not many ISPs use the waiting list for some reason.
Let us know when you get connected. It could be earlier than expected.
Connections: OnePlus 8 Pro, 4G+ (LTE) max 165Mbps down, 24Mbps up on Three Mobile, and B311 4G+ router, tbb tests normally 35-45Mpbs down, 65Mbps off-peak, 9-24 up (Three)ZTE MF286D router speedtest.net 113/20Mbps.
===========================================================================
The price of liberty, and even of common humanity, is eternal vigilance. (Aldous Huxley version of the well-known saying)
When you meet Mr Juncker, you realise you haven't got a drink problem. Nigel Farage, 12 Aug 2021
Edited by pluralist (Mon 04-Oct-21 11:17:29)
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One of the ISPs that *does* implement the waiting list is Aquiss.
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One of the ISPs that *does* implement the waiting list is Aquiss.
We did...we have put the process on hold for now. The waiting list process only holds someone for a maximum of 3 months before they drop off. As presently, no cabinets we monitor have actually had a space well in excess of that (some are over 12 months now). It's a repeating cycle that's endless.
Martin Pitt
Company Founder
Aquiss Limited
https://www.aquiss.net
FTTC, FTTP, GEA, EFM, Leased Lines, Telecoms and Hosting
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The above post has been made by an ISP REPRESENTATIVE (although not necessarily the ISP being discussed in the post).
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Do you get the impression that OR are prioritising FTTP builds over and above legacy expansion on FTTC. Or is it simply that they cannot cope with the surge in demand on FTTC ports over lockdown?
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I have no insider knowledge but BT have a finite resource of engineering staff which they would presumably rather have deploying FTTP. FTTC expansion at this stage will probably never pay back (especially if it can't just be solved with line cards), chip shortages will be making things harder to get hold of, and there's zero regulatory pressure to do anything about it as long as USO obligations are being met.
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Agreed. I wonder if the Huawei 30% estate limit is in any way at play in all of this too.
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Do you get the impression that OR are prioritising FTTP builds over and above legacy expansion on FTTC. Or is it simply that they cannot cope with the surge in demand on FTTC ports over lockdown?
We have been told that no further FTTC expansion is being planned or done, the rollout has basically been concluded.
Everything is very much on FTTP now.
Martin Pitt
Company Founder
Aquiss Limited
https://www.aquiss.net
FTTC, FTTP, GEA, EFM, Leased Lines, Telecoms and Hosting
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The above post has been made by an ISP REPRESENTATIVE (although not necessarily the ISP being discussed in the post).
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Thanks Martin. I had my suspicions something like this was at play.
I guess its pretty much "break-fix" territory for FTTC from here on in.
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Or, more likely, waiting for Openreach to upgrade the cabinet. 
BT FTTP 900/110
Colaton Raleigh Exchange
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Good, and so it should be. FTTP is the future, not FTTC!
BT FTTP 900/110
Colaton Raleigh Exchange
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When you think about it, FTTC is basically a "fix" to give faster speeds, but it's not a "solution", tbh...
BT FTTP 900/110
Colaton Raleigh Exchange
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I suspect the add-on pods may still be being installed if demand for expansion looks to be strong. It isn't really roll-out, and no major work required. Witchunt is usually spot-on.
The area may be well down the priority list for conversion to FTTP, and competition is intensifying.
Connections: OnePlus 8 Pro, 4G+ (LTE) max 165Mbps down, 24Mbps up on Three Mobile, and B311 4G+ router, tbb tests normally 35-45Mpbs down, 65Mbps off-peak, 9-24 up (Three)ZTE MF286D router speedtest.net 113/20Mbps.
===========================================================================
The price of liberty, and even of common humanity, is eternal vigilance. (Aldous Huxley version of the well-known saying)
When you meet Mr Juncker, you realise you haven't got a drink problem. Nigel Farage, 12 Aug 2021
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I was happy with ADSL prior to the pandemic then video calls were required for schooling, etc so FTTC for the higher upload was required.
Not everyone needs FTTC or FTTP. If you use FaceAche, email, general browsing and even SD streaming is okay on ADSL.
Was Eclipse Home Option 1, VM 2Mb & O2 Standard
Utility Warehouse (up to 16mbps) via Talk Talk, upgraded to fibre 40/10
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general browsing and even SD streaming is okay on ADSL. If you have 10 Mbps or faster, with 800kbps or faster uplink, then I can understand. However any slower and it is not worth the money in 2021, given the amount of advertising/javascript and other crud that web pages come with.
Exchange hosted ADSL will eventually disappear. Once the PSTN shutdown completes after 2025, then I suspect Openreach will look at their ADSL offerings, and perhaps look at moving these to the FTTC/VDSL cabinet. The interesting part will be the LLU providers whom are renting rack space in the exchanges.
It may be easier for Openreach to offer a very slow FTTC/VDSL service at the same price as ADSL, to enable them to remove/close physical exchanges.
21 years of broadband connectivity since 1999 trial - Live BQM
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Technically speaking Openreach don’t actually offer ADSL, that’s all a BTw or LLU product.
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Technically speaking Openreach don’t actually offer ADSL, that’s all a BTw or LLU product. Thanks, I was mixing up OR as they run the PSTN! I still wonder the future of exchange based ADSL.
21 years of broadband connectivity since 1999 trial - Live BQM
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Exchange-based ADSLx will have to go at some time once PSTN is gone. It will be as useful as stabling for horses at hotels.
ADSL can't even achieve the broadband USO. ADSL2 and ADSL2+ if strong enough and still in use could perhaps be handled by software mods in FTTC cabinets or by a small converters in PCPs attached to them converting to VDSL2 which would then be handled by the FTTC cabinet DSLAMs. But even that would need some infill FTTC cabinets and be relatively short-term. I doubt if it would be worthwhile. AIUI Openreach have stopped rollout of FTTC anyway.
The ideas or similar in that paragraph are in my opinion just not going to happen.
Surely it is more likely the LLU providers and therefore their customer ISPs will be scrapping ADSL2+ in the way BTW is heading? Leaving most exchanges pure LLU. Openreach won't wear that plus the radiating copper maintenance, especially given that even FTTC must die before long!
I think the non-headend exchange buildings are mainly leased these days. (My wife spent half her working life buying space and extension space for them, and the second half selling them off and putting them on lease-back. I doubt if many if any have been bought back).
That leasing is a huge overhead once fibre is almost 100% available with the rest covered by the USO solutions.
Connections: OnePlus 8 Pro, 4G+ (LTE) max 165Mbps down, 24Mbps up on Three Mobile, and B311 4G+ router, tbb tests normally 35-45Mpbs down, 65Mbps off-peak, 9-24 up (Three)ZTE MF286D router speedtest.net 113/20Mbps.
===========================================================================
The price of liberty, and even of common humanity, is eternal vigilance. (Aldous Huxley version of the well-known saying)
When you meet Mr Juncker, you realise you haven't got a drink problem. Nigel Farage, 12 Aug 2021
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Is the true copper retirement drop dead date actually the Trillium deal 30-year lease drop dead date? Probably.
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Thanks, will watch and see what happens after PSTN shutdown.
21 years of broadband connectivity since 1999 trial - Live BQM
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I think the non-headend exchange buildings are mainly leased these days. (My wife spent half her working life buying space and extension space for them, and the second half selling them off and putting them on lease-back. I doubt if many if any have been bought back).
That leasing is a huge overhead once fibre is almost 100% available with the rest covered by the USO solutions.
Pretty sure they were all sold and leased back as part of the original 6,700 site deal in 2001. There were no exchange carveouts based on handover/head-end vs non-headend (indeed that concept didn't really exist in 2001).
https://www.telerealtrillium.com/about-us/case-studi...
Telereal Trillium have sold many of the former BT office buildings, often for residential redevelopment since then, as they became increasingly under-occupied.
The BT exchange estate I think now stands at around ~5600. That will no doubt reduce to around ~960 sites by the time copper is fully retired. They announced plans back in December to close some 4600 odd sites, (and initially 100 by Dec 2030, including some 36 handover exchanges actually) hence my quip around the 30-year lease-back anniversary date.
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2020/12/openre...
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There is really one comment in that original ISPReview article which says it all...
Openreach predicts that, come 2025, the number of copper broadband customers being served by the 4,600 exchanges will fall to just 1 million (i.e. economically unviable).
Indeed why would BT Group want to be paying rent on 4600 sites for a lowly million or so broadband customers.
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I don't know about that deal, my wife's part would have preceded that I think. She was dealing with selling and leasing back individual properties. She was in the property department in the North West HQ dealing with such sales and purchases, and except for huge deals signed the contracts.
It was really amusing one day when she came home and said what had happened that day.
She was acting for the person above her (that was, maybe still is, how things worked in BT ex GPO and you got the higher salary for the period), when the final date came up for signing the one to buy this whole building as the first occupant when they moved out of Bridgewater House on Whitworth Street. The contract should have been signed that day by the next one up again, who for some reason was not around. Heart in mouth, she signed it! (She had done most of the work on it).
As you can see, it is now the McDonalds Hotel Manchester, but that happened years after she had left.
Connections: OnePlus 8 Pro, 4G+ (LTE) max 165Mbps down, 24Mbps up on Three Mobile, with (Three)ZTE MF286D router speedtest.net 113/20Mbps.
===========================================================================
The price of liberty, and even of common humanity, is eternal vigilance. (Aldous Huxley version of the well-known saying)
Were there none who were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach anything better. Florence Nightingale (Cassandra: an Essay (1860 edition?)
Edited by pluralist (Wed 06-Oct-21 14:13:58)
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Pheasant
In 2015 there were 5565 exchange areas but quite a few were served by the same building. So less than 5500 exchange buildings.
There were limits in the original contract on how much BT could 'handback' in each period so the potential benefit of getting out of many buildings is only realisable from 2031.
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