Considering switching from Virgin Media

Had ping issued for 6 weeks and they are just playing me at this point so I am looking at other ISP's to switch too. My post code is WV30AT and I have noticed that BT and SKY in my area offer really low speeds. Is this normal? What can I do?

Depends on what you call really low since FTTC is available to homes in that postcode cabinet 26 on Penn exchange and estimates are 50 to 76 Mbps and this should be available Sky, BT, TalkTalk and many others.

Even old ADSL2+ services are suggested to be around 17 Mbps

When checking Sky and BT estimates always use your full address, not your postcode. Just the postcode can be inaccurate.

The best checker for you is the Address option of this one. Please just copy and paste the results table and the line above it with the cabinet number but edit out the address.

Exchange PENN is served by Cabinet 18
Featured Products

Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Downstream Range(Mbps)

Availability Date

High Low High Low
FTTC Range A (Clean) 24 16.5 3.8 2 -- Available
FTTC Range B (Impacted) 18.1 8 3.7 1.1 -- Available
WBC ADSL 2+ Up to 17 -- 10 to 19.5 Available
WBC ADSL 2+ Annex M Up to 17 Up to 1.5 10 to 19.5 Available
ADSL Max Up to 7.5 -- 6.5 to 8 Available
WBC Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available
Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available
Other Offerings
Fibre Multicast -- -- -- Available
Copper Multicast -- -- -- Available

I expect BT and Sky are suggesting towards the low of the "Impacted" estimate for FTTC. They do that now for all sorts of reasons, but most (not all) people get well inside the Clean range. Particularly if they take advice from these forums on how to "self-install", which those two expect you to do.

Best thing I ever did - Virgin to FTTC is night and day. I will never go back even if they did 10gbps both ways.

In reply to a post by ZenUserJP:

Best thing I ever did - Virgin to FTTC is night and day. I will never go back even if they did 10gbps both ways.

Is FTTC just BT Broadband?

FTTC is sold by many ISPs, and available for nearly all to sell if they choose.

Infinity is BT Consumer's main version of it, though for estimates below 15Mbps they offer "High speed broadband with fibre". (That is purely so the figure they can advertise for Infinity customers is high, as it doesn't include anyone under 15Mbps).

Sky offer FTTC in most places - did they offer it to you? Probably calling it Superfast Broadband. As do TalkTalk.

Plusnet and EE are the other big ISPs with it. I think Vodafone are getting going with it as well.

Some smaller but good ISPs are (alphabetically) AAISP, Aquiss, IDNet,Pulse8broadband, vivaciti, uno, Zen. AAISP are expensive, but possibly the best support in the industry.

Pulse8broadband are quite popular at the moment, and Aquiss have an introductory FTTC offer running to 1 March.

Aquiss, Pulse8, vivaciti and uno have much lower line rental and call charges than the big boys, who use it as a cash cow to subsidise their "free" inclusive TV and the like. AAISP offer a line only setup for broadband (no landline calls but VOIP available at a small extra cost) as well.

My line is with Pulse8 and costs me just over £14 per month as I usually call out on my mobile plan minutes. My broadband is with AAISP as my usage easily fits in their Home::1 FTTC package.

With what we've seen recently will you be removing Vivaciti from future lists of suggestions?

haha if they did 10gig both ways pings would be 500ms at peak and peak speeds would 10mbit/sec.