Slooooooow Speeds

Hi All.
I've just moved over to Zen this morning and finding my speeds have dropped dramatically. I was with ADSL24 who got gobbled up by Coms recently. The speeds I got with ADSL24 were brilliant. BT says my line will give up to 8mb but I was getting upwards of 13368 Kbps download and 874 Kbps upload with a ping of around 50. Now I'm struggling to get 1947 Kbps download and 375 Kbps upload with a ping of around 48. I have been on the live chat for an hour and I've been told to wait 72 hours to see if things will settle and the speeds improve. I'm quite happy with that as long as my speed goes up to at least the 8mb that BT says my line will give. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to achieve in excess of the 13kbps I was getting though I'm not quite sure how I got those speeds.
Appreciate any advice and comments from the forum members.

Thanks
Caley.

Hi Caley,

I've looked at this and your on a IP Stream provision, which does limit the initial throughput profile during it's training period of 72 hours. You should see speeds appropriate to what your line can achieve once it's trained, so the advice you've been given is correct for the service you're on.

Kind regards,
Phil.

Check your phone number here www.dslchecker.bt.com which will give you an estimate for your line.

What are the connection speed, attenuation and noise margin figures as reported by the router?

Not quite sure what you're asking for but if you tell me where to look I'll get the figures for you.

In case it's a speed test you're asking for I've just done one at http://www.speedtest.bbmax.co.uk/


10th February 2014 15:54:31 368 Kbps Up 1949 Kbps Down

Not really, its the statistics from your ADSL router

http://www.coolwebhome.co.uk/stats/routers.html shows some of the common devices and how to get the info.

http://www.coolwebhome.co.uk/calc can then do an estimate of whether the speeds are reasonable or not.

Hello MrSaffron and thanks for your help with this. I had a deep look round my modem/router and found this (below) is that what you're looking for?

Caley.


System Up Time 04:08:38
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 36860 48033 0 528 3452 04:05:34
LAN 10M/100M 55896 40003 0 3847 647 04:08:29
WLAN 11M/54M/130M 4966 6790 0 74 116 03:30:33

ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 8128 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 19.0 db 10.5 db
Noise Margin 11.9 db 26.0 db

The checker at https://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/main.html what exchange does it say you are on?
Does it mention WBC at all?

In terms of speed, 8 Meg sync, so 6.5 Mbps speed tests (three times faster than now are possible). Just needs the IP Profile to catch up in the BT Wholesale system to catch up.

Looks like this is an old IPStream only exchange, i.e. ADSL2+ is available from LLU providers, but BT Wholesale have not done their own upgrades yet.

The exchange is Inverness Culloden and it's due to be updated to FTTC in March although I'm not sure how may cabinets and which ones or even if my cabinet will be upgraded. Can only hope. As I said in a previous post I've always been able to achieve from my home address speeds in excess of 6mbps and till this morning achieved speeds like this 10th February 2014 06:15:50 874 Kbps 13368 Kbps Don't know how but was getting this speed for over a year. The only LLU providers on this exchange are Talk Talk and C&W but I'd not contemplate going with any of them. As you can see from the information below from Sam Knows the exchange hasn't had anything updated since 2006 except LLU added.
So, MrSaffron, do you think my speed problem will settle once the 72 hour "training period" is over. I do hope so or all this will have been for nothing and I'll have to search pastures new for more speed.
Speeds of 10th February 2014 17:48:11 360 Kbps 1947 Kbps are no use to me but there's no saying it'll improve anywhere else. Just have to keep my fingers well and truly crossed.






BT Wholesale information
ADSL status: Enabled as of 14/02/2003
ADSL Max status: Enabled as of 31/03/2006
SDSL status: Not available
21CN WBC status: Not available
FTTC status: RFS date set : 01/03/2014

When you were with ADSL24, you were on LLU with either C&W or TalkTalk.

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

When you were with ADSL24, you were on LLU with either C&W or TalkTalk.

LLU to BT20CN? Yuck. I bet the latency increase has been measurable too.

In reply to a post by caley:

The exchange is Inverness Culloden and it's due to be updated to FTTC in March although I'm not sure how may cabinets and which ones or even if my cabinet will be upgraded. Can only hope.

The dslchecker should say if your cabinet is planned.

With attenuation figures reported by your router you should of had near the max adsl2+ speeds, ie 24mbps down and 1.3mbps up with out issues, but you would need to be on a exchange with 21cn enabled , or as said a service via llu supplier, your previous sync and latency (ping) suggest maybe you where on cable & wireless llu network,
they set the target margins higher than most and also won't allow fast path on some exchanges , if you want faster,and no FTTC is going to be available for some time, you would be better off with a isp that suplies talk talk wholesale products, quite a few of the smaller isp's offer this option, should be a lot better than BT's IP stream, shudder, the name shudder, sends a shiver down my spine
NSICL

Edited by tommy45 (Mon 10-Feb-14 19:49:24)

In reply to a post by caley:

till this morning achieved speeds like this 10th February 2014 06:15:50 874 Kbps 13368 Kbps Don't know how but was getting this speed for over a year.

Because with ADSL24 you were on LLU 'Up-to-24 Meg' ADSL2+ provided by either TT or C&W. Now you have unwisely moved to an ISP who can only offer you BTw products and at your exchange BTw have only 'Up-to-8 Meg' ADSL Max. Even that seems congested on top of everything, cuz your router is syncing at full 8 meg speed from which you should be getting about 6.6 Meg speedtests.

EDIT: On ADSL2+ you should have been getting 19-20 Meg Sync, about 16 Meg speedtests.

Edited by XRaySpeX (Mon 10-Feb-14 20:07:12)

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

Even that seems congested on top of everything, cuz your router is syncing at full 8 meg speed from which you should be getting about 6.6 Meg speedtests.

All BTW based products in Highlands area have been pretty poor for 5 years :-/

In reply to a post by caley:

BT Wholesale information
ADSL status: Enabled as of 14/02/2003
ADSL Max status: Enabled as of 31/03/2006
SDSL status: Not available
21CN WBC status: Not available
FTTC status: RFS date set : 01/03/2014

Don't rely on SamKnows for this; it's too general. Use https://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/main.html as was recommended and post the results, blanking your phone #. It's important to see if it gives a cab #.

No I've never been on LLU.

Caley.

Below is the only information I get for my phone number.

Caley.

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

Throughput/download speeds will be less than line rates and can be affected by a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.

The Stop Sale date for Datastream is from 30-Jun-2012; the Formal Retirement date for Datastream is from 31-Mar-2014.

As mentioned here already I've never been on LLU with Talk Talk C&W or anyone else. Never liked the idea of giving up my BT line although I shudder at the name also.

Caley.

In reply to a post by caley:

No I've never been on LLU.

Sorry, that is impossible! At your exchange you just can't get above 8 Meg speeds from non-LLU. Only LLU there will provide you with the necessary ADSL2+; BTw doesn't have that there.

You've already had my reaction to that.

In reply to a post by caley:

Never liked the idea of giving up my BT line

You don't need to give up your phone line to go on LLU.

I think you are confused between the 2 types of LLU: Full LLU where your ISP supplies both BB & phone or Partial LLU where ISP supplies BB only. Many resellers like ADSL24 do sell BB only over LLU networks.

You were on Partial LLU, with the BB supplied over C&W or TT LLU networks, but not the phone.

Well I can post the speed test logs for you if you like. Something happened about a year ago and my speed increased to around the 13400kbps. I was amazed but didn't complain. The speed fluctuated but very very rarely went under 9000kbps. Got the logs to prove it. ADSL24 couldn't do LLU here because I did ask at the time they started providing it. So I'm sorry but that's the truth and how these speeds were achieved I cannot answer.

caley.

And please let me reiterate I was not on LLU nor partial LLU. I was with ADSL24 long before they did LLU, in fact 3 years before they did LLU. ADSL24 only supplied BB then, they didn't even do phone contracts.

Caley.

Edited by caley (Mon 10-Feb-14 20:43:27)

In reply to a post by caley:

Below is the only information I get for my phone number.

Caley.

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

Throughput/download speeds will be less than line rates and can be affected by a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.

The Stop Sale date for Datastream is from 30-Jun-2012; the Formal Retirement date for Datastream is from 31-Mar-2014.

This is meaningless, most of the information appears to be missing - your exchange, cabinet number and estimated speeds. Where are they?

In reply to a post by caley:

ADSL24 only supplied BB then, they didn't even do phone contracts.

You can have LLU broadband but BT phone. Don't confuse the term LLU with the provider taking over the whole line.

That is the only information on the page nothing about cabinets etc and if it's meaningless then I'm sorry cause I didn't put the page together.

Caley.

In reply to a post by caley:

That is the only information on the page nothing about cabinets etc and if it's meaningless then I'm sorry cause I didn't put the page together.

Did you not get a table? Its directly above the text you copied (which is often the same for everyone). The table is the interesting information.
https://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/main.html

I get this:
http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt201/MisterReder...

If you want to think I have LLU then by all means do so. I know where my phone line and BB are situated and it's not LLU.

Caley.

In reply to a post by caley:

If you want to think I have LLU then by all means do so. I know where my phone line and BB are situated and it's not LLU.

You don't now, as you're getting 8meg max sync, which is the original ADSL kit known as 20CN. To have had faster speeds, you either had LLU or you had BT's newer equipment known as 21CN and WBC. The table from the checker will confirm.

no need to be rude!!

what others are TRYING to tell you is that if you did infact get over 13Meg + then you were DEFINITELY on a partial LLU provider, when you say "about a year ago something changed" well that change was probably adsl24 moving you to a TalkTalk wholesale product which was PARTIAL LLU NOT FULL LLU

on this service here you are only ever going to get 8meg with 6.5meg real world usage any time of the day (unless exchange is congested) where im afraid IP STREAM products really do fail, you would be better looking around for some other provider and lots can do Partial LLU which will more than double your speeds.

again no need to be rude just because you have found out you have made the wrong choice, you asked for help and info and that's what you received

good luck

At last a constructive comment, thank you jchamier.
I didn't include the table as there was very little in it but I've added it below. There is no mention of cabinets etc. Looks nothing like the link you sent me.

Caley.

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)


Downstream Range(Mbps) Availability Date
ADSL Max Up to 8 -- 7 to 8 Available
Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

Throughput/download speeds will be less than line rates and can be affected by a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.

The Stop Sale date for Datastream is from 30-Jun-2012; the Formal Retirement date for Datastream is from 31-Mar-2014.

I am not being rude I just don't like being told something that I know is wrong and you are wrong. If you read the posts from the start you will see I am quite happy with 8mg connection. And no I've not made the wrong choice I knew my speeds would decrease but not by the amount they did. Up to 8mg is fine. I'd rather you didn't comment on this thread if you can't be more civil. In fact I'll end it here.

Oh dear, without a cabinet, you'll be unable to get fibre-to-the-cabinet. Going back to LLU would be your only way to get better speeds.

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

Oh dear, without a cabinet, you'll be unable to get fibre-to-the-cabinet.

Highlands Enterprise are investing in the area (probably working with BDUK) and so there is now an RFS date for FTTC in that exchange area of 1st March 2014.

The OP needs to put his postcode into the broadband Scotland website:
http://www.digitalscotland.org/superfast-broadband/

I was only looking earlier for my colleague who works in Forres.

Would it be possible for you to post a screen grab of the results from that checker, removing or masking your telephone number please, as we need to see the information that you see (excuding your phone number)

The plus side is that the product that you are subscribed to with zen will be a 1 mth rolling contract, so you ain't tied in for 12 or more months, but as said unless youre exchange is equiped with wbc adsl2+ (21cn) kit which is unlikely, then the max sync possible would be 8128kbps that is the technical limitation of adsl g.dmt upto 8mb ip stream 20cn products

So if no fiber FTTC in the forseeable, if you want faster speeds you will have to choose an isp that has their LLU equipment in your exchange, samknows lists only 2 C &W and Talk talk, talk talk sell retail and wholesale products, if you where to go direct with tt,(Retail) then they would want to take over the telephone (voice ) as well ,
But as already said if you where to choose one of the smaller isp's like comm's or xilo ,aquiss ,vivaciti ,aaisp to name only some, all i think now offer tt wholesale llu products some offer c &w as well, tt wholesale offer a more flexible service if compared to c &w, as tt allow profile changes which could boost your speed and lower latency, if you line is able to support the tweaks , and the only way to find that out is by trying different profiles
The advice has been given up to you what you do

In reply to a post by caley:

I know where my phone line and BB are situated and it's not LLU.

Yes, you may know now (it's BTw for both) but you haven't the faintest idea previously.

It's an incontestable fact that the is only 2 ways to get speeds well above 8 Meg over a fully copper phone line (thereby I'm excluding fibre which you can't get there). They are either LLU (Partial in your case, as you don't need to have phone taken over) or BTw 21CN WBC which is not available at your exchange. So unless you moved exchange overnight you were on Partial LLU ADSL2+ early this A.M. after which you downgraded to BTw 20CN IPStream ADSL Max.

It is very common for ISPs not to tell their users by what means they are providing the contracted service; sufficient to say just what service speeds they will provide.

You asked for help here, particularly why your speed has gone so much. Numerous posters have told you this identical reason but, in your greater knowledge of the technology, you choose to disbelieve them. Why, then, bother to ask us if you know better?

In reply to a post by caley:

you will see I am quite happy with 8mg connection.

One of the disadvantages of a 20CN ADSL Max exchange is that it can get heavily congested at peak times. So altho' you may be syncing at 8 Meg all the time, you may see much slower actual throughput much of the day. This, I think, is what you are experiencing and it may well continue. You'll just have to wait and see whether you eventually attain your expected 6.6 Meg throughput for a sufficient period to satisfy you.

Otherwise your only way to faster reliable speeds is to move back to a reseller selling ADSL2+ Partial LLU, as everyone else here has suggested.

Where's the line above this, with your phone # blanked?

In reply to a post by caley:

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)

I've already told you it is very important. Yet you keep copying that 'For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) services' bumph that we can all see on our own reports.

In reply to a post by caley:

Well I can post the speed test logs for you if you like. Something happened about a year ago and my speed increased to around the 13400kbps. I was amazed but didn't complain. The speed fluctuated but very very rarely went under 9000kbps. Got the logs to prove it. ADSL24 couldn't do LLU here because I did ask at the time they started providing it.

Sounds like the time when ADSL24 migrated their customers over to LLU where it was possible and either increased usage/decrease price. If you didn't notice the email, it may have just gone over and you didn't have to do anything but did see the speed increase.

Matt

Sounds like you were moved to C&W LLU. Got same speed increase when Demon (owned by C&W) moved my BB from BT upto 8 meg to LLU. Phone still with BT.

Anthony

Sorry, you are wrong! OP was never on LLU. He swears it so.

so here is my take.

you was on LLU via ADSL24 (partial LLU)
you have moved to zen who are using a BT20CN service.
no BT FTTC planned for your cabinet or you direct to exchange. So no FTTC in forseeable future.

your speeds I think mrsaffron and the isp rep are probably right and you on a 2mbit IP profile. BT 20CN has a bad rep for stuck profiles, you may have to prod zen to get it unstuck.

LLU has various advantages over BT 20CN.

No IP profiles so your throughput should always be close to your sync speed.
Usually no DLM (depending on provider), so your line will not slow down due to temporary issues.
Cheaper backhaul meaning congestion less likely.

First of all let me thank all the sensible people who offered help and advice to me a novice at bb connections. I took all the sensible advice on board. Let me also correct a misconception I am female.
This latest information is a courtesy to all the sensible forum members who did a lot to help me over the past few days and keep me right and a huge thanks to Phil Long who's information was spot on.
Zen has kept it's word and my speed shot up to around the 7mb mark this morning which is brilliant. I've run numerous tests and the line seems stable. I will be keeping an eye on my speeds. I knew I would take a speed drop when I left ADSL24 (Coms) but at the moment the speed registering now is acceptable to me. Just glad to be running at a faster pace than yesterday.

Once again all you sensible folk please accept my grateful thanks.

Caley.

Keep an eye on your IP Profile at BT Wholesale Broadband Performance Test. Say "Yes" to 1st page and Begin Test. Then on 2nd page click Further Diagnostics at foot, enter your phone #, then Run Diagnostic Test. Read off your IP Profile on Results page. The Down IPP is in top outlined text box and at your sync should hold at 7150 kbps.

In reply to a post by caley:

10th February 2014 06:15:50 874 Kbps 13368 Kbps Don't know how but was getting this speed for over a year. The only LLU providers on this exchange are Talk Talk and C&W but I'd not contemplate going with any of them.

ADSL24 provide LLU services over the TalkTalk LLU platform. Prior to migrating to Zen your service was provided over LLU, so this explains why you received ADSL2+ speeds with your previous provider.

kind regards,
Phil Long

Glad to be able to help.

kind regards,
Phil Long

I'm also on the Inverness Culloden exchange and get 18 meg speeds with TalkTalk. I live at the top of Tower road, 0.5 mile from Harry Gow's. You may have seen BT Openreach vans around Smithton, Culloden, Balloch, Westhill etc. That's cos they're upgrading most cabs to FTTC. I was speaking to an OR engineer yesterday who was faffing around in my new FTTC cab and he was saying most cabs close to the Culloden exchange will be accepting fibre orders in the next 4-8 weeks. So hopefully you will be able to order fibre very soon provided your cabinet is due to be upgraded to FTTC. Check here
http://www.digitalscotland.org/superfast-broadband/

Thanks for the info but I can't see us getting FTTC at all as we don't have a cabinet. I've recently found out (yesterday) that quite a number of houses around Culloden are "exchange only lines" which mean no cabinet and therefore no FTTC. Don't know yet if BT have an answer to that but I somehow don't think so. Are you saying they're installing a new cabinet beside you are just replacing an old one? I live very near Hazel Avenue off Keppoch Road and I've started to notice that there aren't many cabinets around this bit of Culloden. Took a look around Galloway Drive and one end looks ok but the other end has no cabinets. Real mix up. Just have to wait and see. What sort of package do you have with Talk Talk and are they reliable, meaning what's their customer service like?

Caley.

Take a look here

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5103-openreach-an...

BT does have an answer.

Technical solution is install a PSTN cab and a fibre cabinet to serve those premises, or in some cases provide native FTTP.

Issue is the cost of the solution, and with limited funds they are doing those connected to a cabinet already FIRST.

A lot depends on the target coverage level and who those running the project decide to leave out if the coverage is not going to be 100%.

In reply to a post by caley:

I've recently found out (yesterday) that quite a number of houses around Culloden are 'exchange only lines' which mean no cabinet

That you could have told from your suppressed top line from BT Availability Checker, by absence of cab #, like so:

Telephone Number ########## on Exchange Inverness Culloden is served by Cabinet 10

If you use this checker:

http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/

and type in your tel number (or address checker option) what do you get? If you get something like

"Address xxxxxxxxxxxxxx on Exchange INVERNESS CULLODEN is served by Cabinet 6"

then you're not on an exchange only line and it might be worth waiting for OR to upgrade your cabinet to fibre. Otherwise being close to the exchange, you should get very good (~20 meg) speeds with TalkTalk or C&W LLU on ADSL2+.

Back in 2010 i wouldn't have dreamt of going with TalkTalk LLU due to their horrible reputation but i reluctantly took the plunge as they were offering a 30 day satisfaction guarantee in those days and been very happy since. I get 18 meg 24/7 and whilst their phone support isn't the best, their UK forum support are good and are able to resolve most queries. I'm paying £5.75 a month for TalkTalk Plus (no TV) for broadband + anytime calls with value line rental paid in advance annually.

EDIT: Xray specs beat me

Edited by deleted (Tue 11-Feb-14 17:23:00)

lol

I've already put my phone number in there but it doesn't give a cabinet number at all. I've tried other Culloden numbers using the same checker and they show a cabinet number which gives me the impression that we don't have a cabinet. I've just sent off an email to Danny Alexander, our MP, to see if he can get the information BT won't give me. I'll let you know if I get a response.
How longs your contract with Talk Talk. I wouldn't like to be tied in too long with any phone and broadband company. I'm with IDnet for my phone and Zen for my broadband which are 1 month contracts.

Caley.

In reply to a post by caley:

which gives me the impression that we don't have a cabinet.

It's not just an 'impression', it's a fact (now that you have finally revealed to us that the BT Checker shows no cab #)!

In reply to a post by caley:

How longs your contract with Talk Talk. I wouldn't like to be tied in too long with any phone and broadband company. I'm with IDnet for my phone and Zen for my broadband which are 1 month contracts.

I'm on a 12 month TallkTalk contract but that's because each year i sign up to another 12 months with retentions to get the best deal...its so cheap it wouldn't bother me to pay off my contract (~ £70 max) if i had to leave them early. Otherwise once your initial 12 month contract is up with TT then you go on a rolling 1 month contract unless your renew.

If you want to keep your IDNet line (BT based) then consider signing up with Xilo (very good isp) for their TTB partiall LLU broadband. You'll pay more but you'd get better support than TT direct and also be on a 30 day contract:
http://www.xilo.net/adsl_broadband/

The checker is pretty reliable on the fact that if no cabinet number is given then you are on what is called an Exchange Only line.

This makes getting FTTC to you more expensive than the majority of people, and I'd go out on a limb and suggest that as the current Scottish target is 85% able to order superfast broadband by 2015 that FTTC will not be coming to you in the next two years.

Might be lucky by 2017-2018 depending on how the Scottish project evolves.

Feel free to lobby your MP, but the reality is that it may be serve you or two other people in another area. In which case why should they serve you and not the other people?

Hmmmm. You've got me thinking now. If fibre isn't available to me then I might just go down your route later on. I want to wait until I can find out if BT have any other plans for the folk of Culloden who might not get fibre. From what I can see there will be quite a few who'll feel miffed if they get left out. I'm not too worried about it but there are others who are. I was happy getting the 13mb with ADSL24 until the dreaded Coms appeared. A number of folk asked me if I would contact our MP Danny Alexander for them so they could find out if they were or were not going to get fibre so I fired of an email earlier on. I don't hold out much hope that he'll get involved but if you don't ask you don't get.
Thanks for all the information you've given me. Helped me tremendously. There are quite a number of helpful people on this forum and some not so quite. Let me know when you get signed up.

Caley.

this is understandable given as well those connected to cabinets on average will be longer lines.

my sister is direct to exchange she and her bf were both depressed about the lack of fiber, netflix etc. buffering. I went round to do some diagnosis, logged into the sky router they had and lo and behold they have a sync a bit above 24000kbps (best ever line I seen personally), no problem with the line then, and in my eyes these sort of lines lower candidate than areas like mine where adsl was atrocious. Thats amazing considering sky are known for conservative DLM profiles.

My sister said she seen a flashing sync light once (told me on boxing day) I swapped her cables round as the sky splitter was plugged in 'before' the filter. She said it hasnt occured since, the buffering remains tho, her netflix and other streaming devices are all wireless, tested with my phone and was connected via wireless G at a whopping 5mpbs, her bf's S4 a whopping 1mbps, router is a old sagem, G model. Got her to ring sky and apparently a sky hub is on the way, hopefully that will fix her wireless performance issues as that I believe was the cause of her buffering. In my view a 24mbit synced adsl2+ line is adequate for mainstream use. as long as uploading isnt important.

adsl1 tho is a bit obselete now imo.

Edited by Chrysalis (Wed 12-Feb-14 10:20:30)

In reply to a post by caley:

Thanks for all the information you've given me. Helped me tremendously. There are quite a number of helpful people on this forum and some not so quite. Let me know when you get signed up.

Caley.

Culloden is now FTTC live and i have seen some brand new PCP cabs (along with fibre cab) installed on Barn church road near Scotmid in Balloch, so perhaps Openreach are re-routing those on exchange only lines? My cabinet in Westhill went live overnight and i've just ordered fibre with TalkTalk
http://www.imageupload.co.uk/images/2014/04/01/Captu...

Thanks for the info baby_frogmella. I've been doing a bit of detection work and using some of the info you provided I managed to contact one of the seniors in HIE. He was very helpful and gave me information about our situation, I've added some of it below.

"Across the Highlands and Islands we are being tasked with ensuring that 84% of premises will have access to next generation broadband by 2016 so this will include the majority of premises in Culloden. It is unfortunate that lines that are connected directly to the exchange take longer to upgrade but we can assure you that we are getting there.
We expect the first of the new cabinets for 'exchange only' lines in Culloden to at least be started towards the end of 2014, so if you don't hear anything by October then please come back to me and I will give you an update on how work is progressing."

So going by that, and BT permitting, it looks like we won't be overlooked. I'll let you know if things start moving for us. Maybe the things you've seen is a start to a roll out for us with EO lines. Here's hoping. Thanks for keeping me in the loop, very helpful.