Broadband renewal - anyone use Vodaphone?

Soldato
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My BT contract runs out this month.

Currently getting around 38mb down and 5mb up (Guaranteed 23mb)- we’re on a new estate but must be a bit further from the exchange.

I’ve done some shopping around and Vodaphone are offering 63mb with a ‘Guaranteed’ 55mb! That’s after putting post code and phone # into their website.

How are they able to offer so much higher than BT, don’t they use the same lines as BT? Do they have their own infrastructure now?
I’m having problems moving away from BT, I know most companies use their cables and I worry that they’ll never be as fast as using BT.
 
Soldato
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Just spoken with a Vodaphone rep. He did a test and said I would get 47mb. I asked how, don’t they share BT lines, his response:

“:So we do use the openreach service from the exchange to your home, but on the backend we have our own cable network that only we use, whereas BT share their cable with sky talk talk etc.”

is this true? Do Vodaphone use their own back end which has increased speed over BT?
 
Soldato
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It will be the same local equipment so the available speed will basically be the same. Check what other ISPs are suggesting your speed should be.

The guarantees are basically worthless. It's not as if they can magically make the connection faster if you don't get what's promised.
 
Soldato
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Vodafone will use OR lines exactly as BT do in this case (BT don't own the line), if you pay BT or any ISP for an 80/20 FTTC package, you get 80/20 (or as close to it as your line can support) in terms of sync. The trick is to use Quidco/TCB and look for the best overall deal, that's usually not the cheapest headline price, factor in offers, gifts/gift cards and cash back and look at what total cost is over the contract period.
 
Soldato
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Well, I didn’t understand a lot of what you just said :p

Is it true about the Vodaphone backend, would that make the difference?
 
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Caporegime
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Vodafone's broadband network is garbage.

It sounds like you're just paying for a 40/10 service currently - what are your router stats?
 
Soldato
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Vodafone's broadband network is garbage.

It sounds like you're just paying for a 40/10 service currently - what are your router stats?

the router states:

Downstream sync speed:
44.25 Mbps

Upstream sync speed:
6.14 Mbps


Speedtest.net gives me 38.5mb down and 6.0mb up
 
Caporegime
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Vodafone can't guarantee you 55Mbps, potentially if you subscribed to a faster service than 40Mbps you may see a difference but you're at the threshold where ISPs might not offer you the higher package because it drags the average down and the weird advertising rules mean it's preferable for them to just offer the slower service.
 
Soldato
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Vodafone can't guarantee you 55Mbps, potentially if you subscribed to a faster service than 40Mbps you may see a difference but you're at the threshold where ISPs might not offer you the higher package because it drags the average down and the weird advertising rules mean it's preferable for them to just offer the slower service.

so even though he did a test and said they can offer 47mb, it’s a load of rubbish and I might as well stick with BT?
 
Caporegime
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Unless you're in a Cityfibre area - where Vodafone are offering 900Mbps - they are using the same telephone line connected to the same equipment as every other FTTC provider. If they are promising a faster download speed than you are currently synced at then they are incorrect.
 
Soldato
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Unless you're in a Cityfibre area - where Vodafone are offering 900Mbps - they are using the same telephone line connected to the same equipment as every other FTTC provider. If they are promising a faster download speed than you are currently synced at then they are incorrect.

nope not in a CityFibre area.

Or BT is incorrect and they've got an artificially low banded profile on the connection for some reason.

It'd only take a few minutes to get estimates from half a dozen ISPs and see what the consensus is.

if I moved from BT to another such as Zen/Plusnet/TalkTalk etc will I get the same speeds as staying with BT? I just want to make sure there is no favouritism on the line etc
 
Soldato
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I've signed up for their services here and should get my line activated in a couple of weeks time. The router they provide looks good on paper, and the price is competitive. Hopefully the service is reliable.
 
Soldato
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I won't comment on any of the 'guaranteed' speeds but going from Plusnet to Vodafone on a like-for-like 80/20 service, my downloads speeds went from 7.8MB/s to 8.3MB/s and speed test results up from around 66Mbps to 73Mbps.

Nothing at all changed apart from the ISP. I use my own routers and firewalls. I'd been with PN for many years and only moved because PN refused to match the renewal price and Voda were one of the cheapest, and let's be honest, at this end of the market FTTC providers are much of a muchness.
 
Soldato
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Just noticed on SamKnows the only thing available is:
The following services are available in your location:

  • BT Wholesale ADSL
  • BT Wholesale ADSL Max
  • BT FTTC
Does this mean no other provider has their equipment in the cabinet and any provider I go with will just be leading the exact same line from BT? Or does FTTC not necessarily work like that anymore?
 
Soldato
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If I do a line check for my house says I can get upto 76Mb but I only get 38Mb, had BT come out and look and they have said that is the speed at the base of the pole so there is an issue elsewhere, but no real incentive for them to look. So I take what the websites says you can get speedwise with a pinch of salt.

I would base your new speed on what you currently get.
 
Caporegime
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There's no LLU on FTTC, all providers are equal. The service is handed over at the exchange to the ISP, either into their own equipment or that of a larger wholesale provider.

There is no backend that can make a line syncing at 45Mbps download at 55Mbps. As mentioned above, if there's a fault that is keeping the sync low then that can be fixed, but that can also be fixed without changing provider.
 
Soldato
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Thank you for your help :).

I'll just stick with what I have now.

Out of curiosity could you explain the line sync speed? It's Syncing at 43mb but I get 38mb in the house.
 
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