Ofcom proposes access to BT's fibre

I thought BT had been nationalised again ? Are we not going to be paying for the fibre by tax's ? - I hope they don't somehow manage to sneak Bob Hoskins in to advertise it all.

Good news though, if that list is accurate. my exchange before was stated to be done in 2015, now within a year.
 
No, we're actually going to be taxed and then hand the money over to the most incompetent private telco known to man. I wouldn't actually object to the tax if the proceeds were available for bids from any provider with a plan to offer high speed broadband on a reasonable scale.
 
I thought that that the way it was being done is that openreach own the Cab and the fibre/copper.

so in theory any LLU company can use it as well as BTWholesale.

Surely it is silly/impossible for all LLU providers to install their own fibre/cab or hardware in cab?

So is this duct access something else?

I think ateast now BT and openreach are split up we only have openreach as the tax funded private monopoly.
 
Even if they were truly separate it doesn't help much, openreach couldn't design a decent network if their lives depended on it and they're pricing structure for LLU services is a work of startling byzantine genius already (sample - cabling is priced by the inch and there are, i think, 4 different prices depending on where it goes from and to).

Then there's the tools, anybody who's had the displeasure of using Eco and the like will tell you how bad they are...

If it was me, I'd much prefer to put my own fibre in and have as little to do with Openreach as humanly possible. Then again, if I thought it was feasible I'd rather put my own ducts in too (and given their usual pricing structure it'll probably me as expensive either way)
 
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bigredshark said:
Even if they were truly separate it doesn't help much, openreach couldn't design a decent network if their lives depended on it and they're pricing structure for LLU services is a work of startling byzantine genius already (sample - cabling is priced by the inch and there are, i think, 4 different prices depending on where it goes from and to).

Then there's the tools, anybody who's had the displeasure of using Eco and the like will tell you how bad they are...

If it was me, I'd much prefer to put my own fibre in and have as little to do with Openreach as humanly possible. Then again, if I thought it was feasible I'd rather put my own ducts in too (and given their usual pricing structure it'll probably me as expensive either way)
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eCo is for BTW. it is even worse when dealing direct with Openreach as an LLU provider. I think the main tool is the Openreach website!

It would be nice to lay your own fibre but I think it would have to go all the way and not use the cab?

And it would be expensive, it is bad enough fibreing up exchanges, never mind each cab/house. But the option should be there.

I am not that clued up on this. I suppose we will know pretty quickly. While it should have been done 10 years ago now it has started I am impressed with the speed this is happening.
 
Its says on thinkbroadband that the Maidenhead exchange should be enabled by late summer 2010.

Would that only be available to BT Broadband customers or would it also be available to me on O2?

Personally i wouldn't recommend anyone to switch BT just for these supposedly faster fibre network speeds, they just aren't worth the hassle!
 
Holy thread resurrection batman!

AFAIK our shiny new government (for better or worse) isn't going to have the 50p broadband tax, if it were going to a nationalised infrastructure, i'd have no problem supporting it, passing it onto a commercial 3rd party isn't quite right somehow (a bit like bailing out the banks but that's another story)

From what i understand, BT will open up the FTTC infrastructure to LLU's in much the same way as the exchanges are, they have also been ordered by Ofcom to share ducting and telegraph poles.
 
Damn it, the next town over (about 10 minute drive) is on that rollout list however ours is not, guess we are the last batch :(
 
Just be glad you aren't in Cornwall. We won't have cable, fibre, or any other high speed technology this decade.

A lot of people who are ex-employees of BT have said that Cornwall doesn't even feature in BT's long-term plans.

Even many major residential areas in Cornwall (places within or just outside major towns and cities) can't even get 1mb.

Cornwall is shocking, and not getting any better for a long time.
 
Yeah and I can't see it getting any better. Under this govt there isn't going to be public spending on improving our networks, only private sector spending.

And the private sector is only interested in high population density urban areas like London et al.

Cornwall tried to find a private sector partner for its own high-speed project and has thus far not been able to find one. No one is interested in such a project down here, because the financial reward isn't going to be as great as somewhere up country.

Thus we can continue to expect dire broadband down here, at least until the next generation of genetically enhanced carrier pigeons come online.
 
FoxEye said:
Yeah and I can't see it getting any better. Under this govt there isn't going to be public spending on improving our networks, only private sector spending.

And the private sector is only interested in high population density urban areas like London et al.

Cornwall tried to find a private sector partner for its own high-speed project and has thus far not been able to find one. No one is interested in such a project down here, because the financial reward isn't going to be as great as somewhere up country.
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Any links with some more information? I have a passing interest in the subject and I'm curious to know what's been looked at and what they're looking for...
 
googling for Cornwall NGA RDA (next generation access / regional development agency) will get you info on the Cornwall NGA project, partly funding by Europe (but lacking a main funding partner).

There was a (govt commissioned?) report into NGA in the south west, which outlined both Virgin's lack of interest in the area, and BT's proposed network expansion. This document showed that BT have no plans to include Cornwall in their "40% coverage" and "65% coverage" national targets, up to 2012. Beyond 2012, assuming BT meets its targets, there is a 90% target, but that is long-term, and again Cornwall doesn't really feature in it at all. I believe their were only two places that would be covered in the event of "90% national coverage" - Truro and... forgot the other :p

The report also touched on Cornwall's own NGA project, but did not include it in it's projections since it was noted that Cornwall has no funding partner yet willing to contribute to the project, hence it's in limbo.

The entirety of the rest of Cornwall has no plans for any so-called Superfast broadband network, by any company or party, on any timescale. Additionally, tho the exchanges here are rated for 24mb, many place in Cornwall can't get more than 1mb.
 
Well, having had a read I have to agree it's a tough one. I have an eye open for these types of projects as I'd like to put together a NGA project bid at some point and I hadn't previously looked into Cornwall.

Unfortunately it's not promising, low overall population density, existing 'near to' NGA service in all the big population centers. GDP per capita is a bit low as well (which is good indication of potential take up). That's before you touch on the technical challenges.

The only promising bits are the limited overall area and not entirely unfavorable geography. The only way I can see decent access happening (short of BT doing FTTC more widely and even then line length is going to hurt) is with LTE (or WiMax, though it's dying now...).
 
Yup. I fear Cornwall is really going to get left behind in the coming years. There just isn't enough $$$ potential here to interest private investors.

And you're absolutely right about our low income in this part of the country. I've seen jobs advertised to graduates yet offering to pay only 12k a year...
 
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