BT Add 9 Exchanges to its Fibre Broadband Rollout

[#1]

A couple of days ago Openreach announced details of the latest phase of their superfast fibre broadband roll-out. If you’re one of the unlucky ones in an area where fibre broadband isn’t currently available then this might be just the news you’ve been waiting for. Carry on reading to find out if and when Plusnet Unlimited Fibre is coming your way... An additional 9 telephone exchanges into their national £2.5bn roll-out of up to 80Mbps (Megabits per second) capable Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) based superfast broadband ISP products around the United Kingdom. At present BT’s commercial roll-out (excluding BDUK) aims to cover around 66% of the UK (19 million homes and business) by spring 2014 and the last (final) major deployment update was published in February 2013. Since then the service has expanded to pass over 15 million premises (roughly half of the country) and it continues to grow. But as a result of today’s announcement around 58,000 extra homes and businesses across these extra areas will have access to the technology between this Summer (2013) and the end of Spring 2014. In addition, infill work (i.e. expanding fibre into areas that were previously thought to be not commercially viable) should help to reach another 78,000 premises served by previously announced exchanges. The latest 9 Telephone Exchange Upgrades are: GREAT WAKERING – Essex HOLLAND ON SEA – Essex HORTON BANK – West Yorkshire HOYLAND – South Yorkshire INGATESTONE – Essex JARROW – Tyne and Wear KENTON – Tyne and Wear LOWER SHELTON – Bedfordshire WEST MERSEA – Essex If you’re wondering what telephone exchange you’re connected to then you can find out using our very own Exchange Checker over on the Usertools website. We should probably mention that even if your exchange is listed, there are still a handful of reasons why you might not be able to receive the service when things go live. This is because the technology is dependent on your local green cabinet as well as the equipment in the exchange itself. Just don’t get too excited until you see some dates cropping up over on BT Wholesale’s Broadband Availability Checker.

Here are some of the more common scenarios that cause disappointment for customers on enabled exchanged looking to move to Plusnet Fibre.

1. The line is connected directly to a telephone exchange, rather than via a green cabinet.

2. The line is too far from your nearest green cabinet to support a stable fibre optic broadband service.

3. The work hasn’t yet been done to enable your nearest green cabinet.

4. The green cabinet isn’t suitable for fibre optic cabling. If you want see if fibre is currently available in your area then head over to our website and find out using our availability checker.

Find out more about how fibre broadband works in our handy guide what is fibre broadband

Is your telephone exchange featured? Are you counting down the days until fibre becomes available? Or are you one of the unlucky ones who always seem to miss out? Let us know by leaving a comment below …

[#2]

Well my exchange has got FTTC enabled yet my cab isnt done, ive emailed OR about it apprently theres not many people "on it" i think its b.s tbh im fed up of slow speeds now!

[#3]

I wonder when the Whitburn, Tyne and Wear exchange gets fibre?

[#4]

The availability checker doesn't work if you are an existing customer It just tells you [quote]Our records show that you already have Plusnet broadband If you've seen a deal you like the look of, or want to upgrade, please log in to your account online. If you can't remember your log in details, or you don't think you are a Plusnet customer, please call 0800 432 0200 or 0345 140 0200.[/quote]

[#5]

If you log in the upgrade journey will tell you if fibre's available before committing to anything Jim. Failing that the Wholesale Availability Checker should work fine.

[#6]

how can it be called Fibre when its not? its like a hybrid sorta of connection. it still uses DSL and copper. the way its defined every connection is a fibre optic connection including mobile broadband because most backhaul is fibre.

[#7]

Semantically true Daniel, however for the purpose of marketing pretty much every provider refers to FTTC/VDSL as 'fibre'. Personally I don't think it matters too much as long as providers are clear about the speeds you'll be able to receive prior to you committing to anything.

[#8]

I think its wrong. because when providers bring out real fibre customers might get confused. (i.e upto speeds) But on the other hand do you have any info for LVSEF Cab 22

[#9]

FTTP and FTTC are pretty much mutually exclusive at the moment so it's unlikely you'll be in a position where both are available. FTTP on demand may change this but even so, I don't see a problem as long as providers are providing accurate estimates before the point of sale (not just an 'up to' speed). Checked LVSEF and there's no data in Wholesale's latest reports.

[#10]

Where can I find out if our cabinet is being upgraded or not? I know it's cabinet 62 on the Whitley Bay exchange.

[#11]

I may have just answered my own question - if I put my phone number into the BT availability checker there is no estimated date for fibre shown, but if I check my postcode instead it comes up with March 2014. Oh joy!

[#12]

Us country hicks won't be getting 'fibre' until nearer the next millenium - if then. The increases in October are for 'investment' - not in this neck of the woods! I have been with Plusnet for many years. But am becoming rapidly disillusioned. Amorphism is afoot. The spectre of BT is looming larger. If Overreach was truly independent I would hope for a more even playing field. To all those enjoying 'fibre' - I wish you joy.

[#13]

Getting information from anyone seems like getting blood from a stone. Exchange here (MRCON) has been fibre enabled for several years but nothing happening on our cabinet at all. Head down the road less than half a mile and the next cabinet is upgraded! None of the checkers seem to have any info and emailing openreach is a joke.

[#14]

What cabinet number Ian?

[#15]

Well I emailed Openreach last week about our cabinet and they replied twice within a couple of days! The first reply said too few subscribers, not commercially viable, contact your local Council, etc etc. The second one was from someone different who basically said they didn't know and advised me to keep watching the checker. So I'm still none the wiser really. For what it's worth I've emailed our local mayor for a bit of a moan and I'm waiting for a response. Interestingly our Council was in the news last year because they did not apply for any of the available funding for upgrades, claiming that they did not need it!

[#16]

Hi Bob, It is Cabinet 17 on MRCON. Nothing showing anywhere so presumably no need for fibre in a purely residential area 🙂

[#17]

Can't see anything either Ian. Plenty of cabs on your exchange are enabled, few withdrawn from service but nothing planned in Wholesale's latest reports for cab 17 I'm afraid.

[#18]

Sounds about right then. Get nothing back from openreach either.

[#19]

it might take ages to come Glasgow,there are some exchanges already have it.

[#20]

Getting quite excited as 'new' bigger cabinets seem to be being installed all around the area which our exchange serves (SLHWD) (including the one that's about 100mtrs from my house) - but when you check on the exchange, nothing shows up and it says NC on the checker? Do the new cabinets mean we're actually getting it?

[#21]

I'm connected directly to the exchange which is 2.5km away. Annoyingly I have a cabinet at the end of the next road to me which is fibre ready. Can't find any info on what the plans are for customers connected directly to the exchange!

[#22]

Bob, Red spray paint lines have now appeared outside our cabinet. Is this likely to indicate (a) Openreach are planning something or (b) Banksy has a new project on the go that only works as an aerial photo? Personally I am suspecting (b) Ian

[#23]

@Dean, it's unlikely anything will be happening any time soon unless FTTP is planned for your exchange :( @IanM, shot in the dark but your council's street works register or planning permission notices might provide you with some clues?

[#24]

Hi, I'm on LVSEF cabinet 13. The best information I can find is that my exchange is 'accepting orders'. I'm desperate for the upstream a fibre connection provides. Just knowing an approximate date when this would be possible would be great. Any help? Cheers, Nathan

[#25]

You cabinet is enabled from what I can tell Nathan meaning you should be able to place an order for installation today.