Plusnet Fibre has landed!

[#1]

The more astute of you may have noticed that our website's had a bit of a lick of paint this morning? This is to coincide with the launch of our shiny new Fibre Optic Broadband products, offering download speeds of up to 40Mbps starting from just £16.49/month! We've also launched a new 'Pro add-on' allowing existing and new Value and Extra customers the option to have all of their broadband traffic delivered at line speed. We're sure many of you will have questions about the new products so to prepare for this we've published a guide about what is fibre broadband. If you've got a question that isn't answered in that lot, then feel free to head over to our Community Site forums to take part in the discussion there. So if you haven't had a look at what the new products have to offer yet, then what are you waiting for!

[#2]

I look forward to fibre arriving at my exchange. (unfortunately it still looks to be a year away from me). The fibre announcement has naturally over shadowed the other changes made and mentioned above especially to the PRO package. Is my understanding correct in that the new "PRO ADD ON" has completely replaced the PRO package, meaning that for "plusnet Extra" customers adding the PRO option means all 60 Gb of their broadband traffic can be delivered at line speed, not just the 20Gb allowance as with a dedicated PRO package..?

[#3]

I will be jumping on this when FTTC hits here (2013-14)

[#4]

I'll be lucky to see more than the 1Mbps max in my lifetime. People should realise that it is not Plusnet fibre, they are just using the networks put in by other providers and saying it is plusnet fibre. Either way, it will never benefit those who need it, just those who can already get more than 5Mbps. It really makes me sick that the people that already get good speeds are getting upgraded, yet, my exchange, which gives a max of 1Mbps will never be upgraded. Do we need the speed less? NO!!! Infact with this being a military village and with us traveling alot, we need the internet to keep in touch with families while we are serving the country which is basically sticking its fingers up at us. I hope all you greedy people out there enjoy your super fast broadband while those that actually need it are on the slowest speed possible.

[#5]

Is it real Fibre ( As in Fibre to Home) or just stand to the box and the rest is copper cable to the house

[#6]

@tony8436 There's nothing stopping you moving home if you need 'fast internet' so bad, so badly that you're travelling so much not to be there to use it! Please, get a grip, and stop moaning. Oh - I should add that as well as living in a rural area that no-one asked you to live in, no one forced you to join the military either so stop being a baby.

[#7]

@dean, Due to my job I have no choice in where I live, so moving home is not an option. And you are right, no-one forced me to join the military, however, my point was that we risk our lives for the conutry and aren't even allowed the service that other people take for granted. As for 'stop being a baby', BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!

[#8]

@Tony8436, It's not "the greedy people" you need to be getting mad at. Its the ISPs and telephony companies who lay the lines in the areas they will get the most money. Look at the pricing for plusnet for example. In areas where there is competition from other companies their prices are significantly lower than areas with no competition on the lines. see http://www.plus.net/info2/legal/price_guide.html. It is the greedy companies like plusnet, BT, TalkTalk etc etc who don't put any priority into providing a fair and consistent service to everyone because it is not financially beneficial to them to do so. Meanwhile people like you and me have to put up with a poor service and pay a premium for it.

[#9]

@tony8436 when we say Plusnet fibre we're not claiming to own the fibre. That is the name of the products we provide. @maaa Wholesale costs in these areas are more and they are cheaper in the more competitive areas. We are one of only a few companies who actually pass on the cheaper wholesale costs. We don't make more profit from rural areas. Jojo

[#10]

i only want to say, i have upgraded to Plusnet fibre which has not been connected and at the same time BT and plusnet between them have decided to switch off my existing broadband I have with them in the mean time 7 days now no internet. expecting a visit on friday that will be 9 days, nearly as bad when i swapped from BT to Plusnet (work that one out) 17 days with no broadband and 3 weeks without telephone, and this is a business, that was super crap.

[#11]

Jojo, You say you don't make more profit from rural areas, so why do you charge a higher price for such a low speed? It doesn't make sense that the higher the speed, the lower the price. Is this BT dictating that we should be ripped off for a poor speed while others are rewarded for being lucky enough to get a good speed?

[#12]

"why do you charge a higher price for such a low speed?" Because the wholesale costs are typically more expensive Tony.

[#13]

is it more expensive because there is more work involved or simply because companies think we deserve to be ripped off?

[#14]

It's a product of deregulation, you can read more about it in the Ofcom statement here - http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/wbamr07/statement/statement.pdf

[#15]

I see nothing in that link that says why it is fair to pay more money for less speed. I can only get less than 1 meg yet have to pay more than people who can get 20 meg +. How is that fair? Does PN think it is fair? If not, why not try to get it changed?

[#16]

Perhaps I can add a positive note - well almost! I now have Plusnet fibre and get 35Mbps down and 1.6Mbps up. I'm assuming this will go up to about 39Mbps after the bedding in period. Unfortunately BT made some technical mistakes wiring up the fibre cabinet and it took six booked visits to sort it out. Two of these appointments were not kept with no explanation at the time. Plusnet submitted a formal complaint. In the meantime I was without any connection for 14 days, although all the bank holidays didn't help. Plusnet did their best to get BT to sort things out. The BT engineers were very pleasant but mystified as to why there was no synced connection. The final one who was here "for as long as it will take" found the problem. They are still learning although out of hundreds installed by the three engineers who turned up, I was the only one of two to have a problem. My only disappointment with Plusnet is that after being a customer for many years I am paying somewhat more than a new customer.

[#17]

Don't think the 39Mbps is acheived by many to be honest and think around 35Mbps is quite normal. Sounds like a nightmare you were having. For my install, the person who did the install was a contracter just for the FTTC rollout (a former electrician) as were all the FTTC installers as I understand so their knowledge isn't necessarily as good as regular engineers. How is it you're paying more than a new customer - what products in particular? The Ofcom market status is a big part of pricing differentials and out of plusnet's control.

[#18]

@tony8436 Have you looked at mobile broadband? If it is as bad as you say, you might get a better value service hooking your computer up to your mobile phone.

[#19]

What a joke. Plus are currently providing my broadband at a download speed of .35mb and i am paying for a 10mb service. Fibre optic connection with plus sounds like a joke. Time for trading standards to step into these misleading claims.

[#20]

Go Ahead and check. I guess negative true comments on your service will be removed.

[#21]

@jceltd, there's nothing misleading about any of the claims in this article. I'm sorry to hear you're having problems with your connection though, have you raised it with our support desk?

[#22]

@andy Yes I have tried mobile broadband but due to my location, only get around 1Mbps with that too. Also, I found it was costing me £7 for 7 days use but due to the 1 gig download limit, I was getting about 2 days use for £7. Not worth it for a few hundred KB extra. Thanks for the suggestion though.

[#23]

@tony8436 - "3" one plan allows tethering from your 3G phone to pc but costs £25/mth and is "all you can eat data" apparently. http://ask3.three.co.uk/srvs/cgi-bin/webisapi.dll/,/?new,kb=mobile,ts=mobile,t=casedoc.tem,case=obj%281883%29,varset_username=Mobile:mobileUser http://www.three.co.uk/Pay_Monthly/Our_plans_prices

[#24]

tony8436 Hang on in there! it probably feels as though you are surrounded by civvies, one day they will appreciate the work that you do, on their behalf. Meanwhile, stay safe and if you do get into bother,don't forget SSAFA FORCES HELP are just a phone call away, hoping that you mange to find an alternative provider - to suit you internet needs regards,007

[#25]

Hi Tony. I have a close understanding of your circumstances and the comittment you make in your working life. There is a strong desire within our teams here at Plusnet to get this resolved / improved for you in some way. One of our High Level Complaints team will be in touch to progress this with you. Mark

[#26]

@the 10th, That sounds perfect. If only I could get a 3G signal within 3 miles of my house. Unfortuantely, I can't. If however it becomes possible, I will certainly try this. What sort of speeds can I expect through a 3G mobile broadband service?

[#27]

@bond, It does get annoying that this site appears to be full of, not only civvies, but anyone complaining that they can only get 15Mbps when they are paying for 20. I would love to see how long they could last with less than 1Mbps. I don't think that SSAFA will be able to do a great deal as I asked them about extending the wireless network on base for the single guys to play games on, so that it will reach married quaters and was told that it would probably not happen.

[#28]

@tony8436 I am not sure why you have such a distast for "civvies" especially in light that this is a domestic service website? I am merely a "civvie" but a "civvie" that puts peoples bones back together, including military personell. I have huggge amounts of respect for what you guys do, but I think you need to look at the way you view "civvies". After all, who are you doing it for? Im just puzzled....

[#29]

@bradders, if you read the full message you will see that the term 'civvies' was used in the post I was replying to. My post read 'not only civvies', therefore, I have no disaste for civvies, it was merely a reply to another post.

[#30]

@tony8436 - The speed can fluctuate and is contention-based on the local base station's data usage but can be 3.5-4Mbps down and 1.5Mbps up but obviously can't guarantee the speeds. If you find the speed isn't what you expected with mobile operators you can cancel within a short period usually (typically couple of weeks but check with the operator before signing up). Find more info above "3" coverage here: http://www.three.co.uk/Help_Support/Coverage

[#31]

It all sounds great to me, at least for those that can get it. It's not just rural places that seem to get no look in to these increases. I'm in a built up area, but only get a 3mb connection, and have to have interleaving on my line to make it useable. Now, i've just had an e-mail to say i'm getting put onto ADSL2, but it also says people under 4mb may not see any increase in speed and could cause connection problems. If i'm unlikely to get any benefit from this 'upgrade', I doubt fibre is going to do anything for me too. I'm guessing that with all these exchange and system upgrades (when they eventually turn up for people outside of London), if you're still having problems it's from the esxchange to the house, which is never going to be rectified. Shame really, as I use (well, try to) my connection mostly for gaming.

[#32]

hello Bradders,Tony The term civvies really means somebody who is not in the armed forces and who don't understand their unique culture, or also it is used to describe clothes that you wear when out of uniform, I used it because Tony was getting flak just because he complained. Regarding SSAFA help Tony, i meant should you need help personally if you fall on difficult times!It was not mentioned to cure an ISP problem regards Bond

[#33]

tony8436 im with you mate!! im currently stuck in Northern Ireland!! i didnt ask to be posted to this country!! im currently stuck with 2.73 mbps!! might seem ok for some but out here its slow as hell!!! and especially whilst video calling to my mates in Afghan!! and yes i do use Plusnet mainly cus i understand them on the phone and its the same speed for BT users God Save The Queen

[#34]

@everybody Some facts. 1. Fibre is to the green box in your/the next street. It means it will be much faster as it only has to go down copper the last few hundred yards to your house. The copper wire to your house is not usually the problem, it is the connection from the exchange. ie too many green boxes or it is too far away. 2. If you live in a remote area it costs more to provide your service as the infrastucture is the same cost with as little as 1-10% of the revenue of more built-up areas. It is not up to the Government to spend my money(tax) on something with such a poor cost/benefit ratio. 3. This argument about availability/connection/speed is as old as POTS(Poor Old Telephone System.) My Gran in my memory had to share a phone line with next door and pay the same as everbody else. She just said she was lucky to have a phone. I was the first to get ADSL in Stratford and it cost me £50 per mnth for 512kbps, before that I had SDSL which cost me £100 per mnth. People have short memories and even shorter pockets. @ jceltd1 - Plusnet are not to blame for your poor speed, it is BT you should gripe about! If you live more than 4km from your exchange or your town has crappy wiring you can't expect much. Fibre should cure most of those ills. Happy flaming! Jezlar..

[#35]

"She just said she was lucky to have a phone" This is the 21st century and what we are asking for is what most people are taking for granted. Why would we be greatful for 1/6 of the national average before the fibre rollout and around 1/30 after the rollout?

[#36]

@tony8436 you should be as grateful of your 1Mb speed as I am of your dedication to duty. I too have long line issues but get speeds as low as 2 bits - that's bits not bytes! And rarely anything above 500k. Plus multiple drop-outs everyday and timeouts that make just about every download fail yet I still think plus.net is the bees-knees just for being there when no other provider would commit to providing a service at the time. Yes I too gripe that all the people I have introduced get better service for half the price and will soon be even better off as fibre is rolled out but that is a BT issue. Just as them making my line even longer by moving the exchange 2 miles further away is. Though I have to say that the article above does raise one question to my mind.... Does '‘Pro add-on’ allowing .. broadband traffic [to be] delivered at line speed' mean that my service is capped and could be better for the price I am already paying since it is so nafffffff to start with? Now, if that is true, there is something plus.net could do to help those of us with poor connections and that is something I could really moan at them about.

[#37]

I often wonder why ISP's don't charge based on the speed you get. I'm sure there's a good reason they don't, I just can't see it though. I know it's no fault of the ISP, but it's annoying paying a price for a lower speed (by todays standards) that someone on 5 times the speed is paying.

[#38]

@CliffeTop, your service is not restricted, it's just that traffic like p2p/usenet etc. is managed during peak hours, so the likes of your browsing/email/voip/gaming etc. will be running at line speed for you. @Carl, As we are charged for the capacity we use, that's how we charge. Jojo

[#39]

I'am with virgin and got my 50meg connection in the weekend and its faster then adsl. Cable rules

[#40]

I would be happy to get close to 8mb and the lower price band, never mind 40mb. Last test I was at 2.5mb