Broadband must be superfast for everyone

Ian I appreciate your relisation that contrary to popular thinking Local Network Cable doesnt always travel in a straight line .You put the proposition that the Local Network should be “rewired ” –have you thought seriously about the costs in engineering involved in doing this throughout the UK ? Its estimated it would cost for FTTC which would use existing ducting £30 billion and more for 100 % coverage . What you want would involve digging up roads Nationwide , trying to get permission from private owners to let new channels be made through their property . Openreach would need to employ another 100,000 employees , it would be a major national industrial effort to achieve it costing £100,s of Billions ,its never going to happen . Your comment -your copper line is quicker than fibre is interesting when you say your cabinet is just outside the telephone exchange , then you would need FTTP , you could apply for that but 12Mbps isnt too bad in real life , I lived with 4.5Mbps for years. I understand why you would push the for restructuring of local lines but the cost is too great .

Duncan, first of all, thanks for your response. I completely agree that the country simply cannot, at this time, afford to retire the entire network, desirable though that would be. What I was, perhaps naively, suggesting was for there to be the possibility of the copper telephone line being moved from an existing cabinet to one in closer proximity to the premises requiring a fibre connection. The “sister” FTTC cabinet could then be used for the final copper connection. I have no idea if this would be technically possible but it strikes me that better use could be made of existing copper and fibre cabinets by some ad-hoc rewiring. Just a thought!

Ian-The transfer of your “D” side to another cabinet or even ,if as you say the cabinet is just outside the exchange , is technically possible but it would mean transferring it to another local cable cabinet which would mean a cable run under the ground between cabinets . Now this has been done in the past between copper cabinets and now between a fibre cabinet and a local copper run but the distance is short and access was easy . What could be done in your case is a direct cable feed into the exchange (no cabinet ) this is an actual fact in many areas but it would still mean you would need FTTP -ie-fibre all the way to your house , not impossible but we are back to cost. What BT is trialling as we speak is a combination of fibre and copper -ie-FTTC its called BT-G FAST technology which gives up to 800Mbps so even if you are a mile away your speed would shoot up . You could ask BT if you could get that even if you put your name down for it . I am hampered in checking up posters problems as I would need personal details which , obviously , are not allowed on Which otherwise I could check into your problem deeper.

Vicessa your and Ian,s post have something in common in that it is probable given the speed you gave me that this cabinet of not the one you come off OR it is not a FTTC cabinet . Check out the number on it go to openreach,s website input your address and you should find out if this is your cabinet , it will tell you if you can get a FTTC line or not as well . Your right 3.1Mbps is slow if the cabinet you come off is 200M from you but you say you pay a minimal amount suggesting its an all-copper line . If you find your cabinet is FTTC “ready ” you can apply for a fibre connection which ,if you are really only 200M from the cabinet (underground cable doesnt always go direct ) would greatly increase your speed .

This is due to an underestimation of those requiring fibre broadband at each cabinet OR a limited amount of money available to rewire the “E” side (exchange ) fibre cable . I got in early for applying for fibre from BT as I asked them to notify me when it was installed , I live in a village and it didnt take long before the fibre cable was full to capacity within a year a new underground fibre cable was installed increasing capacity so others got this service (FTTC ) . Its down to money Keith and grants .

My god Alan ! a VERY sensible post which gets “I agree ” from me . But what you are up against is the many voices that say –too much tax payers money in grants to BT but what you envisage is a “dream ” I have in boosting this countries economy and your dead right, instead of boosting City profits. Good thinking !