Summary of meeting with BT, Thursday 26th February

Please click here to open a copy of the presentation material.

 

The Line:

·         The line from Astwood Bank to Feckenham will only give speeds of up to 2mbs.  This is because of the distance between us and the exchange.  BT are not willing to upgrade or boost this line because of the expense.

·         The recommendations of Lord Carter's report to the Government (Digital Britain -  interim report : http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/5631.aspx) rather lets our case for a better line down as it only specifies 2mbs as a minimum standard.  The final report is due in "late Spring" and our MP will be making representations to have the minimum speed raised to 8mbs.

·         The possibility of a booster or distribution box in the village was raised but BT had tried that in other locations and had fallen foul of anti-competition legislation.  The main problem being that such an investment would restrict users to a single ISP

·         Fibre optic cables were also out of the question because of the expense and distances involved.

·         The possibilities of a locally run community provider were discussed.  It seems that the complication and expense of running such an enterprise would make this an unlikely solution - but if anyone fancies a go take a look at this http://www.sustainit.org/broadband-link.php 

 

Improving the signal:

·         Many of you report very low speeds and intermittent service.  BT think that many of these problems are caused by poor/old internal wiring and interference.

·         Interference can be caused by all sorts of things - next door's heating pump, an old fashioned telly or a wonky fridge - and if the signal is weak in the first place the interference will interfere all the more.  Most of this can be overcome by using a
BT I-plate. This handy little device can be self fitted with the aid of an ordinary screwdriver and costs between £7 and £12. Look at http://www.shop.bt.com/productview.aspx?quicklinx=58LT to find out if your socket will take an i-plate and then go to http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=7256 to knock £4 off the BT price.

·         Below is a list of website links which allow you to assess what's going wrong and suggest further self help options:

  1. Check your line for broadband service:  http://eco.btwholesale.com/broadband1/
  2. Useful information:  http://www.thinkbroadband.com/
  3. Frequently asked questions:  http://www.Thinkbroadband.com/faq/sections/radsl.html#235
  4. Speed issues:  http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/205881/double-your-broadband-for-free.html?searchString=double+your+speed
  5. How to repair home wiring:  http://www.thinkbroadband.com/files/broadband-max-myths-and-legends.pdf
  6. Top 10 tips on improving broadband speed:  http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/3859-top-10-tips-on-how-to-improve-your-broadband-speeds.html

 

If that doesn't work:

·         The fault may lie with your ISP.  The company you pay your money to pays BT for lines/equipment at Astwood Bank exchange.  If your ISP hasn't rented enough capacity your speed and connectivity may be compromised.  In such a case you may be well advised to change your ISP - if you're sure that this is the problem.

·         If you're constantly finding that the service is interrupted or very, very slow you should "complain vigorously" (BT's words!) to your ISP - and don't be fobbed off by the call centre (write if you can find the address).  The ISP should then ask BT Openreach to investigate and solve the problem.  BEWARE - only do this if you're sure that you've taken every other step to reduce interference - checked for obvious wiring faults, installed an i-plate, etc - if it's "your fault" you may be charged for the BT investigation.The future:

·       This would seem to be in the hands of politicians.  If the final recommendations of the Carter Report are for a higher basic standard for broadband (and if this is adopted by Parliament) we can obviously insist that BT upgrade the line.  We need to monitor the progress of the report carefully.

·       Some years ago it was proposed to bring digital TV to Feckenham using fibre cables. The then operator (Telewest) even went as far as to map out the sites of connection boxes, etc - but then got cold feet when it realised that the uptake of cable TV in Feckenham was likely to be miniscule.  Things have changed and the TV element of cable networks is a very small part of the service - data and phone services may now make it viable for the current operators (Virgin) to think again.  Your MP intends to investigate this possibility.

 

 

We hope this is helpful. Thanks to those who attended - there were about 50 people there and the discussion was lively and at times vigorous.  We'll keep you in touch with any further developments.

 

 

Ian Bellion and Marion Chute

 

 
 

 

 
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