27 comments

• 1

  David Hunt, 24th March 2008.

  I would like to ask a raise some questions about fiber optic networks,
  
  1, Does BT intend to lay fiber optic networks throughout London obviously replacing the old copper telephony system ??
  
  2, I know it may be expensive to do the above question, so why just lay a small network on a new building area and not replace exisiting old copper networks throughout BT's existing system, surely BT could recouperate the cost through so many customers, even at a little more expense ???

  Reply
• 2

  Alex, 11th June 2008.

  I am glad to see that BT is grabbing the bull by the horns and taking the plunge into a much more viable, long term investment. From my point of view, fibre optic cable seems like the most longterm and beneficial investment to its customers.
  
  I hope that I see fibre optic broadband throughout everyhome in the UK before my time is up (I am 21).
  
  Does BT have any idea how much it would cost to replace the existing copper wired system?
  
  I am just interested in these types of affairs, I do not expect a reply but it would be nice to know the little people in this world still matter:D

  Reply
• 3

  Edward Burnett, 29th January 2009.

  You think it would make sense if BT had started using optic when it first became available if it is cheaper to buy and lay than copper! Instead its gonna cost them more in the long run because its more copper there gonna have to replace. The demand is there for high speed broadband they just can't be arsed replacing all the lines coz it means money. If BT had realised the economic potential of optic early on, they would have more customers, a higher turnover and we would all be benifiting from cheap optic broadband like other countries such as the Netherlands and Japan.

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• 4

  Wayne , 26th February 2009.

  You have to take your hat off to BT as being a so-called leader in Telecommunications; I wonder why they have not invested the huge profits into installing fibre optic system for the whole country years ago. Germany have had it for years and there average speeds are around 20Mpbs while we struggle to an average of 1.8Mpbs, Come on BT get with the rest of the Europe and Invest in the Future

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• 5

  Ciaran Higgins, 10th March 2009.

  Having read all about BT's new fibre network im both delighted and excited about it. I've never been a ADSL fan. and I think that this is what we need for virgin media to up their game. Im on 20 meg with virgin with an upload speed of just 72kps. which I think is pretty bad for the prices I pay! considering my parents are on sky ADSL with 5.5 mb and an upload speed of 97kps.
  
  I also believe that virgin's network, despite what the may clame, is outdated! when the man holes went in orginally in the UK back in 94 the didnt predict broadband, hence why many complain of slow broadband speeds. Common cause is the amount of copper coming to the house from the man hole and the main booster. I myself have had speed issues with virgin media time & time again. and I think their network needs much upgrading before their 100 mb service rolls out.
  
  What my big question is here..
  
  Will BT's new fibre network be fibre straight into the home? or along the same line as virgin, copper in to the home from the main booster, into the man hole then into the house?
  
  I'd convert straight away if its fibre into the home. What about you?
  
  Regaurds. Ciaran Higgins - Glasgow
  
  

  Reply
• 6

  Paul, 22nd March 2009.

  its a discrace bt should be a market leader in telecoms/broadband telewest ntl blueyonder and now virgin laid the foundation for a fiber optic network way ahead of bt. I wished people would stop piping on about it's the way forward, we should all have fibre optic broadband now. New home schools hospitals all should have fast broadband as STANDARD. At a good price we are being riped off big time. my first broadband was 1 meg from tellewest 10years back,now i live in london. i now have a so called UP TO 8 MEG CONNECTION DOWN A COPPER CABLED PHONE LINE THAT CAN CARRY 5.2MEG AND I ONLY GET 2.5 MEG AT BEST.

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• 7

  Louise, 18th April 2009.

  bt should go fibre optic as we are living in a broadband stone age they need to remember that we pay there wages and they should value there customers tbh i dont see in the near future that this will happen until every bt broadband customer cancels there direct debits and makes a stand as there still getting mass profits even though they give extremely poor broadband speeds

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• 8

  Vanessa, 24th April 2009.

  I live far enough from my exchange to be always the last on quality and speed, and I've only been able to have broadband (in South East Surrey this is, Zone 6) for about a year and a half, after 8 years of dial up. Now the speed is still only 1/4 of a meg on most testers and half a meg is offered. Any film viewing is impossible. Twice in the last three months we've had the rare luxury of a surge in speed making downloads up to 60kps. So it can be done. So why don't Virgin hurry up laying the fibre optic cable down our road, when another road only 10 minutes walk away has it. If Virgin cabled more, BT would left standing and they are still so slow at upgrading everything. The sooner BT go fibre optic the better, the web is becoming more and more orientated on film and TV and assumes one has fast connections which isn't the case at all.

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• 9

  Ian Dawson , 3rd May 2009.

  Great news for all BT customers, now let's see you do the same for your old customers. PS: Have been with you for many years.

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• 10

  Mr Bartholomew, 18th May 2009.

  good news.
  but when is it coming to horsham west sussex?????

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• 11

  Andy, 20th May 2009.

  I agree with all your comments apart from the people saying well done bt by doing this. The rest of Europe is averaging 20 meg, while japan gets over 100 meg and that was 3 years ago.
  
  BT have only done one VERY SMALL site and that's a new build, so was easy to start from scratch (AND IT'S ONLY A TRIAL). Replacing all the cable is going to cost them a lot. So for everyone thinking they will get fast broadband soon: Think again!!!!

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• 12

  Andy, 31st May 2009.

  Personally i cant wait for fibre optic to be installed. My download speeds have steadily dropped from 4 meg to half a meg over the last year and a half as more and more people have been put onto the exchange. Virgin Media fibre optic is not installed on my estate, so pinning my hopes on BT now! Some hope!

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• 13

  Susan, 21st June 2009.

  I live in Orkney where I have no choice of isp so am dependent on BT and the 512k service that they offer/provide. BT's new fibre optic cable between Orkney and the Scottish mainland came ashore at Skaill Bay (approx 6km from my house)in July 2008, we all rejoiced at the fact that at last we might be getting a decent broadband.
  
  Alas, nothing doing. We jested about being left behind, we weren't wrong either. Fibre optic has passed us by and reached Shetland. As stated by BT in Shetlands local papers this week they will go live in 2011. So what about it BT? When are you going to give us in rural Orkney a decent service? Online TV, catch up with the news, YouTube videos, these are things we can only hear and dream of. To make matters worse Ofcom have deemed our broardband service suitable for our needs and they do not see any reason to allow other isps be able to take up space at our local exchange. So much for choice and living in a fair society.

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• 14

  D Mavin, 22nd June 2009.

  FYI
  When I worked for BT several years ago, the rumour at the time suggested that the UK telecomms network was about to go fibre, but had to be stopped when the company was privAtised, as they would have had an unfair competition on other comms companies.
  
  This lasted for about 10 years, and in that time the boffins in Ipswich managed to get good speeds (for the time) over old copper lines, and hence make more money for the company.
  
  They were always trying to reduce the installation costs to make it viable for fibre to the home, and so it makes senSe for them to only provide it to newbuilds, as this accounts for new digs, ducting, etc.
  Now digs and ducts are about £150 in hard round per metre and if the cable is direct in ground it must be steel wired armoured at about £7 per metre.
  
  Blown fibre is the best way to provide a new local infastructure (each house will require a minimum of 2 fibre cores for max speed), in my opinion, as it is futureproof but the problem of digs and ducts is a real issue.
  
  Problems with the levy.
  
  How long is the levy being imposed on us for?
  Why is public money helping private industry, and what are we getting in return (in monetary terms)?
  Will they BT/Virgin allow other firms to install cables in their ducts if public money is being used?
  
  This is the future, fibre to the home but put it into the cities first en masse, to get maximum return. Then use the profits to feed the countryside.

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• 15

  H Robertson, 28th June 2009.

  This is ridiculous! The uk has one of the slowest broadband rates in the world and they are saying that they will only have 40% of the UK on fibre optic by 2012. 3 years to install fibre optic wiring into 40% of the houses in the UK - it's outrageous!!!

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• 16

  Rob, 21st July 2009.

  H Robertson.... 3years to connect 20-25 million people to optics is NOT outrageous. Do you think BT has an unlimited amount of money and manpower? Start living in the real, if slow, world.

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• 17

  Mr Lane, 12th August 2009.

  I am one of these people who live at Ebbsfleet vally and have this 100mb internet. Its what it says on the packet, but ive found they cap me to about 3mg during the day. What is the point in having a superfast internet when you cant even use it?
  
  I suppose i cant really moan as BT have given me the connection free for a year "yes i said my internet is free for a year" Thats nice of them. From what ive read BT will not install fibre optic in old house, only new builds will get it.

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• 18

  P N, 12th August 2009.

  i see it will cost alot of money (if it ever happens) but nobody has thought what the copper would be worth once replaced with fibre optic

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• 19

  Mal, 23rd August 2009.

  That day will come dear friends when we'll hear that package thump on the door mat and run to open it and there it'll be a brand new router.We'll connect it up and yippee 150mbps.We'll have this speed for exactly 10 days then it will be reduced to 2mbps because of the fair use policy.Good living in the UK innit!

  Reply
• 20

  SL, 27th August 2009.

  I live in the middle of London, not on an estate but a residential street with terraced houses no more than 3 miles form the financial hub of the city....any chance of fibre optics being installed on my road?

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• 21

  Conor McDermott, 11th September 2009.

  BT is only company in the world that 1s laging behind the rest off the europe and usa and japan in broadband speeds in europe the slosest speed aloud is 20mbs so this make people in the uk second class and all broadband providers like sky-bt-postoffice-and others on bt exchanges should be put up to at least 10mbs speed for no extra charge or for free even virgin should be forced to do it along with bt and all other providers

  Reply
• 22

  D R Evans, 21st September 2009.

  I live within sight of Oldham, my local exchange, but cannot get broadband because of weak signal strength. I have a BT phone (also poor strength). It's no comfort to me to know that a new estate in Kent is benefiting from fibre-optics!

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• 23

  Jockdownsouth, 6th December 2009.

  @Mr Bartholomew 18th May 2009 -
  
  I live in North Horsham and am struggling with around 700k at the moment - previously 1.3meg. It seems to have got worse over the last few weeks (damp in the joints?). I have complained previously to BT who say nothing can be done because of the line length.
  
  Apparently it goes round in a big loop. I can live with 1.3 but am becoming exasperated at 0.7 and even then I have to keep rebooting my router. It's not as though we live miles out in the countryside! Have you registered on the Broadband Notspot site?

  Reply
• 24

  M.Carter, 8th December 2009.

  I too have noted a reduction from around 1.4 (about bearable) to 0.7 ( painful) in last couple of weeks. BT keeping a very low profile seem incapable of giving meaningful info. regarding when improvements can be expected for Loughborough.
  
  Not sure if this may be due to temp. conditions whilst work underway or impending system meltdown! must say they are at super-quick speed when sending bills so somethings at their end are cutting edge.

  Reply
• 25

  Spukks, 6th February 2010.

  BT are like ex-soldiers from WW1! I'm surprised that the copper they use in their lines hasn't been stolen!

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• 26

  James, 19th February 2010.

  BT really need to hurry this up, starting with areas that get the worst broadband.
  
  My broadband is advertised as up to 8MB, but I just took BT's speed test and found out im getting 0.2MB. It took 5 minutes to load this page !!!

  Reply
• 27

  Unhappy, 17th March 2010.

  Wow if this runs anything like their broandband service, good luck to all the muppets that get it.
  
  Super speed will mean 97kps at the most. BT you're a JOKE!

  Reply

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