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heyender · 14-04-2014, 01:54 PM

It's strangely reassuring to read other posts on here. I'm on the Penistone exchange 5 miles away. BT tried to tell me it was 1 mile distant but I know it's 5! I hope I'm shifting from Ask4 to Origin - transfer code permitting - if only to get some broadband for the extra month! I face the prospect of going back to ADSL2 which is what I had when I left Plusnet for DR. On a good day I could get .5meg down. Fibre is promised here for later this year, but I can't fathom how that could work at my location. I'm on a poor copper line which has coped really well from the DR cabinet about 1 mile away, with an av. 10meg down. Nearest other FTTC cabinet is about 3 miles away. Does anyone know how my postcode can possibly get a fibre connection? It seems mad that in mid-August a nearby working fibre connection gets turned off. Will BT / Openreach / Anyone be taking over the DR fibre cabling? Grateful for any info! Thanks Peter

alexatkin · (This post was last modified: 14-04-2014 02:45 PM by alexatkin.)

If BT are planning to do fibre in your area it will be the same way as DR, except BT have the advantage of being able to pull it through their existing ducting that the phone line comes in. Then they stick a new cabinet in similar location to the DR one.

Nobody knows if any of the DR network will get sold off yet, I think DR has to actually shut down before we will find out.

heyender · 14-04-2014, 02:50 PM

Thanks - that's very helpful. I assumed it would mean digging a trench and laying a new cable next door to the perfectly OK DR one! That means in theory that they could bring the fibre to an even closer intermediate cabinet on the edge of our village? You learn more on here than quizzing hapless BT staff.

alexatkin · 14-04-2014, 09:40 PM

I think it depends on the quality of the existing ducting but in most cases they should be able to just pull it through the existing ones.

Of course the cabinet itself depends on being able to tap power from a nearby street light, so a small amount of digging is still required for that, but nothing like the level DR had to do.

Cost factors in as well, so it also depends on which route they plan for the fibre to get back to the exchange and/or cover other areas/cabinets. That is why they don't like doing small villages as it could be miles of fibre for only a cabinet or two.