UK 'Superfast' Rural Broadband Progression - News Roundup March 2014

[Torand]

Quick Intro:

 

Some interesting current news surrounding the infrastructure of the internet in the coming year(s).

 

So, this is a continuation of a news article I posted last year, about the maps for the roll out of what is being labeled 'Superfast' broadband to the whole of the UK. This is a follow up on the latest news about it and some good discussion topics and future possibilities.

 

 

 

Articles referenced in this thread:

 

[1] "Rural broadband: How the money will be spent" - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26338920 - 25 February 2014 Last updated at 16:18

 

[2] "Delay BT broadband cash bid, MPs urge" -  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26366893 - 28 February 2014 Last updated at 14:12

 

[3] "'Fastest ever' broadband passes speed test" - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25840502 - 22 January 2014 Last updated at 13:48

 

 

 

Current Situation (examples):

 

First off, what do they mean by 'Superfast'?  --  "Superfast broadband is defined by the European Union as broadband with speeds of 24Mbps (megabits per second) or above." [1]

 

Now, I live in a Welton, just outside of Lincoln, Lincolnshire in the East Midlands of the UK. We are all still on ADSL and the speeds aren't brilliant...

 

<minirant>

(although BT recently did an upgrade (not fiber, just a maintenance upgrade) to our local exchange, which they said would improve stability and possibly speed. I was over the moon to get home from work and test the speed that evening (Tues. 18th Feb) to find that my internet had gone from 850KB/s 45ms~ ping up to a solid 1.9MB/s 15ms~ ping (up didn't really change, went up a tad. So happy! Anyway, getting off topic...)

</minirant>

 

...back to it...they are, well, livable with for general use. Services such as netflix hd/youtube hd are ok, but completely saturate your connection during that period. Same goes for downloading from steam and other media services in which require large, multiple GB files.

 

Our area, roughly all the major villages the 10 mile radius around Lincoln, is scheduled for the upgrade to fiber between April and September this year [internal-excitement-intensifies], that is government contracted through BT Open Reach.

 

-> Now, you may be wondering how this ties in and why I'm rambling on about my own experience, well, don't worry, getting to that;

 

 

 

The News, Information & Analysis:

 

- The first article [1] is in reference to some exciting visions from out government (from the current project totaling £1.2B last year to an extra £250m this year) -- (extra fundinghard to believe, I know, that and it is always to be taken with a huge rock of salt) to try to aim toward the highest speeds in the world. This is exciting, as at least it is something in which they are actively wanting to fund and push for. Although their views on perceived Internet control are scary, at least they are pushing for speed and accessibility. Very, very early, just 'showing off' testing from BT was a promising look at the future of connectivity speeds and data throughput [3] and they are certainly very exciting, no matter how far off they are (10 years+ probably). Other countries will obviously take the lead on such speeds, but its the little glimmer of hope sparkling from the UK powers that be, that is making me excited.

 

- The second article [2] is in reference to the fact that the government doesn't want to make another money sink and create a monopoly - and have it on their hands with the running of the communications infrastructure in the UK, this in regards to the vast control that BT currently has. Now, if its a good monopoly (can't remember the official term at the moment) then the company can provide high standards and retain low pricing, keeping innovation and the future of the technology it self, not their profit margins, can be a really good power for good, but can change exceedly quickly *cough*BT could go the way of comcast*cough* in which we'd all be buggered. I'm glad the government are at least putting pressure on/keeping tabs of the situation, even if it is just to make sure that the money isn't being wasted (which is good in the context that at least they are making sure the money is being spent correctly, un-like what Logan talks about all the time in the US about the Telecommunications act (something like that) in which their govmnt. never chased the ISP's up about it).

 

 

 

TL:DR

 

It is very promising for the future of the UK's internet infrastructure as a whole, not just the major cities, with planned upgrades being from this year to 2017 (lucky that I'm in the area of one of the first planned to be hopefully upgraded). Once the fiber is there, for example, then the upgrades are less costly and can come more often and with larger upgrades now that the base line is in there. The UK government, although must be taken with a pinch of salt, seems to want a world wide competitive internet service, whilst keeping pressure on the required services to make sure that it is done and the project seen through to its projection at supported/upgraded in future whilst retaining easy customer access. Pricing in the UK, for internet in my opinion, isn't bad at all. Currently for (truly) unlimited broadband on ADSL, with unlimited anytime calls (even to paid 0870, etc), for around £30-£40/month which is reasonable in comparison to many other countries.

 

 

 

Sorry for the long read, but I put effort into this providing the news, but also my analysis of the information. Hope you found it interesting.

[xXxYOLOxSWAGxXx_420BlazeIt]

The second article is talking about how they have already  had £1.2B, and there has not been a clear improvement. They already split BT into two companies in 2004 or 2008. There is BT, and BT OpenReach. OpenReach look after the core infrustructure that all the other ISPs use, and resell. It isnt a bad monopoly at all.

 

I have sat in multiple lectures delivered by people from BT Openreach.

 

They all say that it gets to a point where it isnt commercialy viable to install cabled broadband in the most rural 5% of the UK. They will never make the money back that they would have to spend.

 

They instead use microwave links to connect each DSLAM, instead of cables. I doubt cable services will come to the most rural parts given the amazing improvements in wireless.

[Jamdude]

I'm with Virgin Media in Solihull and they're always throwing out free upgrades.  I started off with their 50Mb/s internet and have been slowly upgraded to a soon to be 156Mb/s download package.  Hopefully within the coming years more ISP's will be moving to FTTH rather than just FTTC and more houses fill be able to get a fibre connection rather than ADSL.

[werto165]

I dont have 'superfast' internet yet. Only 4Mb/s to go... 

[Torand]

The second article is talking about how they have already  had £1.2B, and there has not been a clear improvement. They already split BT into two companies in 2004 or 2008. There is BT, and BT OpenReach. OpenReach look after the core infrustructure that all the other ISPs use, and resell. It isnt a bad monopoly at all.

 

I have sat in multiple lectures delivered by people from BT Openreach.

 

They all say that it gets to a point where it isnt commercialy viable to install cabled broadband in the most rural 5% of the UK. They will never make the money back that they would have to spend.

 

They instead use microwave links to connect each DSLAM, instead of cables. I doubt cable services will come to the most rural parts given the amazing improvements in wireless.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I may have mistook the article, but it still shows that they are looking into it. But then again, I'm sure that if I spent £1.2B, i'd want to make sure it was well spent in what it was intended for.

 

I didn't know that about BT (being split up) and I also think that they are not a bad monopoly, i was just saying that if they got new management, they are in a position to do a lot of damage, that's all. I forever see Openreach vans around, doing maintenance and stuff.

 

I can certainly imagine about that 5% not being commercially viable, up in the lake & peak district especially.

[Torand]

I dont have 'superfast' internet yet. Only 4Mb/s to go... 

 

Ouch.

 

[Torand]

I'm with Virgin Media in Solihull and they're always throwing out free upgrades.  I started off with their 50Mb/s internet and have been slowly upgraded to a soon to be 156Mb/s download package.  Hopefully within the coming years more ISP's will be moving to FTTH rather than just FTTC and more houses fill be able to get a fibre connection rather than ADSL.

 

I think that's the next path, but there first step is still to get the projected percentages to FTTC first. At least they have plans for it. Can't wait!

[werto165]

Ouch.

 

First world problems fml. ;(

[Armorhype]

I live in a built up area in the U.K. and still can't get fiber optic; lol.

[sof006]

I live in a built up area in the U.K. and still can't get fiber optic; lol.

Heh I have Sky Fibre Pro and I get 80Mb down and 20Mb up

 

[Torand]

I live in a built up area in the U.K. and still can't get fiber optic; lol.

 

Soon.

 

check here: http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/

 

should tell you about your area.

[MzCatieB]

i got 50mbs last night was only for a min but i managed to DL like 2gb's

[Armorhype]

Heh I have Sky Fibre Pro and I get 80Mb down and 20Mb up

 

 

 

I can get Virgin but their traffic management system is horrible; sky quoted me at the end if 2012 but still delayed lol

[Sidiox]

I have 500kb/s and that won't change for a long long time......................

[MzCatieB]

I can get Virgin but their traffic management system is horrible; sky quoted me at the end if 2012 but still delayed lol

atleast with virgin you dont get £15 on top of the price for line rental

[Kuzma]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I'm siting here with 3Mbps down and .3Mbps up and I live in Kent...

[Gunjob]

Since we're all comparing speeds, Currently living in Morecambe (a seaside crack den) And over the past 2-3 years Open reach has been rolling out FTTC which was first limited to BT and Smallworld customers (Smallworld helped to roll out the fibre and got in on early access). But once most of the network was updated BT opened the network to all. Now with BT the current speeds offered in my area are up to 76Mbps, from BSkyB I get 45Mbps down and 10Mbps up and a 20ms ping to UK servers. This was night and day compared to ADSL with speeds of 14Mbps/1Mbps and a 38ms ping.

 

Now to my knowledge the Sky doesn't have higher speeds is due to the network being balanced rather than capping at peak times like BT has done with me in the past they actually load balance the network so everyone can hammer it and experience no loss in speed/quality. 

[kristaps552]

I live in London and I can't get fibre i've got 7 down, and 0.8 up.
Even at my old house I couldn't get fibre, even though my friend, literally 4 minutes down the road from me, on another street could.

[Torand]

Hopefully soon guys. We can all dream.

 

[PeskyEscky]

Two words to make our blood boil; Google Fiber

[xXxYOLOxSWAGxXx_420BlazeIt]

Two words to make our blood boil; Google Fiber

My privacy is more important to me than my internet speed. I dont understand why you would use a company that makes billions of dollars per year from collection information on people as your ISP.

 

There are other ISPs that will do 1gbps and have done it longer than Google. Google have not done anything new other than market it to different people.

[BalloonZaptor]

I love the way that Alot of States in America are bigger than the Whole of the UK but we still don't have Widely available Fibre like Google Fibre