Broadband speed reduced
Discussion
Does anyone know why the speeds here may have been reduced? When I took out the contract we're on we had offers of around 27mb, which I took. Having looked just now, we're being offered 20mb by all the providers.
I've checked to see if FTTP is available, but being a bit out of town it isn't.
Am I now stuck with the provider I have, or face a reduction in an already pretty lame speed? Or is there something I've missed?
I've checked to see if FTTP is available, but being a bit out of town it isn't.
Am I now stuck with the provider I have, or face a reduction in an already pretty lame speed? Or is there something I've missed?
Many of the internet providers have a set maximum amount of bandwidth to an area, so as more people come on line with them the more it is split. Eventually you get to saturation point. It might be a case that when you previously looked there were a lot less people using the local cabinet, where as now there may be more than was originally anticipated.
This is just one possibility though - cable companies were infamous for this.
This is just one possibility though - cable companies were infamous for this.
Contention is one issue but also the copper line infrastructure is not going through much maintenance as they roll out fibre so they are slowly reducing the expecations around it and spending less engineer time fixing/improving the network as it is wasted time to them.
The lower the handback values the less requests openreach get per year to investigate line issues for the sake of a couple of Mb.
The lower the handback values the less requests openreach get per year to investigate line issues for the sake of a couple of Mb.
You can use the bt wholesale check to see what speeds they expect your line to provide & you can see if your below the “ downstream handback threshold “
https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADS...
Did you ever actually achieve the 27Mbs offered?
When did you notice a slowdown?
It could well be that they now have data showing your actual line speed & quoting under it to over perform.
https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADS...
Did you ever actually achieve the 27Mbs offered?
When did you notice a slowdown?
It could well be that they now have data showing your actual line speed & quoting under it to over perform.
Edited by Captain_Morgan on Wednesday 27th July 10:45
I'm with Captain_Morgan
Use that website. A little below the handback threshold is the minimum they'll guarantee (because you can complain and ask to get out of the contract if it falls below that) and the speed these days they are obliged to display to you rather than historically mis-leading "Up to xx Mbps"
You'll also see in the results a "High" figure - I'd guess that's going to be at or a little above the 27Mbps you say you have right now. You'll probably achieve the same with your new provider as I think the package you're likely to subscribe to will be rated up to something like 36Mbps if your line supported it.
By way of example - my package was advertised as 62-73Mbps with a guarantee of 55Mbps. My handback threshold from that website is 63.1Mbps when I just checked. The maximum observed speed openreach show is 80Mbps and in the house I get 75Mbps all day long for years now.
So in summary - despite the wording changes you'll probably see the same with any ISP.
Use that website. A little below the handback threshold is the minimum they'll guarantee (because you can complain and ask to get out of the contract if it falls below that) and the speed these days they are obliged to display to you rather than historically mis-leading "Up to xx Mbps"
You'll also see in the results a "High" figure - I'd guess that's going to be at or a little above the 27Mbps you say you have right now. You'll probably achieve the same with your new provider as I think the package you're likely to subscribe to will be rated up to something like 36Mbps if your line supported it.
By way of example - my package was advertised as 62-73Mbps with a guarantee of 55Mbps. My handback threshold from that website is 63.1Mbps when I just checked. The maximum observed speed openreach show is 80Mbps and in the house I get 75Mbps all day long for years now.
So in summary - despite the wording changes you'll probably see the same with any ISP.
Thanks for all the replies.
Speed wise, at the moment it's hitting 22mb, but that's not terrible for this time of day here. Originally I was with BT and had 30mb. When I moved to Now the best they offered was 27mb, which it does go to at quieter times I've just been looking and no one is offering more than 20mb, which is why I started wondering.
I did notice that the nearest road to us had new cables pulled through to the poles not too long ago, but they don't appear to have run them up our lane to the houses here.
I did think that maybe the speed reduction was to force people to full fibre, or whatever they call it nowadays. I'd happily take that if they let me!
Is there a way to find out if they intend on running new cables here? I've tried Openreach website, but they just let you register interest and I've never heard anything back from them...
Speed wise, at the moment it's hitting 22mb, but that's not terrible for this time of day here. Originally I was with BT and had 30mb. When I moved to Now the best they offered was 27mb, which it does go to at quieter times I've just been looking and no one is offering more than 20mb, which is why I started wondering.
I did notice that the nearest road to us had new cables pulled through to the poles not too long ago, but they don't appear to have run them up our lane to the houses here.
I did think that maybe the speed reduction was to force people to full fibre, or whatever they call it nowadays. I'd happily take that if they let me!
Is there a way to find out if they intend on running new cables here? I've tried Openreach website, but they just let you register interest and I've never heard anything back from them...
When I first got FTTC it was about 70meg. Over time it slowed down to about 55. Then I changed ISP and it was no better. They has said my minimum would be 60 or so.
Anyway, I contacted my ISP and they raised a fault with Open Reach. OR came out, changed me filtered faceplate (made no difference) the said they would wire to a different circuit at the green box (a "lift and shift" it's called). Only they didn't, matey buggered off (I know he didn't do anything because my line never dropped). Then OR said they did not find any fault, so it's down to me to pay them £200 call our or whatever it is.
My ISP told them to try again. A few days later, another OR bloke turns up and this time he does perform a lift and shift. Then I got about 65, which they said was acceptable.
Then a few months later, fibre starts getting pulled along my street. And my FTTC started playing up. Up and down like an uppy-downy thing, and speeds dropped to about 50 again.
My ISP got OR out again. OR chap said what happens is when they pull the fibres they often disrupt the various copper connections along the route. So what he did was rewire my copper line with spare cores, so in effect I had a brand new bit of copper wire from the green box to almost my house. And when he had done that, up to 70meg !
So the thing is, when they start putting the main fibres in, they can damage the existing copper wires and your speed may drop.
Also, when they first started FTTC, BT et al where overstating speeds, so now they err on the low side, which is why, if you change ISP, you'll likely get a lower specified minimum speed.
Anyway, it seems to take about 12 months from them installing the main fibres before they start taking orders to actually connect you up. I'm now on FFTP (full fibre) and I'm on the 900meg speed but I can get 1.1GB reported with speed tests.
Finally, I'd registered my interest for Full Fibre with BT, Vodaphone, and my ISP and I was never informed when it was available - I only found out by checking one day and finding I could order it. Interesting, a recent issue of PCPro magazine had an article about said subject, and the author said he'd registered his interest in Full Fibre and he never received any communication that it was available either.
Anyway, I contacted my ISP and they raised a fault with Open Reach. OR came out, changed me filtered faceplate (made no difference) the said they would wire to a different circuit at the green box (a "lift and shift" it's called). Only they didn't, matey buggered off (I know he didn't do anything because my line never dropped). Then OR said they did not find any fault, so it's down to me to pay them £200 call our or whatever it is.
My ISP told them to try again. A few days later, another OR bloke turns up and this time he does perform a lift and shift. Then I got about 65, which they said was acceptable.
Then a few months later, fibre starts getting pulled along my street. And my FTTC started playing up. Up and down like an uppy-downy thing, and speeds dropped to about 50 again.
My ISP got OR out again. OR chap said what happens is when they pull the fibres they often disrupt the various copper connections along the route. So what he did was rewire my copper line with spare cores, so in effect I had a brand new bit of copper wire from the green box to almost my house. And when he had done that, up to 70meg !
So the thing is, when they start putting the main fibres in, they can damage the existing copper wires and your speed may drop.
Also, when they first started FTTC, BT et al where overstating speeds, so now they err on the low side, which is why, if you change ISP, you'll likely get a lower specified minimum speed.
Anyway, it seems to take about 12 months from them installing the main fibres before they start taking orders to actually connect you up. I'm now on FFTP (full fibre) and I'm on the 900meg speed but I can get 1.1GB reported with speed tests.
Finally, I'd registered my interest for Full Fibre with BT, Vodaphone, and my ISP and I was never informed when it was available - I only found out by checking one day and finding I could order it. Interesting, a recent issue of PCPro magazine had an article about said subject, and the author said he'd registered his interest in Full Fibre and he never received any communication that it was available either.
That's interesting. So the pulling of new cables might be the issue with the now lower offered speeds. Makes sense.
I think the contract guarantees 17mb, so they've not got to that yet. I know when I had issues before I used the minimum speed bit to force a repair, but that's not going to happen at the moment.
Maybe there's some mileage in the 'townies getting fibre upgrade hurting the rural community' approach
I think the contract guarantees 17mb, so they've not got to that yet. I know when I had issues before I used the minimum speed bit to force a repair, but that's not going to happen at the moment.
Maybe there's some mileage in the 'townies getting fibre upgrade hurting the rural community' approach
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