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I wake up each morning with the dread of turning on the TV or reading the newspaper. I worry about listening to the radio or looking at posters on bus stops. Hell, I even have problems with using the internet at work these days. “Why my irrational fear of media?” you may well ask, well it’s all to do with one company’s advertising and a virtual bombardment of their product every day.
That’s right, I’m talking about British Telecom and their seeming insistence that I get their broadband product. So sure are they (and other parties who seem to be joining the throng of broadband providers) that I should have their product that they tell me hundreds of times on the TV how fast, how big and just how important Broadband is. They tease me with large colour pictures in my favourite magazines, they force DJs to talk about their ‘wonderful’ speedy internet package, as if I couldn’t live without it and they brighten the bus stops with posters which you couldn’t miss even if you were driving with your eyes closed.
So convinced are they of their product that they are training staff of magazines to secretly slide CDs for Broadband in the very magazines I buy. They wave their pop-up adds on my own humble internet connection, making me click before the pressure becomes too much to bear.
It may be that I’m over-reacting. Perhaps they have a point and everyone should experience their wonderful gift to the world. It may well, as they seem to think, solve all of life’s many problems and cause world peace. But still, I have my niggling doubts over the sincerity of the people behind the campaign, as if Broadband were the new free energy or perpetual motion machine.
So, why does it all irritate me so? Well, one thing grates above all others over this mass hysteria of broadband whitewash, and that is, put simply, that I just can’t get the bloody thing!
So, while the world turns another inch and another flutter of leaflets land on my door, I still find myself bemused, perplexed and distraught over the state of this thing they call Broadband. I think to myself, if this thing is so great, if so many people should experience Broadband, if this is THE product to have from this company,. Why (oh why) do they only provide the service to just over 60% of homes in Britain? It just doesn’t make any sense at all and the reasons are as perplexing as that figure.
While BT will happily tell anyone who has found themselves in the same position as me that their service only has the possibility of being used in an area where the exchange is ready for ADSL, they will also humbly admit that this only applies if you live within around 5km from the exchange. Now, think how big most towns are, even rural towns. Now think about the logic and sanity of a service for residential customers that only supplies the product to 50% of the residents! Not only this, but a great many people will tell you that the US have a very nice broadband system running, even though a small percentage of people actually take this up.
Now, houses in most suburbs outside of major cites are spaced fairly well apart, part of the advantage of living in a big country. A lot of the big suburbs like this have broadband connections, even though about 70% of homes in some of these places are further than 5km from their local Broadband system. They still get broadband though while here in the UK, in a country so much smaller and closer together, we have a problem getting, well, anything at all.
It’s not that I can vent my anger at these people, they tend to hide behind harassed call centre people and customer services that can barely answer your questions, let alone having any actual technical knowledge. BT seem intent on being the snail here, other companies having to wait until the technology is there before they can do anything. All BT seem to do is chew on their current Broadband leaf, staying cosy and tight in their shell until it’s finished and they have to find a new one. So I sit here and watch the flyers fly past and the media kick up a storm about the wonders of this piece of technology experienced by the many who are fortunate to be closer to BT than their own family. It did occur to me to write to them and tell them my bills would be unable to get to them due to my bank being too far from their head office, but it would just be a futile attempt at getting their attention. In the meantime, I will have to put up with it and wait for the snail to finish chewing its leaf and come out of it’s shell.
That’s right, I’m talking about British Telecom and their seeming insistence that I get their broadband product. So sure are they (and other parties who seem to be joining the throng of broadband providers) that I should have their product that they tell me hundreds of times on the TV how fast, how big and just how important Broadband is. They tease me with large colour pictures in my favourite magazines, they force DJs to talk about their ‘wonderful’ speedy internet package, as if I couldn’t live without it and they brighten the bus stops with posters which you couldn’t miss even if you were driving with your eyes closed.
So convinced are they of their product that they are training staff of magazines to secretly slide CDs for Broadband in the very magazines I buy. They wave their pop-up adds on my own humble internet connection, making me click before the pressure becomes too much to bear.
It may be that I’m over-reacting. Perhaps they have a point and everyone should experience their wonderful gift to the world. It may well, as they seem to think, solve all of life’s many problems and cause world peace. But still, I have my niggling doubts over the sincerity of the people behind the campaign, as if Broadband were the new free energy or perpetual motion machine.
So, why does it all irritate me so? Well, one thing grates above all others over this mass hysteria of broadband whitewash, and that is, put simply, that I just can’t get the bloody thing!
So, while the world turns another inch and another flutter of leaflets land on my door, I still find myself bemused, perplexed and distraught over the state of this thing they call Broadband. I think to myself, if this thing is so great, if so many people should experience Broadband, if this is THE product to have from this company,. Why (oh why) do they only provide the service to just over 60% of homes in Britain? It just doesn’t make any sense at all and the reasons are as perplexing as that figure.
While BT will happily tell anyone who has found themselves in the same position as me that their service only has the possibility of being used in an area where the exchange is ready for ADSL, they will also humbly admit that this only applies if you live within around 5km from the exchange. Now, think how big most towns are, even rural towns. Now think about the logic and sanity of a service for residential customers that only supplies the product to 50% of the residents! Not only this, but a great many people will tell you that the US have a very nice broadband system running, even though a small percentage of people actually take this up.
Now, houses in most suburbs outside of major cites are spaced fairly well apart, part of the advantage of living in a big country. A lot of the big suburbs like this have broadband connections, even though about 70% of homes in some of these places are further than 5km from their local Broadband system. They still get broadband though while here in the UK, in a country so much smaller and closer together, we have a problem getting, well, anything at all.
It’s not that I can vent my anger at these people, they tend to hide behind harassed call centre people and customer services that can barely answer your questions, let alone having any actual technical knowledge. BT seem intent on being the snail here, other companies having to wait until the technology is there before they can do anything. All BT seem to do is chew on their current Broadband leaf, staying cosy and tight in their shell until it’s finished and they have to find a new one. So I sit here and watch the flyers fly past and the media kick up a storm about the wonders of this piece of technology experienced by the many who are fortunate to be closer to BT than their own family. It did occur to me to write to them and tell them my bills would be unable to get to them due to my bank being too far from their head office, but it would just be a futile attempt at getting their attention. In the meantime, I will have to put up with it and wait for the snail to finish chewing its leaf and come out of it’s shell.
The 5k thing, that's hardly BT's fault, it's the way that DSL technology works.
As it runs over regular copper telephne wire, it's distant dependant. If you lived right on top of the exchange, you'd get a fantastic speed, but the further you live away, the more it is reduced.
This is because the frequency is best transmitted at the lower end of the scale. So the high end frequency transmissions get lost as it travels further.
You could still have DSL installed living miles away from the exchange, but chances are that you'd get a speed akin to that of dial0up, especially when contension on the IP network could also be an issue.
Maybe at 3am you's get a speed 64k, but I wouldn't make any promises.
Still, it sucks.
I'm going to start working for a DSL group at work soon, a support and service improvement group, so maybe I can make things better for you all. ;o)
As it runs over regular copper telephne wire, it's distant dependant. If you lived right on top of the exchange, you'd get a fantastic speed, but the further you live away, the more it is reduced.
This is because the frequency is best transmitted at the lower end of the scale. So the high end frequency transmissions get lost as it travels further.
You could still have DSL installed living miles away from the exchange, but chances are that you'd get a speed akin to that of dial0up, especially when contension on the IP network could also be an issue.
Maybe at 3am you's get a speed 64k, but I wouldn't make any promises.
Still, it sucks.
I'm going to start working for a DSL group at work soon, a support and service improvement group, so maybe I can make things better for you all. ;o)
The trigger level is based on the quality of your exchange rather than the size of the town (a town of a 5,000 population of which 1,000 are customers is exactly as profitable as a town with 1,000,000 people and 1,000 customers). The equipment in each exchange is differnt, you may have an old exchange that can handle calls okay, but requires major modernization for an ADSL upgrade - therefore high trigger level. However, you may be lucky and live within the scope of a new (or reciently updated) exchange that needs far less work to upgrade - therefore low trigger level.
Towns without trigger levels at this point can therefore fall into two categories; either the town is so small (or houses so widely spread) that evcaluating an upgrade cost isn't even worthwhile, or the exchange is so outdated the trigger level would need to be rediclously high to make spending the cash worthwhile.
All BT do after evaluating the unique cost of upgrading your exchange is calculate how many customers are needed to make the upgrade profitable within 3 years (compared to 5 years for any other project they consider, which would allow lower trigger levels...).
Towns without trigger levels at this point can therefore fall into two categories; either the town is so small (or houses so widely spread) that evcaluating an upgrade cost isn't even worthwhile, or the exchange is so outdated the trigger level would need to be rediclously high to make spending the cash worthwhile.
All BT do after evaluating the unique cost of upgrading your exchange is calculate how many customers are needed to make the upgrade profitable within 3 years (compared to 5 years for any other project they consider, which would allow lower trigger levels...).
Dr Gonzo wrote:
> I live in a town surrounded by upgraded exchanges, but despite the
> fact nearly 70 people have registered interest we don't even have a
> trigger level for ours.
Depends on how big the town is, you may need anywhere between 250-400 people to get and set off the trigger.
> I live in a town surrounded by upgraded exchanges, but despite the
> fact nearly 70 people have registered interest we don't even have a
> trigger level for ours.
Depends on how big the town is, you may need anywhere between 250-400 people to get and set off the trigger.
BT isn't a monopoly though. If they were the broadband roll out would arguably be more advanced as it would be easier to force such issues on them. After the government sold them off with the idea that a profit making organisation would provide a more competitive service they can hardly go back and force them to make loss making moves. Basically a monopoly would have to view the network as a whole, BT as a company out to make a profit for shareholders is allowed to cherry pick the money making exchanges.
As it is there are literally hundereds of telecoms operators, though only a few have the infrastructure. Even then, BT have said they'll let any company into exchanges for local loop unbundling (therefore providing ADSL access), but there was practically no interest from profit making organisations. The only people to benefit from the scheme are the one or two towns where a VERY generous company/individual has paid for the upgrade (estimated costs are at least £100k, going up to £500k depending on the age/quality of the equipment in the individual exchange - no one really knows exactly though as BT refuse to give information on this).
I live in a town surrounded by upgraded exchanges, but despite the fact nearly 70 people have registered interest we don't even have a trigger level for ours.
As it is there are literally hundereds of telecoms operators, though only a few have the infrastructure. Even then, BT have said they'll let any company into exchanges for local loop unbundling (therefore providing ADSL access), but there was practically no interest from profit making organisations. The only people to benefit from the scheme are the one or two towns where a VERY generous company/individual has paid for the upgrade (estimated costs are at least £100k, going up to £500k depending on the age/quality of the equipment in the individual exchange - no one really knows exactly though as BT refuse to give information on this).
I live in a town surrounded by upgraded exchanges, but despite the fact nearly 70 people have registered interest we don't even have a trigger level for ours.
Very witty topic name Pb. I live in a small village, so far we have 29 people who have registered interest in getting our exchange ADSL enabled. Unfortunatly however BT still doesnt thing this is enough to warrant upgrading the exchange. I doubt we will ever get upgraded, as such i also find the BT ads no more than a cruel reminder of why monopolies are such a bad thing.
Just posted something slagging BT too. Actually started off to write about something else, but BT's uselessness had to be considered - in that "2nd Class Citizen" thread.
No point in repeating what I've just written again here, but yeah, BT are scum.
No point in repeating what I've just written again here, but yeah, BT are scum.
Mystique wrote:
> *Kisses her shiny new cable modem*
>
>
> RRRRrrrrrrrrr Star Trek Nemesis will be mine in..22min 30seconds
Damn you and your speedy fibre-optic devices.
> *Kisses her shiny new cable modem*
>
>
> RRRRrrrrrrrrr Star Trek Nemesis will be mine in..22min 30seconds
Damn you and your speedy fibre-optic devices.
*Kisses her shiny new cable modem*
RRRRrrrrrrrrr Star Trek Nemesis will be mine in..22min 30seconds
RRRRrrrrrrrrr Star Trek Nemesis will be mine in..22min 30seconds
I wake up each morning with the dread of turning on the TV or reading the newspaper. I worry about listening to the radio or looking at posters on bus stops. Hell, I even have problems with using the internet at work these days. “Why my irrational fear of media?” you may well ask, well it’s all to do with one company’s advertising and a virtual bombardment of their product every day.
That’s right, I’m talking about British Telecom and their seeming insistence that I get their broadband product. So sure are they (and other parties who seem to be joining the throng of broadband providers) that I should have their product that they tell me hundreds of times on the TV how fast, how big and just how important Broadband is. They tease me with large colour pictures in my favourite magazines, they force DJs to talk about their ‘wonderful’ speedy internet package, as if I couldn’t live without it and they brighten the bus stops with posters which you couldn’t miss even if you were driving with your eyes closed.
So convinced are they of their product that they are training staff of magazines to secretly slide CDs for Broadband in the very magazines I buy. They wave their pop-up adds on my own humble internet connection, making me click before the pressure becomes too much to bear.
It may be that I’m over-reacting. Perhaps they have a point and everyone should experience their wonderful gift to the world. It may well, as they seem to think, solve all of life’s many problems and cause world peace. But still, I have my niggling doubts over the sincerity of the people behind the campaign, as if Broadband were the new free energy or perpetual motion machine.
So, why does it all irritate me so? Well, one thing grates above all others over this mass hysteria of broadband whitewash, and that is, put simply, that I just can’t get the bloody thing!
So, while the world turns another inch and another flutter of leaflets land on my door, I still find myself bemused, perplexed and distraught over the state of this thing they call Broadband. I think to myself, if this thing is so great, if so many people should experience Broadband, if this is THE product to have from this company,. Why (oh why) do they only provide the service to just over 60% of homes in Britain? It just doesn’t make any sense at all and the reasons are as perplexing as that figure.
While BT will happily tell anyone who has found themselves in the same position as me that their service only has the possibility of being used in an area where the exchange is ready for ADSL, they will also humbly admit that this only applies if you live within around 5km from the exchange. Now, think how big most towns are, even rural towns. Now think about the logic and sanity of a service for residential customers that only supplies the product to 50% of the residents! Not only this, but a great many people will tell you that the US have a very nice broadband system running, even though a small percentage of people actually take this up.
Now, houses in most suburbs outside of major cites are spaced fairly well apart, part of the advantage of living in a big country. A lot of the big suburbs like this have broadband connections, even though about 70% of homes in some of these places are further than 5km from their local Broadband system. They still get broadband though while here in the UK, in a country so much smaller and closer together, we have a problem getting, well, anything at all.
It’s not that I can vent my anger at these people, they tend to hide behind harassed call centre people and customer services that can barely answer your questions, let alone having any actual technical knowledge. BT seem intent on being the snail here, other companies having to wait until the technology is there before they can do anything. All BT seem to do is chew on their current Broadband leaf, staying cosy and tight in their shell until it’s finished and they have to find a new one. So I sit here and watch the flyers fly past and the media kick up a storm about the wonders of this piece of technology experienced by the many who are fortunate to be closer to BT than their own family. It did occur to me to write to them and tell them my bills would be unable to get to them due to my bank being too far from their head office, but it would just be a futile attempt at getting their attention. In the meantime, I will have to put up with it and wait for the snail to finish chewing its leaf and come out of it’s shell.
That’s right, I’m talking about British Telecom and their seeming insistence that I get their broadband product. So sure are they (and other parties who seem to be joining the throng of broadband providers) that I should have their product that they tell me hundreds of times on the TV how fast, how big and just how important Broadband is. They tease me with large colour pictures in my favourite magazines, they force DJs to talk about their ‘wonderful’ speedy internet package, as if I couldn’t live without it and they brighten the bus stops with posters which you couldn’t miss even if you were driving with your eyes closed.
So convinced are they of their product that they are training staff of magazines to secretly slide CDs for Broadband in the very magazines I buy. They wave their pop-up adds on my own humble internet connection, making me click before the pressure becomes too much to bear.
It may be that I’m over-reacting. Perhaps they have a point and everyone should experience their wonderful gift to the world. It may well, as they seem to think, solve all of life’s many problems and cause world peace. But still, I have my niggling doubts over the sincerity of the people behind the campaign, as if Broadband were the new free energy or perpetual motion machine.
So, why does it all irritate me so? Well, one thing grates above all others over this mass hysteria of broadband whitewash, and that is, put simply, that I just can’t get the bloody thing!
So, while the world turns another inch and another flutter of leaflets land on my door, I still find myself bemused, perplexed and distraught over the state of this thing they call Broadband. I think to myself, if this thing is so great, if so many people should experience Broadband, if this is THE product to have from this company,. Why (oh why) do they only provide the service to just over 60% of homes in Britain? It just doesn’t make any sense at all and the reasons are as perplexing as that figure.
While BT will happily tell anyone who has found themselves in the same position as me that their service only has the possibility of being used in an area where the exchange is ready for ADSL, they will also humbly admit that this only applies if you live within around 5km from the exchange. Now, think how big most towns are, even rural towns. Now think about the logic and sanity of a service for residential customers that only supplies the product to 50% of the residents! Not only this, but a great many people will tell you that the US have a very nice broadband system running, even though a small percentage of people actually take this up.
Now, houses in most suburbs outside of major cites are spaced fairly well apart, part of the advantage of living in a big country. A lot of the big suburbs like this have broadband connections, even though about 70% of homes in some of these places are further than 5km from their local Broadband system. They still get broadband though while here in the UK, in a country so much smaller and closer together, we have a problem getting, well, anything at all.
It’s not that I can vent my anger at these people, they tend to hide behind harassed call centre people and customer services that can barely answer your questions, let alone having any actual technical knowledge. BT seem intent on being the snail here, other companies having to wait until the technology is there before they can do anything. All BT seem to do is chew on their current Broadband leaf, staying cosy and tight in their shell until it’s finished and they have to find a new one. So I sit here and watch the flyers fly past and the media kick up a storm about the wonders of this piece of technology experienced by the many who are fortunate to be closer to BT than their own family. It did occur to me to write to them and tell them my bills would be unable to get to them due to my bank being too far from their head office, but it would just be a futile attempt at getting their attention. In the meantime, I will have to put up with it and wait for the snail to finish chewing its leaf and come out of it’s shell.