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Broadband availability


marlin13
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Does anyone else know of areas in Shetland where people cannot get broadband, not because of range or location issues but because BT do not have capacity in their exchanges. This is currently happening on my exchange in Gutcher where at least three families that I know of ( and there are probably more) can't get broadband because there are no more connections available.

 

BT were given wads of cash to upgrade exchanges by the scottish exec and its a bit rich now saying to customers that they can't have any sort of broadband until they roll out 21st century networks god knows when( at least 2 years away) Broadband should be classed as essential as a phone and if they wouldn't provide phone lines I'm sure there would be a real stink.

 

If anyone with any control over this situation reads this post would they PLEASE get it sorted.

 

If anyone else knows of similar situations please post here. I do believe that Vidlin had some success after a similar situation occured there, again comments welcome

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21CN is due to be rolled out Q4 2012 in Lerwick, so god knows when its getting sorted for other parts of Shetland.

 

BT are just, a complete joke. I moved into my new flat on Nov 1st and asked for my line to be reconnected. Nov 18th (the completion date) went by and its still not connected. I rang up today, they said there was a "complication" with BT openreach and they were unable to re-lease the line, but will try again. So yeah, now its Dec 5th... Which is great.

 

I really need internet access for most things and I get god awful TV reception through freeview *sigh*.

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I barely get anything outside of the BBC channels. Everything else is either too blocky or getting too many bit errors to even watch.

 

And I can't get Sky till I have a BT phone line... :cry:

 

Depends where you are in Lerwick. I get freeview with an indoor aerial but if you can see the mast on Bressay the picture should be good if you have the right type of aerial. Have you got any way to try out reception of the 4 terrestrial channels?.

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Does anyone else know of areas in Shetland where people cannot get broadband, not because of range or location issues but because BT do not have capacity in their exchanges. This is currently happening on my exchange in Gutcher where at least three families that I know of ( and there are probably more) can't get broadband because there are no more connections available.

 

BT are not the only provider of broadband in Exchange Activate exchanges. There used to be a list of which ISPs you could get a connection from on the BT website but I think it might not be available anymore. I'll check and get back to you. I would suggest that anybody not able to bet a BT account try Scotnet to see if they have any available ports in the exchange.

 

Failing that, You could contact me and I'll see if we (SIC) can persuade BT to put in another bank of ports in the exchange. My e-mail address is marvin.smith@shetland.gov.uk. Please note this is not an SIC issue but we will try to assist.

 

If anyone else knows of similar situations please post here. I do believe that Vidlin had some success after a similar situation occured there, again comments welcome

 

I would also be interested to hear from anyone who has been refused broadband because of limitations relating to exchages. Vidlin and Northmavine communities have have done well in getting BT to improve services.

 

21CN is due to be rolled out Q4 2012 in Lerwick, so god knows when its getting sorted for other parts of Shetland.

 

At the moment there is no date for roll out of 21-CN in Shetland. I would guess 2012 is optomistic but not impossible.

 

Marvin Smith

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^ ^ ^

 

I understand that ALL exchanges in Shetland are controlled by BT (Wholesale) and that there is no Local Loop Unbundling. So. Any ISP can apply for capacity from BT but that does not give them the right to install their own equipment. It is only a paper transaction.

 

Yes, there is no LLU in Shetland.

 

When the Scottish Govt funded BT to upgrade the exchanges then there was provision made for other ISPs to be able to provide broadband on the EA exchanges.

 

In an EA exchange there are banks of slots. One slot is required per customer. BT take most of the slots in each exchange but they have to give slots to other ISPs. If BT have used all their slots and the other ISPs have available slots, BT can't take or use the other slots.... So although BT might not be able to connect a new customer, one of the other ISPs might.

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Is there anyway, other than contacting the other ISP's one by one , to find out if there are available slots in an EA exchange?

Personally I found Scotnets T&C's verging on the ridiculous as regards cancelling your connection even after the first year and I wouldn't advise my worst enemy to go with AOL.

 

PS Thanks for your offer of assistance Marvin, I'll be in touch via email

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