Broadband & TV

[Legends-Lounge]

My BT BB has expired and I am FREE to be ripped off by some other cunts. I no longer have SKY though my TV comes through their box and has limited access ability. We have a number of communication devices on contract with Vodafone, though this iPad has been cancelled now it is paid up as I can hotspot my iPhone from it. Back to BB, who to choose? I live in west Swindon if that helps on a connectivity level?

[Batch]

The one with a cheap 12 month contract and best quidco/tcb. that's my approach.

[Pete]

Can someone advise me about line rental ?

For example, if I don't have a home phone landline, but do have broadband do I need to pay for line rental ? Or is the line rental only for a landline ?? Or for both ??

Cheers

I looked into this and the only companies I could find that do broadband only without landline are Virgin cable and Relish 4G. Both were much more expensive than most ADSL broadband providers. I've been ok with talktalk for quite some time and renewed with them. As others have said it depends on your exchange.

[4D]

*Stupid question alert *

I know it's not like me to ask a daft question, I have a BT broadband cable but am looking elsewhere, can all providers use that line? I thought I read somewhere that some providers use the old cable line?

[Sippo]

Apart from virgin I believe.

The line will be more than likely provided by BT Openreach, which is a different company to BT Broadband. It's all down to the exchange at the limits placed by the ISP.

[suttonred]

Virgin still use bt ducting pretty much everywhere, they will do the last 100 yards or so for residential from wherever the exchange box is, but even then its still bt stuff more often than not. Doesnt really matter tbh, as I've said before connectivity is more down to luck/location than anything else presently. Virgin have rolled out their own dark fibre ring around London, but it will be decades most likely before they have full coverage.

[Batch]

it depends what service you can get 4D.

For fiber to the premises (fttp) you will need a new fiber optic cable. not many people can get that yet.

for Virgin you need to check you are in their service area, if so they will run you a new cable.

for pretty much everything else you are using your old line (local loop unbundling was as said, the local ' last mile' copper line is not tied to one provider with rare exception).

if you are going fiber, there are three main things that will affect you. 1. the physical quality of the line, 2. the distance from the cabinet (not the exchange). 3. congestion/contention at cabinet out at the exchange. some companies have there own exchange equipment, some don't. therefore when moving speed results can be improved or worsened - whenever I've moved it's been near identical....

normal ADSL, distance to the exchange is significant

[suttonred]

Ironically I'm on Adsl, as virgin quoted me 15k for the dig, as everyone else is on fibre around here, i have little, if no contention ratio to deal with, and have very fast speeds

[Samdy Gray]

I've got Virgin cable broadband. They keep shafting me with price increases, but there's no way I'm going back to the shitty ADSL I had before.

[4D]

it depends what service you can get 4D.

For fiber to the premises (fttp) you will need a new fiber optic cable. not many people can get that yet.

for Virgin you need to check you are in their service area, if so they will run you a new cable.

for pretty much everything else you are using your old line (local loop unbundling was as said, the local ' last mile' copper line is not tied to one provider with rare exception).

if you are going fiber, there are three main things that will affect you. 1. the physical quality of the line, 2. the distance from the cabinet (not the exchange). 3. congestion/contention at cabinet out at the exchange. some companies have there own exchange equipment, some don't. therefore when moving speed results can be improved or worsened - whenever I've moved it's been near identical....

normal ADSL, distance to the exchange is significant

BT put my line in about 18 months ago, not sure what it is tbh. Just a cable to me 

[Batch]

Should be nice and new then

They normally just repatch/reroute in the cabinet when you switch. Broadband/phone is usally down for a few hours and then onto your new provider. Maybe less.

[Audrey]

I succumbed and ditched Virgin for Sky. Installation last Thursday, since when I have had no broadband service. Sky blames the BT exchange, BT said there was no problem. Now I have to wait for a Broadband Specialist to try and sort it

Is there any mileage in claiming a refund on my non existent broadband rental

[Batch]

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2017/automatic-compensation

£5 or £8 a day... maybe..

If you are asking can you cancel..no idea

[Nemo]

Anyone know if there's anything I can do to improve my upload speed? Getting reasonable (not good) download speeds of 4-10mbps depending on the time of day, but my upload speed never passes 0.2 and I get significant delays while video calling as a result. Can't get fibre here (they'll never get permission to dig up central London and install it) unfortunately.

[Audrey]

I decided to go the mobile route. Got an unlimited speed/data package with Vodafone. Stuck the sim into a 4G router and I get 30-40 mbps down and 20 up.

Should be hugely cheaper in the UK than here as well.