[Gllug] LLU / ADSL

[Jason Clifford]

On Thu, 2007-09-20 at 12:19 +0100, Minty wrote:
> Is it true that even if your telephone exchange is LLU, you still need
> a BT line (and monthly line rental) to get ADSL from a non BT LLU
> supplier?

That depends upon the supplier and to what extent they have unbundled at
the exchange.

You certainly need BT copper from your property to the exchange however
that is operated by BT Openreach who offer it to BT Retail and LLU
operators equally (in theory).

LLU operators (and others) are free to provide BT lines under their own
banner - we do this. If the provider is LLU based they can terminate the
line into their own equipment and network from the exchange onwards.
This effectively locks you onto their network as to escape you have to
pay for a completely new BT line (your old one having been removed when
switched to the LLU provider).

> I'm wondering if the line rental is thus effectively the charge for
> the copper from the exchange to the house.

Yes, that's what line rental is for regardless of who you are with.

> Using an LLU supplier
> means they deal with the network from the exchange to the rest of the
> world, but they don't want to deal with the "last mile", thus I must
> rent that from BT regardless.  True?

More that investing in the last mile is incredibly expensive and in many
cases they simply would not get permission to do so - either from local
authorities or their investors. Don't forget that NTL effectively went
bankrupt (filed for protection in the US under C11) before they ceased
rolling out more infrastructure.


> Moving to a house currently without a BT line, so say BT.  Plenty of
> neighbours with BT lines, so I conclude previous cable installation
> snipped the BT line away.

Perhaps the line was previously with a full LLU provider.

> Struggling to get BT to arrange a visit to connect the wires.  Hours
> on hold to be told they'll call me back, and thus far haven't.  We're
> not talking a remote location here either.  (~1620 ft as the crow
> flies to the exchange, ~3000 ft if you walk the road)
> 
> So I thought LLU might be a way to escape BT altogether?

Only if you want to be locked into a single provider for everything -
phone and broadband with no way out except what you are dealing with now
- ie requiring a new line at cost.

If BT are giving you too much trouble others can supply the contract for
the BT line (although you would be on a phone contract with the other
company then).

> fwiw, I'm rejecting Virgin cable because my experiences are their
> internet service is slow and patchy and does my blood pressure no
> good.  I really like/want the service from UKFSN, I'm just struggling
> with the BT up-stream dependency atm.

For a UKFSN ADSL service you need a BT line. We may be able to get this
ordered for you but usually BT can get the line installed faster.

Jason

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