Milton Keynes Broadband Action Group

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Monday 27th October 

My Inbox

Broadband access would be of interest.

Certainly no time to be a guinea-pig for the Council scheme. Keep me informed.

Best wishes,

Eric, Bradwell

 
I want to join your broadband lobby.

I live in Linceslade Grove Loughton and thoroughly cheesed off since I've seen your site. This is why I want to join.

I recently had a 2nd BT line installed and got talking to the engineer over broadband.

He said that most of Loughton is on the Bradwell Abbey exchange. Well this is where it gets better. Bradwell Abbey exchange is NOT there: its in Fishermead and serves nearly all the city centre.

Anyway any info on membership would be greatly received.

Glenn

 
BT say: "Your exchange has ADSL broadband. However, the length of the telephone line between you and the exchange is too long for ADSL broadband.

"Thank you for your interest."

So after that from BT I signed up for the wireless broadband trial with NTL.

Yipee! or so I thought when the day came for them to install the wireless system they performed the initial tests and told me that I couldn't get the service due to trees on the edge of the estate blocking line of sight. The engineers said that they had had the same problems with 8 jobs already that day.

So still no broadband. I would like to sign up for your group and help out where possible.

Regards

Scott, Bradwell

 

Having had your note posted through my door I thought that it would be of benefit for you to know the circumstances that surround my use of the internet.

I moved into Bradwell in July having previously lived in Hemel Hempstead. Whilst in Hemel I had the basic internet dial up through AOL which normally ran at around 56kBps from my standard modem.

When I moved into Bradwell I wanted Broadband so I contacted Virgin who tested the BT line and said it wasn't strong enough. I had BT engineers in to tell me the same thing.

However, you may like to know that my job, as a project manager for a retail strategy company, relies on me having access to a high speed internet connection. This is due to the fact that my company is purely internet based.

My head office arranged for me to have Broadband installed on my separate business line at home, which also works as my phone / fax line. This was installed around the last week in July. This line is a brand new line, separate from my personal home line.

Since this line was installed, I have enjoyed a consistent 576kBps dial up day or night, with no issues, through Nildram. Compare this to my home internet connection which struggles to reach 41kBps, and can be as low as 18kBps.

Hopefully this will give you another view on what is going on, should you not have been aware, in the area. I cannot wait to have Broadband access available on my other line for my whole family to surf at their own leisure rather than wait continuously for pages to download !!

Regards

James, Bradwell

 
Just to let you know that NTL engineers installed a link to our house in Dormans Close as part of the wireless broadband trial. We are on the end of the row; the engineers did not hold out much hope for others in the area.

By the way, they did not think that either NTL or BT were likely to upgrade the cable network.

Peter, Monkston

 

NTL are going to attempt a wireless install for me on Thursday morning. I'm off out tonight with my chainsaw to fell all the trees along H6. (I've already added 10 more courses of bricks to my chimney). I'll keep you updated..

Matt, Wolston Meadow on Middleton

 
Left my road this morning ( Abraham Close ) to see NTL fitting a Broadband aerial with 'line of site' to a neighbours house on the Broadband trial - hurray it can't be long now.

Patric, Willen
 
My boyfriend and I have broadband in Valentine Court, already "green" on your map for 18 months now, but friends at Hendrix Drive DO NOT, though they have tried via BT and several other providers several times.

The interesting bit for us was that we were originally told that we couldn't have it for "technical" reasons, though we passed BT's "post code" test.  We insisted that they send an engineer out saying that we'd pay for the engineer call out if BT were right that we couldn't be connected.

WE were right.  The engineer who called tested and connected us and told us that the database that BT was using wasn't up to date in terms of who could get access!  We are convinced that (at least in some cases) if the engineers come out to actually run a test, more households are actually able to be connected.  We've also been told that the reason is that the nearest exchange is in Stony Stratford and that because Valentine Court is closer, we have access but our friends in Hendrix Drive do not!

Nancy & Gareth, Crownhill
 
I read with interest in Middleton Focus that you have won your campaign to extend broadband to Monkston.

However: Tiscali still tell me that BT say I can't have it as I'm too far from the Bradwell Abbey exchange.  Is that not the whole of Monkston has broadband yet, or simply that their information is out of date? 

I'd appreciate your advice on the matter if you believe I should be able to receive ADSL.  Should I not be able to receive it yet then I would naturally like to join your group (I believe I'm only eligible if I can't receive it?) 

Many thanks in anticipation.

Best regards,

Martyn, Abbeydore Grove, Monkston

[BT database is not accurate. The good news is that you are surrounded by residents on Broadband. Contact Serena - she will help.]

 
I work for a company where we currently connect to the internet using ISDN shared between 4 people. It's unreal complete stone age stuff! We can't get broadband at the moment - any ideas on this one?

Thanks

Dave, Broughton
 

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