Broadband for Milton Keynes

Interested in lobbying BT for Broadband access? Contact me!

Monday 16th June 

TPON Report

I have the first batch of TPON results back from John Small at BT. 18 residents enquired whether they were on a fibre optic (TPON) or a copper lien.

The 12 that live in the western half of Monkston are all on TPON. The 6 others (2 in Monkston, 4 in Middleton) are on copper.

This agrees with my survey.

Good News

For TPON residents this is good news as we will be getting a new copper cable in July. This new cable will work with Broadband.

Bad News

For non TPON residents this means waiting for the new 60dB loss threshold to be brought in. This means waiting until September.

Rural Broadband-less Communities

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2988708.stm

Radio Plot

An unofficial Radio Plot that gives an idea how "close" we are to getting a signal from Linford Wood.

Interesting News for "Copper" residents

ADSL Extended Reach 60dB limit pilot to be expanded to all users

My Inbox

239 Members

Who will be your ISP and why?

Danny

[Zen - They're new, and offer a fixed IP address.

I was with Demon. Technically fine But I am having a bad experience with "customer care". They cannot administer the fact that I have moved house and closed the account. Fairly fundamental that!]

 
You leafleted Kent's Hill?  You mean the residents adjacent to BT's own huge training centre complex cannot get B/Band either? 
Amazing...

Jez

[BT moved out. They must have known there would be a problem with Broadband!]

 
I ordered ADSL from Virgin.net (cheap and no tie-in) a couple of weeks ago.  The order was accepted and told the initial checks were ok, but later my order was cancelled for line length/noise.  I'm in Wavendon Gate and on the Woburn Sands Exchange, so it depends which exchange you are on, but I would expect that anyone on the Woburn exchange and further into MK than I am will get the same issue.

A colleague was also looking over the site on Friday and commented that some people in Monkston were looking to get put on the Woburn Exchange given this news for me I would recommend looking again.

Damon
 

Like the site... madness about the general BB state of the UK...

I live at Willen and was one of the first to have BB in MK... An engineer came round and I failed my tests but he could see data etc. and he said he'd leave the modem with me and if it worked, all well and good and if not they'd have to come and take it out... nearly 2 yrs later, still here.

Three neighbours in my street have since been told they can't have it - mainly due to a change in procedure that means BT simply bag up a modem and some filters and send it out... they want this to go as smoothly as possible so don't entertain people outside the standard 5.5Km for risk of a cock-up... cheeky thing is, the cable to my house goes through their gardens to get to me! One neighbour has gone as far as he can with it and BT will not budge.

I consider myself very fortunate and am so pleased I took the (expensive) plunge as soon as it was available.

Best regards

Andy

 
I live in Pennyland and am apparently 300m too far from the (Bradwell Abbey?) exchange to get broadband. BT aren't interested as my exchange is technically broadband enabled. I have gone the Home Highway ISDN route but it is still slow and expensive.

Steve

 
Well, today was supposed to be "the day" when I said goodbye ISDN and HELLO decent download speed... of course, this didn't happen (why did I even have that glimmer of hope?!?)

I ordered ADSL through BT Broadband 10 days ago.  I was given an install date of today, but judging by BT's track record, I called three times last week and once again this morning to confirm that the appointment still stood.  Each time, "Yes Sir, the Engineer will most definitely be there on Monday".

So anyhow I've waited in all day, only to call just one last time (it is getting rather late in the day) and was told the following:-

"I'm sorry but although we have booked for your ISDN to be disconnected today, we haven't booked the installation of Broadband or indeed the re-instalment of a single telephone line.  I must ask for your authority to cancel the whole order immediately otherwise our Engineers will disconnect you from the exchange at 17:00 and you will be without telecoms until further notice! Would you like me to re-issue the order?  We are looking at a 10+ day wait at the moment. Also, none of your existing numbers may be broadband enabled, so you may lose them too. I don't know what the person who took your original order was doing!"

I'm wondering why BT even has an online checking tool - me thinks they've just popped a few new different messages on there, designed to create a feeling of well-being, hope and optimism in people who suffer under TPON.

All together now... "I hate BT, I hate BT"

They should change their slogan from "BT - Bringing People Together" to something like... "BT - Breaking Customer Service Apart".

Oooh, I'm so angry!!!  Still, the sun is shining...

Regards

Cameron
 
I live on Chicksands Avenue (Blanchlands circle end), Monkston.

I ordered ADSL on Friday and was told my line is "Amber, but I will almost certainly be okay". I should receive my ADSL modem and microfilters on Friday when the line is activated.

I wont hold my breath but I'll let you know that outcome.

Chris

 
For what it's worth, I was, up until a few days ago, showing on the BT checker as 'enabled and although the line length is quite long I might be able to get 512k, 1 or 2 Mb will not be possible'  I was turned down back about 6 weeks ago as being 60db on the nose.
 
After following the on going 60db limit increase 'sometime in June' I place another order last week and was turned down again - still 60db. However I looked at the checker again and now 'Great news - You are able to get ADSL at speeds to up to 2Mb'
 
What are they doing??
 
Also I'm trying to work out if I was on TPON or not.  Previously I would get turned down flat for ADSL and the checker said line was too long.

My old number was a 563xxx number on Stony Stratford Exchange.  I when I ordered ISDN in desperation of being stuck with 56k, BT advised that I had to change my number as my line didn't support ISDN. They gave me a 260xxx number.  I used to get 52,666kb/s to Freeserve anytime every time, but since the change, anything from 38,666 to 45,200.

Does it sound like I was TPON?  I live in Crownhill.  Has anyone any knowledge of the system over here?

Pete

 
I run an Internet Shop http://www.thecraftshop.co.uk from my home in Milton Keynes and was expecting broadband when I moved into my new home in Milton Keynes last year. But I'm told that my line is too noisy and I'm too far from the exchange. To expand our business we need broadband and have considered satellite as a last option.

Please add us to your list and feel free to our website as an example of a small business in desperate need of broadband.

Ian Newman
 
Commendations on the work done on the website and representations for Monkston Broadband.

Regards
Kav
 

Links

Milton Keynes Broadband Home

Activities

If you live in Milton Keynes, and want Broadband, let me know!