It appears that the only people able to receive a fibre optic connection to the Epsom exchange on our estate are BT infinity customers. I've contacted my neighbours (all of whom registered interest around the same time on the http://bt.com/infinity web site), and it appears only those that are BT broadband customers were sent the "Fibre is now available email".
What's more strange is what appears to have happened with our cabinet (number 53). See below for pictures showing the old cabinet 53 that is now connected to a brand new shiny fibre cabinet, and you can clearly see the road having been dug up where the cable is lying that connects the old cabinet to the new one...
NOTE: CLICK ON THE PICTURES BELOW TO SEE FULL VERSIONS OF THEM
Cabinet 53 which serves all houses on our estate.
Cabinet 53 with road way dug up to connect new cabinet (see next picture)
New fibre cabinet
Note how the only people in our area reporting fibre optic speeds (i.e. greater than 8MB speed) are BT customers exclusively!
NOTE: CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE FULL VERSION
The only address that now lists as being able to receive broadband on our estate is the following one... (although somehow they're connected to cabinet 43).
![clip_image002[6]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlZWzTP9QKaW73XjkIyl2ZuynxK2ZCqxZUWv2B8aCYndMxlDsWNKPFit3T6E5C6D46e7mCber-G0rlky8fLydkTUfvqK-UJYEaq2dXXGb13F68i4CtkWaTSTvr2Pw7eeZ9YSZMpktcaU/?imgmax=800 "clip_image002[6]")
![clip_image002[8]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tTwBkDioHDju1N91DLtve4LyxXZfHE9TZfbDu2AqCq2o_EfyNJeE7b5MQzMb7m97foLz-2xKA1pNwW5G8G3zV4QVm0LJRHLInU9b9XGpFkaKuzsVI0hB8iPPuaqOpklg0vwmt94Zopg/?imgmax=800 "clip_image002[8]")
What's even more strange is that customers that already have fibre connection with BT infinity are told that they can't have it, if they search using their postcode and house number (i.e. pretending not to be an existing BT customer), however if they search with their BT landline number, it comes up saying they can have fibre optic.
Note the picture below, where I have used my landline number on the left, and then the neighbour who already has BT infinity fibre connection on the right. Both of us are connected to Cabinet 53 as you can see...(click each picture below in turn)
NOTE: this web site has now been replaced by this one https://speedtest.btwholesale.com/PerformanceTesterWS/diagnostics.do
Update: 05/02/2013 15:04:56
From: Neville @ BTSent: 05 February 2013 14:50
Subject: Re: Cabinet 53
Hi Merrick - please see below for update:-
OR have come back and confirmed the cabinet 53 has been temporarily withdrawn from service as “full”. Or have activity to look at increasing the capacity and once completed will open the cabinet for service. Cabinets are available to all SPs/CP on equivalent basis so whilst you may only see BTR users reporting this does not mean that other users are not using the cabinet they may simply not be reporting.
OR have not given an indication of how long it will be before the cabinet comes back into service.
Update: 08/02/2013 22:58
Seems that sometimes the little guy can get stuff done then. Fibre available now to us again on the 26th February 2013.
What's more strange is what appears to have happened with our cabinet (number 53). See below for pictures showing the old cabinet 53 that is now connected to a brand new shiny fibre cabinet, and you can clearly see the road having been dug up where the cable is lying that connects the old cabinet to the new one...
NOTE: CLICK ON THE PICTURES BELOW TO SEE FULL VERSIONS OF THEM
Cabinet 53 which serves all houses on our estate.
Cabinet 53 with road way dug up to connect new cabinet (see next picture)
New fibre cabinet
Note how the only people in our area reporting fibre optic speeds (i.e. greater than 8MB speed) are BT customers exclusively!
NOTE: CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE FULL VERSION
The only address that now lists as being able to receive broadband on our estate is the following one... (although somehow they're connected to cabinet 43).
![clip_image002[6]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbePXa_3TR2om5yLDRNJ0PZJZ6aRL9cYSO20W-F0TbPovjAB-kA9mOg9-PzoZEiNJvk7ENQUM5OXwnJlWjoVyv2dXC9Dsa-AbdGj6036ETMQBMOla21k5XkCANe2wlBSL3f1gmrc_Ufk/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B6%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg "clip_image002[6]")
![clip_image002[8]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XNV044sKbqXnVQDBt0hlpvvnBhx-FI13Yhcf_yY3Yg8Dfxv7jaNLy-RP09sA3SymYl4WCz4G5D49hrwqxL9_TrWvwXOCMZVXoEFMccDfa69WyfDJM3MhkD8tqKooZ0KvrkYRE5wlBTk/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B8%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg "clip_image002[8]")
What's even more strange is that customers that already have fibre connection with BT infinity are told that they can't have it, if they search using their postcode and house number (i.e. pretending not to be an existing BT customer), however if they search with their BT landline number, it comes up saying they can have fibre optic.
Note the picture below, where I have used my landline number on the left, and then the neighbour who already has BT infinity fibre connection on the right. Both of us are connected to Cabinet 53 as you can see...(click each picture below in turn)
NOTE: this web site has now been replaced by this one https://speedtest.btwholesale.com/PerformanceTesterWS/diagnostics.do
Update: 05/02/2013 15:04:56
From: Neville @ BTSent: 05 February 2013 14:50
Subject: Re: Cabinet 53
Hi Merrick - please see below for update:-
OR have come back and confirmed the cabinet 53 has been temporarily withdrawn from service as “full”. Or have activity to look at increasing the capacity and once completed will open the cabinet for service. Cabinets are available to all SPs/CP on equivalent basis so whilst you may only see BTR users reporting this does not mean that other users are not using the cabinet they may simply not be reporting.
OR have not given an indication of how long it will be before the cabinet comes back into service.
Update: 08/02/2013 22:58
Seems that sometimes the little guy can get stuff done then. Fibre available now to us again on the 26th February 2013.
Update:26/02/2013 10:36:30: I am now officially a plus.net fibre customer. I have to say that the gulf of difference between their customer service and BT is finally what made my mind up on which provider to choose. (P.S. Fibre is now available to all on our estate via cabinet 53 again, as of this morning 26th Feb 2013).
Update: 02/03/2013 11:37: After ringing up Plus.net about my order and letting them know that bt wholesale site are listing availability from the 12th March now, it appears that my Fibre connection is being put on hold for now.
Update: 12/03/2013 11:25: Checked this morning, and for some reason now the BT wholesale site is saying that there is no fibre available, and does NOT even list an availability date now!
I've kindly asked Neville at BT wholesale to look into this issue for me. Luckily he understands that people that are connected to this cabinet already have a fibre connection.
From: neville @bt.com
Sent: 12 March 2013 15:37
Subject: RE: Epsom cabinet 53
Hi Merrick – we have received an update from our suppliers to advise that providing no issues this cab should be back up and running by the end of next week. I can only suggest that you continue to monitor and place order as soon as it becomes available. Cheers Nev
Guess I'm going to have to keep waiting then.
Update: 13/03/2013 10:37: Now showing next Tuesday 19th March. Let's hope this is the last of it.
Update 27/03/2013 13:45: James Moyse (BT Open reach engineer number 606415840) came today and connected me to fibre finally. Have to say James was excellent, and confirmed my suspicions that there are a finite number of ports in the cabinet, and that there was nothing needing to be done at the exchange today in order to get me connected.
So I've now officially gone from this...
to this...
Also just to confirm that I wasn't crazy, it turns out that there are a finite number of new patch boards connected to the new fibre cabinet, and that these are solely occupied by BT customers at the moment. I'm now officially a plus.net fibre customer connected to number 71 of 150, so just glad I got in there before they all run out!
