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Q. Why can’t broadband services run over long distances on copper wiring?
A. The network that delivers your current communications services over an all-copper infrastructure is powered by electronics at the exchange. The further from the exchange, the slower your broadband speed. That’s because copper was designed to carry the human voice, as opposed to big chunks of data.
Q. What Broadband Enabling Technology actually do?
A. It boosts the strength of the signal along the copper path from the telephone exchange to your home.
Q. What speeds does Broadband Enabling Technology offer?
A. It enables broadband services to run at speeds of up to 1Mb or up to 2Mb. The speed you get will be dependent on the number of copper pairs available at the time of provisioning (one copper pair can deliver up to 1Mb to your home, and 2 copper pairs can deliver to 2Mb). Your communications provider will advise you of availability and the possible additional cost of a second copper pair when you apply for the service.
Q. What additional equipment will I need at home?
A. A unit slightly larger than your existing telephone point. It will remain Openreach property and will need to be connected to a mains power supply you provide. The unit will be fitted by an Openreach engineer between the incoming wiring entry point and your existing network terminating equipment.
Q. Will I be able to keep my existing telephone number?
A. Yes. However, it will be a condition of the broadband service that you do have a voice service.
Q. When will I be able to get it?
A. Openreach has just announced the first nine telephone exchanges to be equipped with Broadband Enabling Technology. As this is a pilot, communications providers in your area will be looking to recruit around 200 trialists. If you live in areas served by any of the following exchanges - Twyford, Badsey, Llanfyllin, Leyland, Ponteland, Wigton, Wymondham, Culloden and Dingwall - you could become a broadbander sooner than you expected. An additional 70 changes will be enabled by March 2010, providing broadband access for a further 800 end users like yourself. There is one proviso - Before the technology can be rolled out nationally, Openreach will need to secure the required funding.
Q. Why doesn’t Openreach just rollout the technology anyway, without waiting for funding?
A. As much as we believe in the correctness of digital inclusion, we are a commercial organisation and cannot just give away Broadband Enabling Technology. Provisioning it is expensive. The business case is not viable for us, or for our communications provider customers. That’s why we’re hoping to attract funding from the Government’s Digital Britain scheme, or from other external sources.
Q. What does Openreach want from me?
A. As a potential trial participant in the trial of Broadband Enabling Technology, you may be asked to provide feedback in confidence to us in relation to the equipment we provided in your home and its performance. We’ll use this information to monitor and develop the technology going forward.
Q. What happens when the trial ends?
A. On completion of the trial in January 2010, you’ll be under no obligation with Openreach continue with the Broadband Enabling Technology we installed in your home. Any decision by us to continue with the technology will be based on the outcome of the trial. We would provide notice, via your communications provider, of any changes or cancellation to the service within at least 28 working days.
