virgin cable in my close

[harryc05]

hi, i may be moving in a few weeks into a home in a private close that was built in 2007, i have checked for virgin media services and it says it is not in a cable area. from the research i have done the 11 or so houses in this close are the only homes that do not get virgin cable services. all of other other homes within a mile radius of the 11 houses do get cable from virgin and i am in need of fast broadband that they offer.

the close is not big at all either.

is there anything i can do?

i just cant see my self living with the estimated 3.5mbits from BT and the other non fibre providers

[thenry]

have you checked if you can get bt infinity?

sorry im replying from my phone, theres a thread on here thats got direct VM contact details to employees that handle this sort of thing. use the search button mate. ill try find it

---------- Post added at 02:47 ---------- Previous post was at 02:31 ----------

email address..

cablemystreet@virginmedia.co.uk

[harryc05]

have you checked if you can get bt infinity?

sorry im replying from my phone, theres a thread on here thats got direct VM contact details to employees that handle this sort of thing. use the search button mate. ill try find it

Thanks for replying done the bt infinity checker on the bt infinity sight and all it said is i can get BT total broadband with speeds of between 2.5 and 6.0mb which in my eyes as i've had virgins 20 for a long time a hell of a lot slower and horrible (im a heavy downloader)

oh right any help with those contacts would be great, i dont really know what im searching for :)

thanks for replying

[thenry]

posted the VM email addy uptop.. drop them an email.

bt checker... check through both the address checker and the postcode checker...

https://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/main.html

try this too.. the postcode will be enough to get results ignore tel number...

www.samknows.com/broadband/broadband_checker

[harryc05]

thanks for the email thenry and for the samknows site, it says that FTTC or infinity should be in my new home now but it is not and when i do post code checks on the infinity checker around me apparently they will get it on the 31st of march. but when i do my postal code it says nothing but the slow bt total broadband of 3.0-6.0mb

im really starting to think especially with it being a gated road that neither virgin or bt will ever put better broadband in my road

[Peter_]

thanks for the email thenry and for the samknows site, it says that FTTC or infinity should be in my new home now but it is not and when i do post code checks on the infinity checker around me apparently they will get it on the 31st of march. but when i do my postal code it says nothing but the slow bt total broadband of 3.0-6.0mb

im really starting to think especially with it being a gated road that neither virgin or bt will ever put better broadband in my road
You could try HERE (http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Fibre-optic-broadband-cable/Want-Cable-been-told-it-s-not-available-We-might-be-able-to-help/td-p/20585) but as it is a gated community it may not be allowed within the terms and conditions.

[thenry]

give BT a call or chat to them...

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact#h=eyJzdGVwMCI6ImNvbnRhY3RJdGVtTGluazU2Mzgi LCJzdGVwSWR4IjoxLCJzdGVwMSI6ImNvbnRhY3RJdGVtTGluaz U2MzgsNTYzOSJ9

[nodrogd]

hi, i may be moving in a few weeks into a home in a private close that was built in 2007, i have checked for virgin media services and it says it is not in a cable area. from the research i have done the 11 or so houses in this close are the only homes that do not get virgin cable services. all of other other homes within a mile radius of the 11 houses do get cable from virgin and i am in need of fast broadband that they offer.

the close is not big at all either.

is there anything i can do?

i just cant see my self living with the estimated 3.5mbits from BT and the other non fibre providers

If you are in a private road then it's a question of whether your neighbours are prepared to have the road and their driveways dug up. Most private roads were left out of original build, as when cable started years ago it was TV only and the residents elected not to have the ducting installed. Most private roads therefore just have a terminating cab at the end of the road and that's it.

[Chris]

Gated communities sound fantastic until you start to add up all the other things the gates keep out ...

[qasdfdsaq]

thanks for the email thenry and for the samknows site, it says that FTTC or infinity should be in my new home now but it is not and when i do post code checks on the infinity checker around me apparently they will get it on the 31st of march. but when i do my postal code it says nothing but the slow bt total broadband of 3.0-6.0mb

im really starting to think especially with it being a gated road that neither virgin or bt will ever put better broadband in my road
Chances are if Infinity is scheduled for this month you'll probably get it before anything from VM.

Not to mention Infinity is unlimited when VM isn't, so if you're a heavy downloader you're better off there.

[Kymmy]

Gated communities sound fantastic until you start to add up all the other things the gates keep out ...

Especially when one neighbour isn't interested.. With the road/path being private VM I believe needs the permission of all the owners of that road to agree to laying any cables which means it just takes one NO to scupper any plans..

[thenry]

oh who are these poor people and their cables. no we have our British Telecoms homehub thank you very much.

but I want more speed.

speed whats this speed you speak of?

its what your crappy British telecoms line can't do!

noooo, i think one shall pass on this cable being put in.. Sandra has a bad headache you see. we wouldn't want her to suffer now would we!

no, your just wiped. goodday!

[Kymmy]

More than likely a case of "The digging will ruin the road and the noise will be unbearable.. I want it just the way we have it"..

Otherwise known as NIMBYs

[thenry]

nothing plant pots can't sort out ;)

[Kymmy]

You know that and I know that but Nimbys want it perfect and just as they moved in, at least in the real world they have no real power but why do you think they live in the gated communities as they have all the power to dictate their surroundings as they like

[thenry]

saddos.. not sure whats more annoying though. them saying no or saying yes and then putting out deck chairs to monitor the whole thing.

[harryc05]

this is the thing these are 5 bedroom family homes that were newly built and most of the people in them have 2+ children which astounds me at how they wouldnt have had virgin in the first place. i really cant see a family of 5 living on 2.0mb.6.0mb of internet. im so gutted im looking at other possibilities even costly ones that could get me decent internet.

[Kymmy]

Try a mailshot then to all the houses.. Say that you;re interested in getting VM and ask them how many would take the service or at very least say yet to the street install.. If you get enough people then VM are more likely to take notice and you don;t have to worry about people saying no later on.

[thenry]

getting VM installed is all very good but did you pursue BT as well, you said you was getting conflicting results..

try BT direct > http://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact#h=eyJzdGVwMCI6ImNvbnRhY3RJdGVtTGluazU2Mzgi LCJzdGVwSWR4IjoxLCJzdGVwMSI6ImNvbnRhY3RJdGVtTGluaz U2MzgsNTYzOSJ9

find out all your likely possibilities before grabbing signatures for VM

[harryc05]

getting VM installed is all very good but did you pursue BT as well, you said you was getting conflicting results..

try BT direct > http://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact#h=eyJzdGVwMCI6ImNvbnRhY3RJdGVtTGluazU2Mzgi LCJzdGVwSWR4IjoxLCJzdGVwMSI6ImNvbnRhY3RJdGVtTGluaz U2MzgsNTYzOSJ9

find out all your likely possibilities before grabbing signatures for VM

Just phoned BT and they said that infinity is rolling out but it is patchy and she could not give me a date for the fibre in my cabinet but she said within 12 months is the time stretch she could give me because there are other elements involved

[thenry]

elements of pulling...

enter your postcode in the box right of the map

http://www.openreach-communications.co.uk/superfast/where-and-when/

[Chris]

this is the thing these are 5 bedroom family homes that were newly built and most of the people in them have 2+ children which astounds me at how they wouldnt have had virgin in the first place. i really cant see a family of 5 living on 2.0mb.6.0mb of internet. im so gutted im looking at other possibilities even costly ones that could get me decent internet.

The ducting would have been an extra cost to the developer which he would be unlikely to recover as the capacity to have cable wouldn't really improve the price he could sell the houses for.

[harryc05]

elements of pulling...

enter your postcode in the box right of the map

http://www.openreach-communications.co.uk/superfast/where-and-when/

it says my exchange (ORPINGTON) is accepting orders. although my new post code BR6 9BF isn't infinity available on the chekcer

---------- Post added at 13:47 ---------- Previous post was at 13:35 ----------

Response from cablemystreet

Hi Harry

Thank you for your enquiry regarding Virgin Media providing digital
services at your new home.

Unfortunately for us to make this area serviceable with digital services
would be too expensive and would cost more than our current budget
allows, so therefore cannot be considered to be upgraded by our infill
activity at this time.

As we find new ways of serving areas such as this that are outwith the
existing network, we will look at your request further and may be able
to include this in build programmes in future years. However at this
time, we will not be able to provide cable service to this area.

I appreciate this is not good news, but be assured our team will
continue to look for other solutions that may help us achieve this in
the future.

Best regards

Alison

how much to virgin to do this? i totally understand why they wouldn't due to the fact that the 11 homes will not payback in a certain time frame that virgin target for.

[qasdfdsaq]

Otherwise known as NIMBYs
:D

---------- Post added at 14:30 ---------- Previous post was at 14:19 ----------

it says my exchange (ORPINGTON) is accepting orders. although my new post code BR6 9BF isn't infinity available on the chekcer

I assume you live on Abbey Close.

This green box right outside your gate could be your BT cabinet:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=BR6+9BF&hl=en&ll=51.364035,0.108674&spn=0.006732,0.012102&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=26.256651,49.570312&hnear=Orpington+BR6+9BF,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=51.364035,0.108674&panoid=UQXL08jGBtPMtG5bJD7pww&cbp=12,336.41,,1,8.38

Either that, or this one:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=BR6+9BF&hl=en&ll=51.363957,0.109702&spn=0.006732,0.012102&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=26.256651,49.570312&hnear=Orpington+BR6+9BF,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=51.363919,0.109829&panoid=3X8Kdo9ovtOM_ijbP4-Feg&cbp=12,52.52,,2,17.62

You're connected to LSORP exchange cab 22, so whichever cab says '22' on it is yours. Your postcode is confirmed for BT Infinity rollout and scheduled for phase 9a. All other cabs in the area (i.e. BR6 9Bx) were phase 6a, so that explains why everyone else got it before you.

At this rate BT have all but promised you will get service, whereas VM have all but promised you won't. IMO BT provides the better service of the two, and being a new build and metres from the cab, your line should easily be capable of 150mbps+

[Itshim]

it says my exchange (ORPINGTON) is accepting orders. although my new post code BR6 9BF isn't infinity available on the chekcer

---------- Post added at 13:47 ---------- Previous post was at 13:35 ----------

Response from cablemystreet

Hi Harry

Thank you for your enquiry regarding Virgin Media providing digital
services at your new home.

Unfortunately for us to make this area serviceable with digital services
would be too expensive and would cost more than our current budget
allows, so therefore cannot be considered to be upgraded by our infill
activity at this time.

As we find new ways of serving areas such as this that are outwith the
existing network, we will look at your request further and may be able
to include this in build programmes in future years. However at this
time, we will not be able to provide cable service to this area.

I appreciate this is not good news, but be assured our team will
continue to look for other solutions that may help us achieve this in
the future.

Best regards

Alison

how much to virgin to do this? i totally understand why they wouldn't due to the fact that the 11 homes will not payback in a certain time frame that virgin target for.

I understand that this is of no help what so ever, but perhaps it shows how times have changed. I live in a close of 14 houses, Cable Tel ( as it was then ) were on the main road laying cable etc. ( The guys told me that they were not coming in to us)
So I ask every house if they were interested it having it 7 said yes I called Cable Tel, around a week later we had letters asking if we were interested. The 7 of us said yes & around a month later we were connected :angel:

[harryc05]

:D

---------- Post added at 14:30 ---------- Previous post was at 14:19 ----------


I assume you live on Abbey Close.

This green box right outside your gate could be your BT cabinet:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=BR6+9BF&hl=en&ll=51.364035,0.108674&spn=0.006732,0.012102&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=26.256651,49.570312&hnear=Orpington+BR6+9BF,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=51.364035,0.108674&panoid=UQXL08jGBtPMtG5bJD7pww&cbp=12,336.41,,1,8.38

Either that, or this one:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=BR6+9BF&hl=en&ll=51.363957,0.109702&spn=0.006732,0.012102&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=26.256651,49.570312&hnear=Orpington+BR6+9BF,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=51.363919,0.109829&panoid=3X8Kdo9ovtOM_ijbP4-Feg&cbp=12,52.52,,2,17.62

You're connected to LSORP exchange cab 22, so whichever cab says '22' on it is yours. Your postcode is confirmed for BT Infinity rollout and scheduled for phase 9a. All other cabs in the area (i.e. BR6 9Bx) were phase 6a, so that explains why everyone else got it before you.

At this rate BT have all but promised you will get service, whereas VM have all but promised you won't. IMO BT provides the better service of the two, and being a new build and metres from the cab, your line should easily be capable of 150mbps+

ahh this does sound like good news. how did you find the connecting cabinet numbers? thank you very much that is very informative, maybe i wont have to wait long for a decent internet service after all.

---------- Post added at 14:52 ---------- Previous post was at 14:51 ----------

I understand that this is of no help what so ever, but perhaps it shows how times have changed. I live in a close of 14 houses, Cable Tel ( as it was then ) were on the main road laying cable etc. ( The guys told me that they were not coming in to us)
So I ask every house if they were interested it having it 7 said yes I called Cable Tel, around a week later we had letters asking if we were interested. The 7 of us said yes & around a month later we were connected :angel:


i know what you mean i think the first owners of these houses in 2007-8 were asked if they wanted cable and they said no, although im not sure how accurate or factual that is

[qasdfdsaq]

ahh this does sound like good news. how did you find the connecting cabinet numbers? thank you very much that is very informative, maybe i wont have to wait long for a decent internet service after all.

It's on the (giant) BT 2012 PCP spreadsheet:
https://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?snapid=S351604JNil

The above is the announced schedule for generally before December 2012. As you're on the latest phase (9a) that would suggest later on in 2012 - though often dates are put back and then brought forward again, as it's more dependant on getting agreement from the council and residents to put in the cab and finding power, space, etc. than BT themselves.

[thenry]

qas.. could the OP play some form of pivotal role in all this to make it run smoothly and quicker like getting all residents on side? it wont really matter whos on BT itself and sky/talktalk etc. as it all runs through the same cable right should sky customers in the area upgrade to skys fibre product etc.

[harryc05]

It's on the (giant) BT 2012 PCP spreadsheet:
https://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?snapid=S351604JNil

The above is the announced schedule for generally before December 2012. As you're on the latest phase (9a) that would suggest later on in 2012 - though often dates are put back and then brought forward again, as it's more dependant on getting agreement from the council and residents to put in the cab and finding power, space, etc. than BT themselves.

great thanks for the document. do you by any chance know what 'uplift' means is it an add on of your speed or a multiplier of your average or highest speed ect. for example for me it is 4.5

thank you once again

---------- Post added at 15:53 ---------- Previous post was at 15:50 ----------

qas.. could the OP play some form of pivotal role in all this to make it run smoothly and quicker like getting all residents on side? it wont really matter whos on BT itself and sky/talktalk etc. as it all runs through the same cable right should sky customers in the area upgrade to skys fibre product etc.

from speaking to customer services from the page you linked earlier they said it happens when it happens between now & 12 months time. i would of offered money to speed up the process to be honest because the internet is vital to my work. but i dont think BT ect would accept a bribe haha

---------- Post added at 15:56 ---------- Previous post was at 15:53 ----------

would just like to add i have never been helped out as much as this or in this little amount of time on any other forum. you guys really are great.

[qasdfdsaq]

great thanks for the document. do you by any chance know what 'uplift' means is it an add on of your speed or a multiplier of your average or highest speed ect. for example for me it is 4.5

thank you once again
It's the average increase in speed to be expected for all users on that cabinet/postcode. It's not always accurate though, since it's just a rough estimate for the whole area. Being that close to the cab I see very little reason why you wouldn't get the full 80mb from the outset. My line's noisy and twice as long and still does 87mb.

from speaking to customer services from the page you linked earlier they said it happens when it happens between now & 12 months time. i would of offered money to speed up the process to be honest because the internet is vital to my work. but i dont think BT ect would accept a bribe haha
Yes, unfortunately that's how it works with BT's rollout. Phase 8a, 8b and 9a are all supposed to be completed this year, but other than phase 8 areas being done before phase 9 there's very little to go on with regards to actual dates.

It costs BT on average about £30K to install a cab, and there's a lot of things that need to be done, including:
1) Finding a suitable location near the existing cab
2) Getting agreement from all parties to actually use the location
3) Getting council clearance/planning permission for the roadworks to put in the cab
4) Getting council clearance/planning permissions for the roadworks to give the cab power
5) Getting council clearance/planning permission for the roadworks to give the cab fibre
6) Getting council clearance/planning permission for the roadworks to connect the new cab to the old cab
7) Doing the actual work to install the cab
8) Getting another company to do the actual work to install the power
9) Installing the fibre feed, all the way from the exchange
10) Connecting the fibre cab to the PCP
11) Dealing with repeated delays and bureaucracy while doing the above
12) Repeat step 11 at least ten times
13) Doing all the higher level configuration and stuff
14) Make sure everything's working
15) THEN you can start connecting actual customers :)

[harryc05]

[/COLOR]It's the average increase in speed to be expected for all users on that cabinet/postcode. It's not always accurate though, since it's just a rough estimate for the whole area. Being that close to the cab I see very little reason why you wouldn't get the full 80mb from the outset. My line's noisy and twice as long and still does 87mb.


Yes, unfortunately that's how it works with BT's rollout. Phase 8a, 8b and 9a are all supposed to be completed this year, but other than phase 8 areas being done before phase 9 there's very little to go on with regards to actual dates.

It costs BT on average about £30K to install a cab, and there's a lot of things that need to be done, including:
1) Finding a suitable location near the existing cab
2) Getting agreement from all parties to actually use the location
3) Getting council clearance/planning permission for the roadworks to put in the cab
4) Getting council clearance/planning permissions for the roadworks to give the cab power
5) Getting council clearance/planning permission for the roadworks to give the cab fibre
6) Getting council clearance/planning permission for the roadworks to connect the new cab to the old cab
7) Doing the actual work to install the cab
8) Getting another company to do the actual work to install the power
9) Installing the fibre feed, all the way from the exchange
10) Connecting the fibre cab to the PCP
11) Dealing with repeated delays and bureaucracy while doing the above
12) Repeat step 11 at least ten times
13) Doing all the higher level configuration and stuff
14) Make sure everything's working
15) THEN you can start connecting actual customers :)

yeah i understand and its always that step 11 thats the most annoying part, knowing everything is there but not being allowed to use it due to silly circumstances and views.

[thenry]

does the new customer on fibre need a repull as well ?

[qasdfdsaq]

For BT fibre? No. It uses the same phone line. It's split off inside the old cab and routed through to the new cab via tie lines that BT put in between the two.

[ccarmock]

Is there a conversion doen and the voice path uses fibre back to the exchange then or is that just for the data path?

[qasdfdsaq]

Just for data.

[paulsouth]

hi, i may be moving in a few weeks into a home in a private close that was built in 2007, i have checked for virgin media services and it says it is not in a cable area. from the research i have done the 11 or so houses in this close are the only homes that do not get virgin cable services. all of other other homes within a mile radius of the 11 houses do get cable from virgin and i am in need of fast broadband that they offer.

the close is not big at all either.

is there anything i can do?

i just cant see my self living with the estimated 3.5mbits from BT and the other non fibre providers

check if sky has broadband there..
i recommend sky internet,shame about bt internet

[MrIca]

:D

---------- Post added at 14:30 ---------- Previous post was at 14:19 ----------


I assume you live on Abbey Close.

This green box right outside your gate could be your BT cabinet:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=BR6+9BF&hl=en&ll=51.364035,0.108674&spn=0.006732,0.012102&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=26.256651,49.570312&hnear=Orpington+BR6+9BF,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=51.364035,0.108674&panoid=UQXL08jGBtPMtG5bJD7pww&cbp=12,336.41,,1,8.38

Either that, or this one:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=BR6+9BF&hl=en&ll=51.363957,0.109702&spn=0.006732,0.012102&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=26.256651,49.570312&hnear=Orpington+BR6+9BF,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=51.363919,0.109829&panoid=3X8Kdo9ovtOM_ijbP4-Feg&cbp=12,52.52,,2,17.62

Both of those cabinets look like Virgin Media cabinets. Certainly the 2nd one which is identical to the Nynex ones we have here. I can confirm for sure though the first one is NOT a BT cabinet.

[ccarmock]

I'd check what it says on the covers on the ground in front of the second cabinet. If the label in the centre is CATV that woudl indicate Virgin Media. Around here I have covers like that that also say GPO (ie BT) as well as CATV

[nodrogd]

Both of those cabinets look like Virgin Media cabinets. Certainly the 2nd one which is identical to the Nynex ones we have here. I can confirm for sure though the first one is NOT a BT cabinet.

The second one is Virgin's. The other one is for the power supply to operate the gates.

[spiderplant]

The second one is the VM cabinet for that end of Charterhouse Road, including several houses beyond Abbey Close. But Abbey Close isn't cabled.