This topic

my local cabinet is full

ChrisB6 — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 20:38:05 GMT

I am in the process of moving house this week and wanted to get setup with some nice fast fibre broadband in our new home.

However I've just found out that my local BT cabinet despite having fibre, has no more fibre ports available to me.

I hadn't heard of this situation before but apparently its a thing, because everyone else (the neighbours) have taken all the ports up.

So my only option is to get a basic copper line put it for now.

My question's are :

1) how or why would a cabinet not have the capability to have at least 1 port for each home in that area.

2) is there any way (other than waiting for a neighbour to switch theirs off and cancel) to get more ports in that cabinet? EG can i contact BT or Openreach to get them to upgrade it? I'd even pay if it was a reasonable charge.

3) are there any BT / Openreach engineers out there reading this who can check this out for me please because this is a vital thing for me as I work in IT and I work from home so need a decent connection as well as having family who stream and game online . Our dream house move is now a tech broadband nightmare.

thank you

Re: my local cabinet is full

imjolly — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 20:48:16 GMT

Enter your new address and post results remember delete address. If the cab is scheduled for upgrade it normally says in the notes

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Not everyone in the neighbourhood will want openreach fibre so commercially only ports available based on a percentage of homes covered. Extra can be added if enough customers on waiting list

Re: my local cabinet is full

ChrisB6 — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 20:55:25 GMT

Thank you for the quick reply

this is the results of that test :

served by Cabinet 11

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream HandbackThreshold(Mbps) WBC FTTC Availability Date WBC SOGEA Availability DateHigh Low High Low VDSL Range A (Clean)

VDSL Range B (Impacted)

80	65.4	20	19	59.7	Waiting list	Waiting list
80	62.1	20	19	55	Waiting list	Waiting list

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range (Mbps) Availability Date FTTP Install ProcessFTTP on Demand

330

Available

ADSL Products Downstream Line Rate (Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range(Mbps) Availability DateWBC ADSL 2+WBC ADSL2+ Annex MADSL MaxWBC Fixed RateFixed Rate

Up to 6	--	3.5 to 8.5	Available
Up to 6	Up to 1	3.5 to 8.5	Available
Up to 4.5	--	3 to 7.5	Available
2	--	--	Available
2	--	--	Available

Other Offerings Availability DateVDSL MulticastADSL Multicast

Available

Exchange Product Restrictions StatusFTTP Priority ExchangeWLR WithdrawalSOADSL Restriction

The premise/line is associated with exchange which is NOT part of current fibre priority programme.

The premise/line is associated with exchange where WLR is not withdrawn.

The premise/line is associated with exchange where SOADSL service is restricted.

FTTP is not available.

Re: my local cabinet is full

imjolly — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 21:01:37 GMT

obbiously confirms what you knew that the cab was full with waiting list

there are normally notes beneath the schedule which often show if likely to be an openreach upgrade

Re: my local cabinet is full

ChrisB6 — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 21:04:10 GMT

the only other notes i can see were these :

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (VDSL or G.fast) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

Actual speeds experienced by end users and quoted by CPs will be lower due to a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.

The Stop Sale date for IPstream is from 30 Nov 2012. The Formal Retirement date for IPstream is from 30 Jun 2014.

In order to be eligible for handback, downstream speed should be less than Downstream Handback Threshold values.

If you decide to place an order for a WBC fibre product, an appointment may be required for an engineer to visit the end user's premises to supply the service

Thank you for your interest

Re: my local cabinet is full

ChrisB6 — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 21:12:06 GMT

I appreciate the quick response and info.

with it being full as expected , is there any way I can get this cab upgraded ? even if it means paying for it .

The irony in this situation is that I know some of the neighbours already and I talked to them about broadband speeds as it was a key thing for me for the move. As you might expect they all said YEAH we have great fibre, and several of them are single old ladies who probably never fully use their capacity.... :(.

surely there must be a way to get a port without having to wait an unknown length of time until someone in the area cancels . I could be waiting forever.

Re: my local cabinet is full

Starwire — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 21:16:25 GMT

Answers.

1. PCP’s can potentially provide over 1000+ lines so to have enough DSLAM Ports for each property would potentially mean 4+ DSLAMS needing to be installed plus multiple cabinet bolt on side pods. To say that would be an eyesore is an understatement. Plus it’d be bloody expensive.

2. Openreach may increase capacity, depends on the demand. You could offer to pay but they would say no. Anyway, it could potentially cost thousands, even tens of thousands. If you had that kind of money you might as well just pay for FTTPoD.

3. An Openreach or BT Engineer wouldn’t be able to tell you any different.

Re: my local cabinet is full

imjolly — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 21:16:36 GMT

Sorry but you either have to wait for someone moving and giving up their connection or openreach making a decision to upgrade the cabinet which may or may not happen. There is nothing you can do to get openreach to increase capacity and certainly not just one port

Re: my local cabinet is full

ChrisB6 — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 22:14:36 GMT

thanks @Starwire , I wish I could get FTTP , I did register my interest on a BT Openreach link a few weeks back.

Re: my local cabinet is full

ChrisB6 — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 22:19:10 GMT

thanks @imjolly . I appreciate the responses tonight.

I had a bad feeling there would be nothing I could do but it was worth asking in case there was a way to get it upgraded.

shame but I guess I'll keep pestering the neighbours lol

thanks again

Re: my local cabinet is full

licquorice — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 22:28:25 GMT

Just bear in mind that the so called 'waiting list' doesn't seem to exist in reality and regular viewing of the checker to catch a vacant slot and place an order is a must.

Re: my local cabinet is full

ChrisB6 — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 22:34:37 GMT

yeah, I can imagine ....
I've signed up for a gerbil in a wheel powered line for now and I have the direct email and phone line to the agent as I had explained all of this to them when signing up. they said they would run a test each week and upgrade me as soon as possible if a port becomes available.. its all I can do like you say.
I'll also run some line checks weekly and if my offerings change I'll try to nab them...

Re: my local cabinet is full

cotsy2 — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 21:13:58 GMT

Curious if the port ever freed up for you? if so how long did you wait?

Re: my local cabinet is full

licquorice — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 21:25:13 GMT

Even if it did, it is irrelevant to your situation. A port will only come free for one of 2 reasons. Extra capacity is added to a sub optimally equipped cabinet, or much more likely, a customer ceases their service on a fully equipped cabinet.

The situation for each cabinet is unique.

Re: my local cabinet is full

ChrisB6 — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 21:54:44 GMT

Sorry for the delayed reply,

yes we did get a port eventually, it took about 2 months from when I originally posted. I simply checked the phone line against the BT checker for speed availability every other day and one night it showed up. So I immediately rang my provider and got my service upgraded. There had been a few people move home at the time so I think I managed to nab one of their ports when they moved .

Re: my local cabinet is full

pyrotenax — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 16:17:49 GMT

Glad it worked out for you.

Sometimes the impossible does happen 👍

Re: my local cabinet is full

Norma3 — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 11:39:26 GMT

Hi I’m having the same issue and can you advise me on where you were checking to see when a spare portal came available
Thanks

Re: my local cabinet is full

imjolly — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 11:43:20 GMT

the link in message2