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Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Haggini — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 10:05:44 GMT

I am a returning customer to BT - coming back from Sky. I use my own modem and router - have done with both BT and SKY fibre products in the past.

Whilst at SKY I was achieving consistently a download speed of 60-70mbs and upload of 20mbs.

Having now switched back to BT Fibre 2, which states average speeds of;

Download speed - 67 mbs
Upload speed - 19mbs

Why am I now only achieving speeds of 50mbs and <10mbs?

The only difference here is ISP - all equipment and cabling is the same - this leads me to assume that I am being capped in some way?

Here are historic graphs from my ORBI router showing the drop in speeds since returning to BT.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

naylor2006 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 10:26:31 GMT

Aren't Sky one of the folks who have their own equipment in the exchange...even if it is rebranded Openreach stuff?

Potentially there is a difference.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Haggini — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:18:34 GMT

I don't personally know enough to confirm that - but that would be one differentiator if correct.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:21:31 GMT

Sounds like you're on a Fibre 1 profile. Try CS & see if they can check, but it often needs Moderator involvement to resolve.

You may ned to temporarily connect the BT/EE Hub you were sent before calling, or they'll likely wash their hands of the issue if they can't see it.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Haggini — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:31:33 GMT

Thanks, I spoke to tech support (plugging back in my BT hub etc).

They informed me that, having spoken to sales, I'm getting the 'max speeds that I paid for' and that there are no products that offer faster speeds available to me.

Now, BT Fibre 2 is marketed as uncapped / unlimited usage etc with average download speeds of 67mbs and upload of 19mbs. That's what I'm expecting when I sign up for the service - and it's what I know the infrastructure here can support.

Looking at what I was sent after signing up - I noticed this table in the order email. This whole section is labelled as a prediction, but I note two lines labelled as 'maximum' and 'minimum' - these match what i'm seeing in my speeds. Why are my service levels being capped - and to what look like Fibre 1 limits?

Broadband speeds

We predict you'll get the following speeds:

Your estimated download speed: 49Mbps - 50Mbps

Your estimated upload speed: 8Mbps - 9Mbps

Your Stay Fast download speed: 45Mbps

Your maximum download speed will be: 51Mbps

Your maximum upload speed will be: 9Mbps

Your minimum upload speed will be: 8Mbps

On average, customers with the same broadband package get a download speed of 67Mbps

I've always defended BT as a great ISP and have spent nearly 15 years with them - but this is the first time that I can't help but feel a bit cheated. I know my infrastructure can achieve the higher performance levels of the service, it's why I selected Fibre 2. I certainly don't expect BT to cap me to min/max rates?

Has anyone else experienced this and how did you resolve?

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

imjolly — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:43:22 GMT

assuming you did only ordered broadband only package can you enter your address and post results to show what is available to you and hopefully confirm fibre 2 available

like @Anonymous posted it does look like you have a fibre 1 profile

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

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Haggini — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:54:34 GMT

Hi, thanks for your reply.

Here are the results;

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

licquorice — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 15:14:14 GMT

Easy enough to prove if you are on the wrong profile. What are your noise margins? If they are greater than 6dB, it will indicate you gave been capped on a fibre1 profile.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Haggini — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 15:17:44 GMT

Thanks, how do I check my noise profile?

To confirm previous question - broadband only package, no landline.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

licquorice — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 15:29:42 GMT

No idea, you haven't said what modem you have. If you put the hub back on line it is shown in advanced settings>technical log> information

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Haggini — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 16:09:41 GMT

Ok, using the BTHomehub here's a screenshot of the noise stats - and the others around it.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

licquorice — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 16:19:41 GMT

You haven't shown the actual speed, it's the line above the first line of your screenshot. However, the max data rate and noise margins indicate you are on the wrong profile.

Call customer services and get them to realise your line is misconfigured.

Post back if you get no sense from them and we can get the mods involved.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Haggini — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 16:33:50 GMT

Apologies - here it is with the additional line:

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

licquorice — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 16:49:45 GMT

That definitely confirms fibre1 profile.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

TimCurtis — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 16:52:14 GMT

@Haggini

Well that's a Fibre 1 profile not Fibre 2.

Assuming you actually ordered Fibre 2 then you've been put on the wrong profile and your line is certainly capable of attaining maximum Fibre 2 speeds as you had with Sky.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Haggini — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 17:08:48 GMT

Hi,

Thanks all, comforting to know I’m not barking up the wrong tree.

I definitely ordered Fibre 2, it’s shows up on my BT account as my active broadband product and I asked the customer services team to also confirm it when they were looking at my account, which they did.

I’ll try CS and report back if no progress.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Haggini — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:52:25 GMT

Ok - just spent a 2 hour plus call passed around various teams, until I reached the loyalty team who assured me they would call me back (I assume not tonight).

The summary is:

#1 - Tech Support - nothing they could do, didn't understand it themselves but kept saying the cap was a sales issue. Was told by 'sales' that I was getting what my 'package' said I'd get. After reiterating that I signed up for Fibre 2, not Fibre 2 budget, or Fibre 2 mid, or Fibre 2 premium - that there is one package with an upper limit of ~70/20 which I can certainly achieve at my address - he sent me on to the value team.

#2 Value Team - more promising initial response, couldn't understand why capped. Unfortunately, they then put me on hold with no explanation as to why... then 30 minutes later, to my surprise another person picked up.

#3 ??? Team - no idea what team they were from, seemed like I'd gone in circles a bit, but started by doing a speed test after I outlined my situation again. They confirmed again that capped at 50mbs dl. I explained that I kept hearing this was a sales issue and related to my 'package' which I said was beginning to feel a bit dishonest - id signed up to Fibre 2 under the impression there were no caps or limits and I would achieve what my infrastructure could deliver. They then passed me onto another team...

#4 - The loyalty team. I explained again my issue... they again said they would speak to sales, but rather than keep me on hold, they would call me back. Seemed genuine enough so hung up at this point. That was shortly before 9 so I assume they've shut up shop for the night now.

A 2 hour plus call... and I don't feel like I my issue was really understood nor was I given an adequate explanation as to why my service is being capped at such low values for a product which offers so much more.

Anyway... will see if there' a call back tomorrow.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

licquorice — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 21:01:56 GMT

Hmm, doesn't sound promising. Unfortunately all BTs records will show you have fibre2 but the problem is the circuit has been physically provisioned as fibre1 but BT will just take the records as being accurate.

Post back tomorrow if you don't get a call back and some progress.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Haggini — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 19:59:51 GMT

Update from yesterday.

Sadly my optimism was misplaced and with 1 minute to go before 2100 (CS closing time) no one from the loyalty team has got back to me. Monitoring my speed across today, I consistently max out around the minimum guaranteed speed of 45mbs and generally no higher, with an upload of ~8mbs.

Having consistently enjoyed my 70/20 with SKY on the same equipment for 2 years, to say I’m disappointed is an understatement. Exploring the option of returning to SKY, I noticed on their website that they now also state that for my address the best they can offer is 45 guaranteed and 50 max. I cannot believe that overnight, coincidentally at the same time I changed contract, the infrastructure in my area has deteriorated and cannot better 45/8. I assume those estimates are given to them by BT so does that demonstrate the profile for the circuit has been changed to Fibre 1 (I'm no expert in this)?

I don’t know if the moderators can help with this – but I would appreciate it, even if ultimately it proves fruitless.

Re: Returning to BT from Sky - why are my connection speeds now limited?

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 20:12:14 GMT

@Haggini

Speed estimates are downgraded as more customers are connected to the cabinet. This is due to crosstalk between local cable pairs, and is unavoidable on VDSL, due to the high frequencies used, which copper pairs were never intended to carry.

Openreach provide expected speed ranges, based on the performance of individual customer lines. This has nothing to do with any ISP.

Re-contracting customers who may have been on ADSL, are only offered FTTC , so that means more users on the cabinet.