Copper/ASDL Broadband

[JimmyVee]

Hi. I’m in an area where fibre broadband is available, but doesn’t actually extend to my house, so I am still on copper/ASDL connection as is everyone on my road. On New Year’s Day a tree came down and took out the phone line and the estimated date of repair is the 10th of January, which I think is I acceptable. However, my question is that after looking at my bills, I see I am being charged for fibre broadband despite not actually receiving it, so can anybody tell me why this is and should I be due a refund for the last two years? Each time I have renewed my contract, (4 times) I have stressed that although I’m in a fibre area, it doesn’t actually extend to my house and that I shouldn’t be charged for it and now I notice, (yes, two years later and it’s my own stupid fault) that I have been. Looking forward to hearing what people have to say. Thanks 

[Keith_Beddoe]

@JimmyVee 

Welcome to this user forum for BT Retail phone and broadband customers.

VDSL is also delivered over copper cable, as well as ADSL. BT call VDSL a fibre connection which is misleading as its only fibre to the cabinet.

What speed do you normally get when your broadband is working?

[iniltous]

As stated , products called ‘fibre’ are  normally when the fibre is to the cabinet ( FTTC ) and the last ‘leg’ of the connection is a copper pair from the cabinet to your home ( thank Virgin for this,  as they started this by calling their hybrid fibre/copper service ‘fibre’ , so if it was OK for them , then it’s understandable why others copied what they got away with ) latterly, with the widespread availability of FTTP ( fibre to the premises ) most providers differentiate FTTC from FTTP , by calling FTTP ‘full fibre’ , and FTTC just ‘fibre’ .

There is no price difference with BT , so if you have 80Mb broadband on FTTC it’s no more expensive than someone on 80Mb on FTTP , the price is for the ‘speed’ , not the medium that delivers it , but the FTTP customer has the option to get faster speeds ( 150, 300, 500 or 900Mb ) because unlike FTTC , FTTP can deliver those speeds

[Jane2018]

I have always had a trade descriptions issue of fibre being used for copper wire. In fact I think Ofcom are looking at something similar at present. We have fibre at home which is  about 20Mbs speed over copper over head wires. I don't think they should be allowed to call it fibre when it is not fibre optic cable.

[imjolly]

OFCOM are making changes for use 'fibre' description

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2023/12/new-ofcom-uk-rules-to-stop-misleading-use-of-fibre-bro...

Will not change that broadband packages cost the same however it is delivered - copper or copper/fibre or fibre

[iniltous]

OK , I will humour you , if what you purchased was called ‘hybrid copper/fibre’ instead of just fibre , but everything else was the same , the speed it delivers to your location, and the price you pay , would you have not purchased it ?, if you claim you wouldn’t have taken FTTC if it were called hybrid perhaps you can explain why , after all it’s only the omission of the word ‘hybrid’ , that is the complaint.

I would imagine that you had ADSL previously, only an idiot would move from ADSL to FTTC if there wasn’t a worthwhile increase in speed,  so presumably the increase in speed ( that was spelled out before you signed up and if not delivered allows you to leave penny free ) was what persuaded you to ‘upgrade’ , not the ‘title’ of the product, and as already stated Virgin called their hybrid copper fibre system ‘fibre’ first ,  and no one complained about that .

[HHGTTG]

I've certainly no intention of 'upgrading' to FTTC or FTTP until such time as my ADSL is turned off presumably at the end of 2025.
The trouble is that the BT sales people will be contacting me before March when my current contract expires and any new contract seems to mandate FTTC so perhaps i can just refuse to renew any long term contract with them.

[imjolly]

@HHGTTG 

I thought this had previously been covered  your copper ADSL connection will not be turned off it is PSTN which is being terminated which is ability to make/receive phone calls over copper.  if you want to continue to have house phone then you will need to move to digital voice which can be provided over you existing adsl connection

[HHGTTG]

Yes I was just mentioning it again as an aside and confirmation. Yes, I know that PSTN is being switched off necessitating DV. 

[chrisjp]

"I've certainly no intention of 'upgrading' to FTTC or FTTP until such time as my ADSL is turned off presumably at the end of 2025."
I would comment that when I upgraded from ADSL to FTTC (VDSL) my broadband download speed increased from around 6-7Mbps to around 60Mbps. So this was a VERY worthwhile upgrade and it meant that streaming TV actually worked seamlessly with no buffering.
If you use your broadband for anything other than emails then I would advise you not to dismiss an offer of an ADSL to VDSL upgrade.