Cannot Order 900mbps Despite Showing Available on BT Wholesale

[BenHughesDS]

In that case I am truly perplexed at why the house attached to mine (an exact mirror) has got 900mbps.  Surely we would be connected to the same source.

Why can they not just upgrade the ECI headend?  Like I say I have been on the phone with Openreach who have given me very specific details about my connection.  They do not see the problem, surely they should easily be able to identify that it is legacy equipment?

Oh well, I have two open complaints with BT, one of which has forced an Openreach engineer out to mine next week under the basis of replacing the ECI stuff.  I'm just going to keep full-on Karen'ing it until someone budges.  Luckily I WFH so can spend hours on hold each time if I need to.

[yorkspark]

---

@BenHughesDSwrote:

In that case I am truly perplexed at why the house attached to mine (an exact mirror) has got 900mbps.  Surely we would be connected to the same source.

Why can they not just upgrade the ECI headend? Because they would have to replace everyone's equipment connected to the eci headend at exactly the same time, and then remove the eci kit and fit its replacement in the exchange, like i said, logistical nightmare. Like I say I have been on the phone with Openreach who have given me very specific details about my connection.  They do not see the problem, surely they should easily be able to identify that it is legacy equipment?

Oh well, I have two open complaints with BT, one of which has forced an Openreach engineer out to mine next week under the basis of replacing the ECI stuff.  Cannot just replace the ont, if an engineer does just change the ont for nokia etc, then you will not have any internet, eci only talks to eci so it wont be done. I'm just going to keep full-on Karen'ing it until someone budges. They wont. Luckily I WFH so can spend hours on hold each time if I need to. Your choice, but be aware, ive been on eci for 10years with no openreach plan to upgrade, and 330 is more than adequate. 1st world problems eh!

---

[BenHughesDS]

OK so let me get my head around this (learning a lot BTW, thanks).

I have FTTP which is connected to a fibre node "nearby" (not cabinet) and that node has a legacy head end made by ECI which is only capable of outputting 330/50 to everyone's ONT.  This is not specific to one customer's connection but to the entire base served by that node?

I suppose in that case I'd ask:

a) What happens if my ONT got damaged - as I understand it there is no replacements available for the ECI ONT?  They'd have to replace it with Nokia/Huawei?

b) How come BT says my neighbour could order 900mbps but not me?  Given we're attached I'd be VERY surprised if we were attached to different nodes.  If we in fact are, can I not tap into that node given we literally share a wall?

The Openreach engineer who was round yesterday noted that next door had slightly newer gear.  Do you think it is at all possible that my ECI ONT is limiting me but the head end has actually been upgraded (bear in mind I got an email from Openreach Sept' 2023 that suggested as such)?  I know you said ECI only talks to ECI but is that in both directions?

[yorkspark]

---

@BenHughesDSwrote:

OK so let me get my head around this (learning a lot BTW, thanks).

I have FTTP which is connected to a fibre node "nearby" (not cabinet) and that node has a legacy head end made by ECI which is only capable of outputting 330/50 to everyone's ONT.  This is not specific to one customer's connection but to the entire base served by that node?

I suppose in that case I'd ask:

a) What happens if my ONT got damaged - as I understand it there is no replacements available for the ECI ONT?  They'd have to replace it with Nokia/Huawei? They have eci ont replacements so any accidental/malicious damage is pointless.

b) How come BT says my neighbour could order 900mbps but not me?  Have they actually ordered though, or just been told they can? as they would probably be disappointed when openreach cannot give faster than 330.  Given we're attached I'd be VERY surprised if we were attached to different nodes.  If we in fact are, can I not tap into that node given we literally share a wall? No, each address is assigned a fibre and cannot be shared, they could be another node on the pole, and no, you cannot swop nodes as it will need new routing, programming and a new nad key ie a logistical nightmare, and openreach wont do it.

The Openreach engineer who was round yesterday noted that next door had slightly newer gear.  Do you think it is at all possible that my ECI ONT is limiting me but the head end has actually been upgraded (bear in mind I got an email from Openreach Sept' 2023 that suggested as such)?  I know you said ECI only talks to ECI but it that in both directions? Yes, eci is eci only both ways, your neighbours probably on a different headend and node,  on my local pole there is 2x sets of nodes, 1 for long time connections and 1 for new connections ie all new customers connect to the new node and the original node only has 4x customers and you cannot swop.

---

[iniltous]

ONT’s and OLT ( headend ) from different manufacturers can and do work with each other ( so Nokia ONT with Huawei headends )  although no new Huawei kit is installed by Openreach.

As explained , it’s not likely that ECI ONT were given any firmware changes to give interoperability with other vendors OLT as this would need ECI to provide this ( and they were no longer a supplier) , but it’s possible that if a near neighbour is genuinely getting greater than 330 Mb from the same headend, then that headend cannot be ECI and some  system software somewhere is capable of realising that you have an ECI ONT and that is what the limiting factor ,but if that all the problem was , then the solution is obvious, replace the ECI ONT with Adtran or Nokia, but it’s not likely to be that simple.
TBH , are you sure that your neighbour as well as being able to order 900 ( after all you can order it ) but have they actually had it provided ?

[BenHughesDS]

@yorkspark 

I thank you for your reply, however my jaw is actually on the floor with what you are telling me.  I'm not debating it's the truth, I just cannot belive that "Openreach wont do it" just because it's a logistical nightmare.  Why should that matter?  Every bit of information I've been given suggests I shouldn't be limited, and when Openreach have contacted me surely they would have a record of any limitations of legacy equipment.  In fact, one of the Openreach reps even said BT had to place a modify order with BT Wholesale (as opposed to a new order with Openreach) to change my speeds/package - I would assume advising this would indicate that upgrade is possible.

Nevertheless I'm going to keep at them even if you think it's futile.  I'm assuming you have experience with pressuring them to do something about it in the past and getting nowhere.  Can I ask, what does your Openreach/BT Wholesale availability look like?  Did you get any emails from Openreach saying you can now get 900mbps?

[BenHughesDS]

@iniltous

Thanks for the reply.  All the data I have suggests that I am not limited by a legacy OLT, however I was told by the last Openreach visit (yesterday) that no-one would see the ONT as a limiting factor i.e. BT.  What you are saying appear to suggest otherwise.

I have an engineer visit on Monday where they are supposed to be bringing a newer ONT - I guess if they plug this in and it works that the OLT is definitely not ECI and I can move on with my life.

To tell you the truth I am going by the BT broadband availability checker (not the wholesale site, the regular retail one).  It says they could order 900mbps, whereas it only gives me 300mbps option at best.  EE and Plusnet say I can get 900mbps, but 5no orders with the former have failed (even though the error I get suggests a data integrity error).

I will try and catch them to see if they pay for more than 300, but the BT retail site showing different options is my evidence here.  I have had this ONT for over 10 years now, I got it installed when 300mbps was like future stuff!

[yorkspark]

This is mine,  still shows 1000 however eci limits it to 330, i get offered faster every renewal until i tell them i cant as on eci and they check. The mailings are generic and i get them all the time, however on mybt, it knows I'm limited and doesn't offer greater than 330/50.

[BenHughesDS]

@yorkspark 

Thanks for that, here's mine.  Looks a little different in places, anything pop out?

[iniltous]

Although it’s a fairly simple process, it’s not just a case of swapping an ECI ONT for a Nokia or Adtran ONT ,and away you go , the OLT needs to be ‘told’ the serial number of the new ONT , the new ONT needs authentication on the existing OLT , but that would be the same if your ONT developed a fault and needed replacement, so not a big deal .
Generally with OR Gb capable kit , the same manufacturer ( vendor ) doesn’t need to be at both ends , but as ECI was always something if a stop gap , that may require matching ONT/OLT , ask Openreach  if they are providing you with a new ECI ONT or Nokia/Adtran .
Unfortunately I think its more likely to be a physical ECI headend limitation at 330Mb , rather than a data problem , that is correctly offering you 1Gb at retail level , and at the BTw level ( the DSL checker ) ,but somehow a rouge system message from Openreach is incorrectly advising the ISP of  this 330Mb limit after all why would OR upgrade a FTTP system to a ‘better’ FTTP system when there are many areas still with ADSL /FTTC , if you were OR , where would you concentrate your efforts ? but who knows , perhaps the splitter nodes that were once parented on an ECI OLT have been offloaded onto a different Gb compatible OLT and it’s just a data problem and not a physical one.