Guaranteed minimum speed

[gizz]

I have been with Now Broadband for the last 4 years and currently on monthly rolling 36Mps fab fibre.  My current guaranteed minimum speed is 27.4Mbps but in reality i am getting about 30.
I have recently been hit with big price rise so I contacted them to discuss deals and asked about upgrading to 64Mbps.  So they are saying if i recontract for 12 months on either of the 2 speeds my guaranteed minimum speed will go down to 25.4Mbps - on both the 36 and 64 fibre packages.  I find this quite strange that they want to reduce my guaranteed minimum speed so I said i needed to think about it.

So then I went on their website and did the coverage check on my flat which sure enough is only showing 25.4 max speeds on both products - but then i checked my neighbours flat - she is right next door to me, and she is getting 33.9 max speed for both,  and the flat right below mine (so only a slightly shorter amount of cable) is 36.3 max- and another neighbour on the same floor below is 45Mpbps max.

So how much attention should I pay to guaranteed minimum speed?  And is there any point in me upgrading to full fibre if my speeds won't ever go over the Fab Fibre?  The price is the same for both.

I was considering moving to a different provider - but i don't want to risk losing my phone number and not ready to move to digital line as elderly parents have care alarms etc set up and we need to keep disruption to a minimum.  Appreciate any advice in advance. Thanks

[gizz]

Sorry i mean superfast fibre (not full fibre) - cant find the edit button

[Jayach]

@gizz wrote:
So how much attention should I pay to guaranteed minimum speed?  And is there any point in me upgrading to full fibre if my speeds won't ever go over the Fab Fibre?  The price is the same for both.

I was considering moving to a different provider - but i don't want to risk losing my phone number and not ready to move to digital line as elderly parents have care alarms etc set up and we need to keep disruption to a minimum. 

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The guaranteed speed is based an a number of factors, including how the line has performed in the past. so that is why seemingly similar properties can differ slightly .

You (and your neighbours) are at a distance from the cabinet such that the higher level of VDSL connections are simply not viable for you.

You mention full fibre, but Now do not provide that, so is that an option where you live? Both of Now's fibre offerings are FTTC (copper to the home)

I understand your worries about digital voice, but you will probably have to go to that within a couple of years, so maybe start making plans.

[gizz]

Sorry I meant superfast fibre.  I don't think FTTP is available yet in my area. 
I was looking at Vodafone fibre 1 as a potential switch which also uses FTTC I think.  If we switch to Vodafone for the similar service does that mean the phone will not be moved to digital voice?  Is there anyway to know for sure before we switch?

[gizz]

@Jayach So since I am stuck with Now for now as i don't want a digital line, is there any point me upgrading from Fab Fibre to Superfast fibre since the price is the same - and also if I do upgrade will it need an engineer to visit?

[Jayach]

I can't see any point upgrading to superfast as I don't believe it will get anymore speed out of your line than Fab. But, no it wont need an engineer visit if you do.

If you want to see what Openreach think your line capable of, look here: https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

 If the phone number check doesn't work, use the address checker instead.

[gizz]

@JayachThank you - that link is showing high (clean) as 49 and impacted as 48 - and its showing the same values for all my neighbours too.
It does show the downstream handback (impacted) as 25.7 which would fit with what Now are saying. But Now are showing guaranteed speeds higher than this for my neighbours even though this BT page is the same for all of us.

It also says WBC FTTC is unavailable - but WBC SOGEA is available.
And it says FTTP is available on demand - with download speed of 330 and upload of 50.
It won't let me add a screenshot so hope what I am saying makes sense.

[Jayach · Accepted solution]

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@gizz wrote:
It won't let me add a screenshot so hope what I am saying makes sense.

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Yes complete sense, it does take a bit of working out.

Firstly FTTP on demand being available means they would be willing to run a Fibre to your premises, but if you were to ask the cost it would be astronomical, so don't bother.

WBC FTTC (Wholesale Broadband Connect, Fibre to the Cabinet) is no longer available (as a new service) to anyone as that is the service that includes connection to the PSTN. 

WBC SOGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access) is the broadband from Openreach without the PSTN, so any ISP using that (as most FTTC providers now do) have to be providing the phone service themselves (assuming they provide one at all, some no longer do). Most do it via VoIP, but as Now don't use VoIP, they presumably must be achieving it via the Sky LLU equipment in the exchanges. 

I suspect the slight difference between the flats are possibly due to the internal wiring in the building, which may not be the direct responsibility of Openreach. All you can really do is ensure the best connection you can get in your flat, so directly connected to the master socket (via the filter if needed) using the DSL cable supplied, and filters on any extension sockets (if you have them) that are in use.

I would try with the router in the test socket (if you have one) and see if the sync speeds improve.

[gizz]

@Jayach Thank you so much for explaining that all to me.

[RoyB]

@Jayach 

While you are on an explaining jag, can you tell me what’s going on here?

https://www.openreach.co.uk/cpportal/products/fibre-broadband/sogea

That ‘customer help’ starts off “Today’s customers don’t always want a home phone line…”

But then two of the three Benefits listed are about… home phones.

Does not compute?