Posted: 23rd Jun, 2011 By: MarkJ
BTOpenreach, which is responsible for ensuring that all rival UK ISPs have equality of access to BT's local telecommunications network, has confirmed that its existing
Basic Line Test service will soon be able to identify and locate unbundled ( LLU ) end-user broadband lines that suffer from
High Resistance (HR) faults.
On the surface this might sound like a minor change, and it is, but many consumers frequently experience "
significant"
broadband performance or connectivity problems (e.g. unstable connections, loss of sync, reduced speeds etc.) that can be traced back to HR. This is caused by all sorts of things, such as
water ingress into cables (especially tedious during the winter months).
Unfortunately detecting HR problems and then locating the cause can be a challenge. Enter BT's new
Copper Integrated Demand Testing (CIDT) solution, which is being trialled for use by unbundled LLU operators (e.g. Sky Broadband , TalkTalk , O2 etc.).
BTOpenreach Statement
Openreach is planning to make CIDT available to all CPs on lines connected to EVOTAM or LLUTAM at exchanges which have already been enabled as part of the CIDT roll-out programme from mid-September 2011. A phased roll-out to most of the remaining exchanges will follow and should be completed by June 2012.
BT claims that this new upgrade, which is being
trialled from 25th July 2011 in 119 exchanges equally split across Durham, Wirral and South Liverpool, Gloucester and Portsmouth, will deliver a "
better end user experience" and "
increased customer satisfaction from more sophisticated fault detection and less complaints".
It's important to stress that broadband performance and connectivity issues on copper DSL lines can also be caused by all sorts of other problems, such as poor home wiring and your distance from the local telephone exchange.
UPDATE 29th November 2011The trial went extremely well and identified 96% of High Resistance (HR) faults. The roll-out is now due for completion by the end of June 2012. CIDT is already available on 90% of lines connected to EVOTAM or LLUTAM at enabled exchanges.