BT Wholesale Broadband Checker Adds More FTTC Speed Details

BT Wholesale have once again updated their broadband availability checker and this time they’ve added some additional information to help with the speed predictions on ‘up to’ 80Mbps capable Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) broadband lines (aka – “fibre broadband” as some ISPs describe it).

As spotted by Thinkbroadband, the checker has now split its general estimate for FTTC speeds into two categories – Range A (Clean) and Range B (Impacted). According to BT, the term “Clean” relates to a line which is free from any wiring issues (i.e. in good condition) and the term “Impacted” relates to a line which may have wiring problems (e.g. poor extension wiring etc.).

The two categories are important because BTOpenreach are about to start making a new self-install FTTC service available to consumers (currently being tested by ISPs like Sky), which will save a little money and possibly deliver shorter contract terms by allowing people to order the service without the need for an engineer to enter their homes and do the setup properly (i.e. you’ll just need to plug-in a special filter).

However Openreach has previously warned that “the use of microfilters may result in reduced speeds when compared to an engineer-based installation”, which is partly because an engineer often does more than just connect a filter. A proper engineer install ensures that the wiring is all in the best possible state and changes are made if necessary. Simply plugging in a filter isn’t likely to resolve any underlying issues with the line and so those who opt for a self-install should perhaps pay more attention to the results for the new FTTC Range B (Impacted).

On the other hand the self-installation option, once it becomes available, should be perfectly fine for most people and in the grander scheme of things you probably won’t need to worry. Similarly speed estimates like the ones that BT provide tend not to be very reliable anyway and it’s similarly difficult to account for tricky problems, such as random impulse noise caused by high speed trains (i.e. if you live near a railway line).

At the end of the day if you are worried about a loss of FTTC performance, which is more likely to be a concern for those at the outer edges of the technologies reach, then spending a little extra now for a full engineer install could in the long run end up saving you money and hassle.