Wiltshire Online have advised that Enford is now connected
to fibre broadband! I have done a quick postcode check using the Wiltshire
Online postcode checker – all postcodes in the parish (with 2 exceptions) are
described as ‘GONE LIVE’. The exceptions (which are both described as ‘FUTURE
FUNDING’) are:
SN9 6DE – Coombe, SN9 6DQ –
Fifield
Surprisingly, we in Coombe Lane (SN9 6DF) are also described
as ‘GONE LIVE’ despite Wiltshire Online notifying me in December that we were
definitely NOT going to be included in the fibre rollout programme. This also
seems a bit odd, particularly as we are next door to Coombe and Fifield – one
would think that we would share the same status.
I (naively) thought that we would all immediately benefit
from a fibre connection, but it is not so. Apparently you are still connected
to the exchange via the existing infrastructure until such time that you
arrange (through your ISP) to upgrade to a ‘fibre’ package. At which point your
line is disconnected from the old infrastructure (inside the cabinet) and
plugged instead into a new board which is connected to the fibre going back to
the exchange. At the same time, your ISP should also supply you with a new
router, as the standard (ADSL) routers are not compatible with a fibre
connection. Presumably there will be some increase in subscription charges as
well.
These are the handful of reports I have received from people
who have already upgraded:
Longstreet
|
74Mbps
|
Enford Farm Road
|
42Mbps
|
Chisenbury Court
|
10Mbps
|
Far end of E Chisenbury
|
8 Mbps
|
On average looks to be a 10x – 15x improvement.
Interestingly, I contacted our ISP (Plusnet) to enquire
about upgrading but there are no upgrade options for Coombe Lane. A resident in
New Buildings was also told the same by her ISP (Sky), and another resident in
East Chisenbury was told by his ISP (BT) that a fibre connection was not
available, that the exchange had reached capacity and he would not be able to
get connected until it is upgraded. It seems that ‘GONE LIVE’ does not necessarily
mean the same thing to all people!
