Your Internet Connection
Because I live in a suburb of Greater London there are a variety of Internet Service Providers to choose from. There are multiple vendors offering fibre, cable, wireless and now even 5G solutions. I realise that not everyone is fortunate enough to have such a choice and that there is a great deal of “internet inequality” both in the UK and other countries. Big cities and centres of commerce always tend to have better investment in internet infrastructure. Hence those that live in rural areas will often have slower internet connections or little or no choice with regard to which company provides the service. Considering how essential internet access is these days, this is hardly a satisfactory or equitable state of affairs. Hence the universal provision of robust internet connections has become a regular manifesto pledge of all major UK political parties. However, in the meantime many people are still saddled with poor internet download speeds and unreliable services.
About six years ago, British Telecommunications (BT) started rolling out “Fibre to the Cabinet” (FTTC) internet connections in our area. This provides a fibre optic connection from the local telephone exchange to the local street cabinets (Outdoor Enclosures). The connection then continues to the customer address using the existing copper landline wiring. As with any vendor there were several domestic consumer tariffs available offering a range of download speeds and data packages. Our household chose a 75Mbps package with unlimited data download (subject to the usual small print). BT supplied a router (BT Home Hub 5) and a pair of Powerline Adaptors. We also signed up for the BT TV service which offers all free terrestrial digital TV channels with optional IPTV services. It runs via a bespoke DVR. At the time of purchase, these were all good quality services with a competitive price.
Four years on and things have changed. BT has renamed and altered their internet tariffs numerous times. There always seems to be a great offer available to new customers and yet existing account holders seldom get thrown a bone. BT TV suffers from the same problem that most other platforms that resell services do. Specifically, that channels come and go due to licencing arrangements and profitability issues. There are also a problems with channel picture quality. But for me the biggest issue is the internet connection itself. Our original tariff offered speeds up to 75Mbps, which in reality meant nearer 70Mbps. Due to substantial increases in demand our connection has now been downgraded to speeds up to 50Mbps. However at present the latest speed test I made using BT’s own diagnostic tools showed that we’re currently only getting around 43Mbps. Furthermore, the connection often goes offline around 1:00 AM; a time when I am frequently still working at my PC. Using BT’s fault diagnostic service I’ve determined that there are outstanding technical issues.
I have logged a fault with BT and they are giving it a degree of priority due to Mrs P health issues and my role as a carer for my parents. However, I do find the wider circumstances of this situation unsatisfactory. Many ISPs invest a great deal of time and money trying to attract new customers but focus far less resources on retaining them and ensuring that ongoing services are maintained in a suitable fashion. BT have lowered the criteria of some services simply because increased capacity has reduced the connection speeds. Sadly, these business issues are beyond my immediate control. I do have the option of moving to another vendor but that is not something I would do lightly. A change of ISP, done on a whim, may well lead to an excess of downtime. But there are other options that can improve the immediate situation. Obviously the engineer visit can address the line issues and I have requested the new BT Smart Hub 2 Router, along with their new Wifi Disc (extender). I’m curious to see what improvement this kit yields.
Routers supplied by the ISP often seem to be no more than adequate. A Google search provided multiple forums and subreddits about replacing BT kit with 3rd party routers and greatly improving not only wifi but the actual base internet connection speed. Some claimed it could see gains of an extra 10Mbps. Living in a solid, brick built bungalow from the 1930s certainly has an impact on wifi. I also suspect that this is the underlying reason behind a recurring problem I have with my Amazon Echo intermittently being unable to connect to Amazon Music or play internet radio channels. But replacing a router is a significant financial investment and technical undertaking. It also sticks in your throat when you consider that you already pay your ISP for this service. I think that as consumers we need to recalibrate our attitude towards internet access. Due to its inherent importance ISPs should not just forget customers once they sign a contract. Services should be continually reviewed and improved. BT has currently enjoyed over three decades of business from our household. Such patronage shouldn’t be taken for granted.
