MSE News: Rural areas set for cheaper broadband

macman

You misunderstand LLU. It's not exchanges overall that are 'upgraded to LLU'. BT have to allow access to LLU anywhere if the ISP's want it. But on the smaller exchanges like yours, the ISP's could never recoup their investment.
Typical small exchange of 3,000 susbscribers-they might get maybe 10% of that market. 300 customers will not justify the huge investment required to LLU it.
02 are free to LLU your exchange if they wish to.

Goinker

I've recently been able to renegotiate my broadband cost with BT. To be honest, the service I receive (1/2 meg at best) is nothing short of pathetic, but by paying line rental (£120) up front for a year, I've been able to get broadband reduced to £4.99 a month, which is a much more realistic cost for the service I get. I will have to go through the whole exercise again after a year, but it's less hassle than changing providers, which is what I threatened to do to get the cost reduction. Since I live in a rural area, and at the far end of a farm lane, there's little chance of an upgrade to the exchange and even less chance of a fibre-optic setup anytime soon, so the best I could hope for was the cost reduction I achieved. As with many things, if you don't ask, you don't get.