Virgin 'Fibre' Broadband

Buzby

I came across a VM stand in a shopping mall, advertising 'Fibre' broadband. As a VM customer of some 15 years, I wondered how/when I would get this 'fibre BB' from my existing copper co-ax. So I asked when I would get fibre - "it's there now!" I was told by the salesman.

Where was it? He explained; "It runs up to just outside your property, then changes to copper as it comes into your house'. So it's not fibre to the house, then? I queried. He explained it was as 'good as', clearly never heareing that a chain is only as good as its weakest link.

He continued; "We would not deliver fibre INTO your house, for health and safety reasons." Really? What issues were those? "Fibre optic cables use lasers... if the dog chewed through the cable, VM would not want to be respondible for the issues, and that is why nobody delivers fibre to the consumer."

I asked what would be the H&S issues if the same dog bit through the mains cable of the TV or TiVo box.... less of a risk? He said electricity wasn't the same. Pointing out at least 1 company delivers fibre to the door (BT also did this as part of a trial) and found no safety issues - only cost, but I digress).

So, with VM and almost everyone else not delivering broadband to the door by fibre, these claims are just marketing buzz and as usual, misleading. It's nice to see VM employing contractors willing to perpetrate the myth....

Oh how I laughed.....

penrhyn

I'm very worried about the optical cable that runs from the TV to the soundbar. If the cat chews it I'll be fried by the laser.

kwikbreaks

The sad thing is he may well have believed at least some of what he said and then started making it up as he went along when you questioned him.

Would you really expect anybody with in-depth technical knowledge to be handing out leaflets in a shopping centre?

Nearest fibre with Virgin could be anything up to half a mile or so away then after that it's just (amplified) coax. Of course for some it could be in the big street cabinet just the other side of their garden wall but the performance would be the same in either case.

custardy

Does it matter?

spike7451

When I started with NTL way back in 1998,all the new salespeople & staff who dealt directly with the public,spent a week out with us installing so they could see what actually went into the various types of install.
Although it didn't stop some salespeople miss selling tho.

kwikbreaks

@custardy

Mine used to look like that (except my area has had the upstream upgrade). It's now oversold (possibly by pimply BSers in the local shopping centre) and the performance on my 50Mbps frequently dropped to the 10Mbps level. The projected fix is three months away and a quick scan through the community forum shows that these upgrades frequently slip and often by months. I downgraded to 10Mbps and my next move will probably be to a proper fibre service once BT get their finger out and install it in my area.

For a high percentage of their customers cable is very very good but it can all go pear shaped very quickly indeed - especially now they are selling 100Mbps with 10Mbs upstream on local pipes that have a total of 200Mbps down and 18Mbps upstream capacity. All it needs is one 100Mbps customer hammering torrents and you have very little upstream left to support the other 100 or so customers on that tiny pipe.

Buzby

As Spike notes, I'm aware of how NTL took the sales team out and showed them the custoemr infrastructure to give them an insight into the way it worked. It helped some and confused others, however - whilst I don't expect sales teams to to know the full ins an outs, I DO expect honesty - and if they don't know, SAY SO or volunteer to find out from someone who does.

Making up a reason, and as facile as H&S issues go, this one was a doozey, cheapens the brand and does them as mis-service.

Of course, selling 'Fibre Broadband' was a good start, even ADSL customers get this, only it stops a little further away than with most VM cable connections. Another of the reasons why the ASA didn'r complain about the Fibre Broadband claims, as even those on the national (non-cable) service will have part of their infrastructure delivered by fibre.

Microwave broadband, anyone?

:T

liam8282

Are these the same lasers as used in Star Wars, or just the rubbish ones used in Star Trek?

adouglasmhor

liam8282 wrote: »

Are these the same lasers as used in Star Wars, or just the rubbish ones used in Star Trek?

[nerd]they had Phasers in Star Trek[/nerd]

liam8282

adouglasmhor wrote: »

[nerd]they had Phasers in Star Trek[/nerd]

I was nearly interested in buying until you said that, you wouldn't make a good VM salesperson. :T