Limited choice of Broadband due to underground copper cabling

KenEarl

I am currently with Virgin Broadband paying £42 per month getting 100mbps speeds.

Next year I intend to change to a cheaper provider but as we have BT copper cabling coming into the house, the most other providers can offer is around 17mbps (but I would expect based on previous experience, the speeds will be considerably lower and unstable; more likely 3mbps).

The main issue here is that the phone cabling is underground so not an easy problem to fix and I expect as the estate was built around 20 years ago all our neighbours are in the same situation.

As I work from home I need a stable and decent connection (probably don't require 100mbps, would probably be fine with half that speed). But that means that to get a decent connection I am tied to Virgin.

I very much doubt that if I switched to another provider they would take responsibility and change the cabling to improve the speeds.

Obviously others are in or have been in this situation - has anyone had any luck resolving this? 

Norman_Castle

I've got copper cabling under the garden but get 60+ mbps. I suspect speed at your nearest cabinet is the problem.

flaneurs_lobster

If your 4G/5G coverage is good you could consider a solution like Three's https://www.three.co.uk/store/broadband/home-broadband 

The cost would certainly be cheaper.

Other mobile services have similar solutions. Some users have reported variable speeds if you are in an area that might get congested.

littleboo

Your options are:
Wait until Openreach upgrade your area to full fibre
Wait and see if an alternative provider decides to lay full fibre to your area
Look at 4G/5G as mentioned above

Ozzig

If you've not already, pop your address in here and see what's available from your cabinet ...

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome

iniltous

Its entirely possible that the OP is quoting what they think is available from years ago (ADSL) when it’s possible that faster FTTC/VDSL be available, I’m on FTTC and get 80Mb , I got 3Mb when I was in ADSL …as already stated the OP needs to use the DSL checker ( using the address option as they don’t currently have ‘BT’ type service) to see what’s speed is genuinely available 

macman

The majority of BT landlines are copper, and come in underground. The problem ones are the few that used aluminium, which I don't think has been installed for decades.
Why not ask your neighbours what they can get?
The problem is much more likely to be distance from the street cab, unless FTTP is available.

ossie48

We get superb internet from our copper cable at least 64 mbps. I actually binned Virgin / cable as the BT line is so much more reliable. We also have a couple of folk at home who play some pretty intense online computer games, stream Netflix etc with absolutely no issues.

That said we have a BT fibre box, albeit its 500 yards or so up the street. 

If Virgin are there with cable, BT will bust a gut to get in on the act so as suggested check they don't have a box nearby. If so nothing at all wrong with the quality. 

artyboy

OP - if you're happy with Virgin apart from the price (and I'd agree that £42 for 100MB is insane) then you should be able to get them down to less than half what you're currently paying, as soon as your current contract ends. I just got 200MB for under £20/month - yes it requires going through the motions of cancelling, before you get through to anyone that will give you a good price. But you never actually get cut off...

Look at the Virgin retentions thread on here for more info. And when you do end up speaking with them, make sure you know what the cheapest available new customer deals are so you can twist their arm.