Expressing interest

The local authorities running the superfast broadband projects would dearly like you to express your interest in receiving (and paying for) a superfast broadband service. In the case of Northamptonshire the objective is to deliver at least 30 Mbits/s downstream speeds using either BT or Fujitsu depending who wins the local tender via the BDUK Framework. There's a simple survey form to fill in to express your support for the Northants project - residents of Nassington and Yarwell please click here and fill it in !


Cambridgeshire and Peterborough City have combined forces with their "Connecting Cambridgeshire" initiative which has a new website. Their tender is an open competitive bid and at the time of writing I don't know who is in the running or what they are being asked to provide, though downstream speeds of at least 24M seem likely. If you live in Thornhaugh, Sibson, Sutton, Stibbington, Wansford south of the river and especially Wittering then please register your interest !

Northamptonshire's bid has been promoted to the BDUK "first wave" according to press reports, looks like good news.

ADSL2+ from BT at Wansford

Yes, ADSL2+ is now running on Wansford exchange from BT Wholesale. Above photo taken from a house in Wansford between church and Doctor's surgery, ISP is BT (BT Total Broadband).

Talk Talk and Sky have been using ADSL2+ for about a year, variously marketed as "up to 20M" or "up to 24M" etc. Anything over 8M is ADSL2 or 2+ and usually comes with a faster upload speed of 800-1000 k which is helpful for sending large files, photos etc.

Also witnessed ADSL2+ in Thornhaugh on longer line below, note the upstream speed of 889k. BT Total Broadband again, but other ISPs use the same kit. In general ADSL2+ gives a boost of 300-500k on the downstream speed on longer lines, you have to have a short line with a speed over 5M to get a bigger increase.

BT to upgrade Wansford exchange

According to Cambs County Council at

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/CMSWebsite/Apps/News/Details.aspx?ref=401&HighContrast=yes

BT will be upgrading Wansford exchange to provide ADSL2+ "up to 20M" services, no doubt inspired by the arrival of Talk Talk and Sky / Easynet who are already operating those services since mid 2011.

ADSL2+ increases the peak speed one might expect in Wansford itself and maybe out to a 1 mile radius. At the far end of range ADSL2 gives a speed boost of a few hundred kbits/s which may help Wittering and the further reaches of Nassington.