What is Digital Durham about?
See the about Digital Durham webpage for more information.
What is fibre broadband?
Fibre broadband is the new generation of broadband – it’s faster, more reliable and uses a different technology to basic broadband.
Whilst traditional broadband (known as ADSL) is delivered through copper telephone lines, fibre broadband uses fibre optic cable to link between the customer and the exchange.Fibre broadband can be delivered in two ways:
- Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) uses fibre-optic cables throughout the network right up to the street cabinet. It then uses copper wires to connect the cabinet to homes and businesses. FTTC provides wholesale download speeds up to 80 Megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds up to 20Mbps.
- Fibre to the premises (FTTP) means fibre-optic cables run right to the door of the home or business. It provides wholesale download speeds up to 330Mbps and upload speeds up to 30Mbps.
The vast majority of work being completed through this programme will be FTTC.
By the end of September 2016, it is estimated that:
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- 94% of premises will have access to a superfast broadband service in excess of 24 megabits per second (Mbps) download speeds (96% of County Durham).
- 95% will have access to a fibre broadband service (Next Generation Access) – 98% of County Durham.
- All premises will be able to obtain a minimum service of 2 Mbps.
How do I know if my property is eligible for this programme?
European Union State Aid rules that we are only able to use public funding to upgrade broadband in areas where commercial network providers have no plans to make improvements.
Email digital.durham@durham.gov.uk with your telephone number, first line of address and postcode so we can identify if your property is eligible to be included in the programme.
When can I get fibre broadband?
Phase two is now in progress which runs until the end of December 2018.
Use the link on the Openreach website to check when service may be coming to your area.
If your premise can connect straightaway, contact your choice of Internet Service Provider (ISP) to place an order. Not all ISPs may choose to offer a fibre service.
Please note that fibre based broadband may not be available to the whole of one area on the same day.
If fibre based broadband has already started to become available in your area but you can’t get it yet, register to receive an email when fibre based broadband becomes available to you.
How do I get fibre broadband?
Your current broadband service will not automatically speed up. Follow the steps below to upgrade and benefit from faster speeds. It may be more affordable than you think.
Step 1: Find the best deal for you
Once orders are being accepted, you need to choose a provider to buy the service from.
Broadband comparison sites that offer free, impartial advice can often help you find the best deal. Try the site listed below. Other comparison sites are available.
- www.cable.co.uk or call 0800 840 539
Step 2: Place your order
Contact your chosen provider to place your order- be sure to mention that it’s fibre broadband you want.
Why can’t you tell me if I am going to get fibre broadband now?
One of the biggest pieces of work involved is upgrading around 500 green roadside cabinets. In most cases this will require an additional new cabinet placed close by the existing one.
We’re planning the rollout working closely with our partners and participating organisations, taking into account many factors including local demographics and geography, planning requirements, the existing engineering infrastructure and the availability of suitable technologies to provide a service.
It’s not possible with a programme of this size to plan every area at the same time so some areas will be enabled before others.
We fully understand people’s frustration and the huge importance of fibre broadband and we will keep you regularly updated through this website as our plans evolve.
How do I find out when I’m going to get fibre broadband?
We aren’t able to tell you exactly when your property or cabinet will be upgraded for a number of reasons:
- Some underground ducts will have been buried for years, so it’s no surprise that surveys can sometimes unearth a few unanticipated challenges. Often ducts have collapsed or been damaged over the years; or the duct routes themselves may be full of existing cables or new ducts need to be built where they don’t already exist. Obviously any problems have to be sorted out before any fibre can be laid to these ducts.
- The majority of mains and back up power supplies in exchanges will need to be upgraded, as the new equipment will place significant demands on them. Sometimes this means working with a local power company and co-ordinating what’s needed.
- The same can be said for each individual street cabinet as an additional unit (known as a DSLAM) also has power requirements.
- Highway, planning and way-leave applications also need to be considered, and can sometimes delay work relating to a specific cabinet.
- Broadband services to your property and those around you will run from a cabinet located fairly close by. Ofcom rules specify that cabinet level information cannot be made available until two weeks after a cabinet has been made live; and other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been notified by BT that they are able to supply broadband services to prospective customers from it.
- And finally, we have to contend with the British weather. If it gets too cold (below 3oC) it can create problems laying the concrete plinth for the cabinet to stand on.
Experience learned from other similar programmes has shown us that things do crop up unexpectedly which may affect the broadband rollout plan.
Use the link on the Openreach website to check when service may be coming to your area.
Can I speed up the rollout in my area by gathering registrations of demand?
The fibre based broadband rollout is not solely dependent on the number of registrations of interest. In some areas this information may help to plan the best technology solution according to the needs of your local community. If this is the case, we will let you know and actively engage with interested members of your community.
When fibre broadband becomes available in my area, will my existing broadband simply get faster without me taking any action?
No. To get fibre based broadband service, you’ll need to place an order with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Fibre broadband runs on a different technology and an engineer may need to visit your premises to install the necessary equipment.
Several ISPs may offer fibre broadband so you should shop around and choose the package that’s best for you. See ‘How do I get fibre broadband’ for more.
If you choose not to upgrade to fibre based broadband, you’ll be able to continue using your existing broadband service as normal.
What does fibre broadband cost?
Prices are set by Internet Service Providers and the services offered may vary so it’s a good idea to shop around.
The cost may be more affordable than you think, starting from around £15 for home users and £30 for businesses, which may not be much more than you are currently paying for standard broadband.
You may also want to take the opportunity to review your existing contract for phone calls and television services at the same time as combined deals can sometimes offer further savings.
How long does it take to be installed after I place an order and what does installation involve?
The time to install fibre based broadband may vary from one Internet Service Provider (ISP) to another, but typically it would take about two weeks. An engineer may need to call and install a new modem at your premises, and you will receive a new router from your chosen ISP.
How fast is fibre broadband?
The exact speeds will depend on how your own premises are connected. There are two main ways in which fibre optic can be used to bring you fibre broadband:
- Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) uses fibre optic cables throughout the network right up to the street cabinet. It then uses copper wires to connect the cabinet to homes and businesses. FTTC provides wholesale download speeds up to 80Mbps and upload speeds up to 20Mbps.
- Fibre to the premises (FTTP) means fibre-optic cables run right to the door of each house or business. It provides wholesale download speeds up to 330Mbps and upload speeds up to 30Mbps.
The exact speed you get also depends on a number of additional factors like the length of your line from the telephone exchange or green roadside cabinet, the line quality and the equipment and internal wiring within your premises.
Why can’t you tell me when my specific area is going live?
Information on any new areas of availability has to be released to all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) at the same time, and means that we cannot announce cabinets until two weeks after fibre broadband has been made live. This gives ISPs the opportunity to offer a fibre service to customers should they wish to.
Added to that, engineering plans and delivery timescales do depend on factors such as planning applications, the provision of electricity to the new roadside cabinets and even the good old British weather.
BT has won the contract – does that mean I have to use them as my internet service provider?
No. A big plus is that BT’s network is open which means other Internet Service Providers have the opportunity to offer a fibre based broadband service to customers. You should shop around for the best package to suit your needs.
How do I find out if I’m going to get fibre broadband?
This is a major planning and delivery project and we have a six month schedule which means that detailed information about specific areas will also emerge for different people at different times.
Email digital.durham@durham.gov.uk with your telephone number, first line of address and postcode so we can identify if your property is eligible to be included in the programme.
My telephone line is connected directly onto the exchange – will I be able to order fibre broadband?
If according to the BT wholesale checker, your property is connected directly to an exchange, your telephone line will have to be moved off the exchange to an existing or newly built street cabinet in order to get fibre broadband.
The technology we’re predominantly rolling out is called Fibre-To-The-Cabinet (FTTC). FTTC involves running fibre optic cables from the main telephone exchange or distribution point to a new fibre street cabinet (DSLAM). The DSLAM then connects to the existing street cabinet (PCP) that provides your telephone service, as the length of the fibre based broadband service runs along your phone line.
To check if your property is being funded by the programme to be upgraded to fibre based broadband, please visit our website. You can also register with us and we’ll drop you an email when the service is available to save you from having to keep checking.
How has the broadband plan been decided?
As the programme is being delivered largely using public funds it is essential that we get the best value for money as possible. The rollout plan gives consideration to building on the existing broadband infrastructure and getting the most coverage for the funding we currently have. Rest assured we are looking into every opportunity to extend fibre based broadband coverage further.
The biggest piece of the work programme is the upgrading of around 500 green roadside cabinets. In most cases this will require an additional new cabinet placed close by the existing one.
We are planning the rollout, working closely with our partners and participating organisations, taking into account many factors including local demographics and geography, planning requirements, the existing engineering infrastructure and the availability of suitable technologies to provide a service.
It’s not possible with a programme of this size to plan every area at the same time so some areas will be enabled before others. We fully understands people’s frustration due to the significant benefits of fibre broadband. We will keep you regularly updated as our plans evolve.
Fibre broadband is available in my area but my provider is not able to upgrade me
While all Internet Service Providers have the opportunity to provide fibre based broadband services to their customers once an area is enabled, not all of them choose to. You’ll be able to purchase a fibre service from at least one supplier though.