Broadband Today?

Made enquiries about a year ago to BT with reference to the microwave link
which couples our island directly to the Stromness exchange and was told
that there would be no problems except they didn't know what was the
bandwidth of the updated link done just a few years ago.
Stromness was activated on the 27th July and a couple of us on the island
were supposed to be online today. Now I am not sure if I will get it as a
neighbour who ordered BT broadband has been told that the BT engineer
cancelled his order this morning as he was on a fibre optic and this didn't
support broadband. Obviously rubbish but how does one get to speak to a
manager or engineer. There is no fibre optic on the island just copper cable
so I take it that the real problem is with the link or coupling to the link.
Other islands in Orkney have microwave links with no problem.
My own ISP says that it should be on this afternoon and they have heard
nothing to contradict this but to give it a couple of days.
Any advice or anyone know how to get in touch with a BT engineer or
manager. - Mike

Mike wrote:
> Made enquiries about a year ago to BT with reference to the microwave link
> which couples our island directly to the Stromness exchange and was told
> that there would be no problems except they didn't know what was the
> bandwidth of the updated link done just a few years ago.
> Stromness was activated on the 27th July and a couple of us on the island
> were supposed to be online today. Now I am not sure if I will get it as a
> neighbour who ordered BT broadband has been told that the BT engineer
> cancelled his order this morning as he was on a fibre optic and this didn't
> support broadband. Obviously rubbish but how does one get to speak to a
> manager or engineer. There is no fibre optic on the island just copper cable
> so I take it that the real problem is with the link or coupling to the link.
> Other islands in Orkney have microwave links with no problem.


We should be getting broadband (512K) at the end of the month. No fibre
optic as far as I am aware, all UG copper pairs. It will be interesting
to see how you and your neighbour get on with BB connectivity.
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney
<www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont>

"Bruce Fletcher" <(E-Mail Removed)0m> wrote in message
news:dct68h$bvi$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Mike wrote:
>> Made enquiries about a year ago to BT with reference to the microwave
>> link which couples our island directly to the Stromness exchange and was
>> told that there would be no problems except they didn't know what was the
>> bandwidth of the updated link done just a few years ago.
>> Stromness was activated on the 27th July and a couple of us on the island
>> were supposed to be online today. Now I am not sure if I will get it as a
>> neighbour who ordered BT broadband has been told that the BT engineer
>> cancelled his order this morning as he was on a fibre optic and this
>> didn't support broadband. Obviously rubbish but how does one get to speak
>> to a manager or engineer. There is no fibre optic on the island just
>> copper cable so I take it that the real problem is with the link or
>> coupling to the link. Other islands in Orkney have microwave links with
>> no problem.
>
>
> We should be getting broadband (512K) at the end of the month. No fibre
> optic as far as I am aware, all UG copper pairs. It will be interesting
> to see how you and your neighbour get on with BB connectivity.
> --
> Bruce Fletcher
> Stronsay, Orkney
> <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont>

Hi Bruce

Well we have no fibre optic cable either just copper and some of that hardly
under the grass. I am only about 250 metres from the microwave link at this
end and the Stromness end is directly at the exchange so I didn't think I
would have any bother. When the submarine cable went faulty and was replaced
with the microwave link BT said it would support all the new coming
technologies.
The neighbour who had his order cancelled by BT is only about 1.5 mile away
so I reckon its the link. It's a little disappointing after the wait to find
out we may not get it. If it comes to it I am thinking of looking into the
position of a relatives house in Stromness to see whether it would be
worthwhile putting a wireless link in and sharing the connection with her.

Hope you get on better than us.

Mick (Graemsay)

On Thu, 04 Aug 2005 13:39:28 GMT, "Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Any advice or anyone know how to get in touch with a BT engineer or
>manager.

that is the ISP's job. BT Wholesale are unlikely to talk to an end
user.

Phil
--
Tiscali - dialup speeds at Broadband prices, see
http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/postlist...&Board=tiscali

AOL - the unlimited ISP of choice for heavy downloaders.

Mike wrote:
> "Bruce Fletcher" <(E-Mail Removed)0m> wrote in message
> news:dct68h$bvi$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>Mike wrote:
>>
>>>Made enquiries about a year ago to BT with reference to the microwave
>>>link which couples our island directly to the Stromness exchange and was
>>>told that there would be no problems except they didn't know what was the
>>>bandwidth of the updated link done just a few years ago.
>>>Stromness was activated on the 27th July and a couple of us on the island
>>>were supposed to be online today. Now I am not sure if I will get it as a
>>>neighbour who ordered BT broadband has been told that the BT engineer
>>>cancelled his order this morning as he was on a fibre optic and this
>>>didn't support broadband. Obviously rubbish but how does one get to speak
>>>to a manager or engineer. There is no fibre optic on the island just
>>>copper cable so I take it that the real problem is with the link or
>>>coupling to the link. Other islands in Orkney have microwave links with
>>>no problem.
>>
>>
>>We should be getting broadband (512K) at the end of the month. No fibre
>>optic as far as I am aware, all UG copper pairs. It will be interesting
>>to see how you and your neighbour get on with BB connectivity.
>>--
>>Bruce Fletcher
>>Stronsay, Orkney
>><www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont>
>
>
> Hi Bruce
>
> Well we have no fibre optic cable either just copper and some of that hardly
> under the grass. I am only about 250 metres from the microwave link at this
> end and the Stromness end is directly at the exchange so I didn't think I
> would have any bother. When the submarine cable went faulty and was replaced
> with the microwave link BT said it would support all the new coming
> technologies.

No submarine cable as far I as I am aware, just the microwave towers
which appear to point to Sanday and to Eday. We are about 1.2 miles
from the exchange by road and the UG phone lines are laid in the
roadside verges so we should be OK.
There was a nice April 01 spoof in The Orcadian this year, mains power
distribution (umpteen megawatts) to the Northern Isles via large
microwave dishes...
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney
<www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont>

"Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:kUoIe.9229$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Made enquiries about a year ago to BT with reference to the microwave link
> which couples our island directly to the Stromness exchange and was told
> that there would be no problems except they didn't know what was the
> bandwidth of the updated link done just a few years ago.
> Stromness was activated on the 27th July and a couple of us on the island
> were supposed to be online today. Now I am not sure if I will get it as a
> neighbour who ordered BT broadband has been told that the BT engineer
> cancelled his order this morning as he was on a fibre optic and this
> didn't support broadband. Obviously rubbish but how does one get to speak
> to a manager or engineer. There is no fibre optic on the island just
> copper cable so I take it that the real problem is with the link or
> coupling to the link. Other islands in Orkney have microwave links with no
> problem.
> My own ISP says that it should be on this afternoon and they have heard
> nothing to contradict this but to give it a couple of days.
> Any advice or anyone know how to get in touch with a BT engineer or
> manager. - Mike


Broadband only works over copper so if there is a microwave section in the
path to the exchange it would seem logical that BT must use equipment to
convert the signal and then reconvert it the other end of the link. I would
be interested to know how this is done.

Peter Crosland

Peter Crosland wrote:
> "Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:kUoIe.9229$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>Made enquiries about a year ago to BT with reference to the microwave link
>>which couples our island directly to the Stromness exchange and was told
>>that there would be no problems except they didn't know what was the
>>bandwidth of the updated link done just a few years ago.
>>Stromness was activated on the 27th July and a couple of us on the island
>>were supposed to be online today. Now I am not sure if I will get it as a
>>neighbour who ordered BT broadband has been told that the BT engineer
>>cancelled his order this morning as he was on a fibre optic and this
>>didn't support broadband. Obviously rubbish but how does one get to speak
>>to a manager or engineer. There is no fibre optic on the island just
>>copper cable so I take it that the real problem is with the link or
>>coupling to the link. Other islands in Orkney have microwave links with no
>>problem.
>>My own ISP says that it should be on this afternoon and they have heard
>>nothing to contradict this but to give it a couple of days.
>>Any advice or anyone know how to get in touch with a BT engineer or
>>manager. - Mike
>
>
>
> Broadband only works over copper so if there is a microwave section in the
> path to the exchange it would seem logical that BT must use equipment to
> convert the signal and then reconvert it the other end of the link. I would
> be interested to know how this is done.
>
> Peter Crosland
>
>
I wouldn't have thought it would be done an a per-line basis, but that
the data would be sent over the link and the DSLAM installed in the
satellite exchange which would then connect to the user over the
existing copper