Sky Broadband and ntl Telephone - is it possible?

I suspect I'll get more sense out of this group than Sky at the moment.
I currently use Sky for digital TV and am unlikely to change any time
soon (I've got HD). But I use ntl for telephony and broadband. I'd like
to switch broadband to one of the new Sky offerings. I have BT wiring
(inc ADSL) from a previous use - but no current service. Would I have to
switch telephony back to BT in order to use Sky broadband, or is there
some way of sticking with ntl for the phone (at least for now) and using
Sky for broadband?

Georgie Charles wrote:
> I suspect I'll get more sense out of this group than Sky at the moment.
> I currently use Sky for digital TV and am unlikely to change any time
> soon (I've got HD). But I use ntl for telephony and broadband. I'd like
> to switch broadband to one of the new Sky offerings.

AFAIK, Sky plan to offer broadband service via Easynet's LLU network. This is
being rolled out to BT exchanges across the country over the next year or so (no
sign of any activity in Portsmouth yet, but the dreaded tiscali are just up the
road in Fareham).
So, yes you need a BT Openreach-serviced line, unless Sky are also providing
broadband via NTL's network, which I am guessing that they aren't (because the
whole point of Sky Broadband is to compete with the killer 'Triple-play'
(TV,Phone,Internet) as offered by NTL/other-cable-co)


> I have BT wiring
> (inc ADSL) from a previous use - but no current service.

?
How can you have ADSL on a ceased line?

> Would I have to
> switch telephony back to BT in order to use Sky broadband, or is there
> some way of sticking with ntl for the phone (at least for now) and using
> Sky for broadband?

Once Easynet have unbundled your line, it may be possible for them to offer a
ADSL-only package on that BT Openreach pair. Whether or not they choose to do
so, is entirely up to them, of course.

Jim
Thanks for the help - comments below.

Jim Howes wrote:
> Georgie Charles wrote:
>> I suspect I'll get more sense out of this group than Sky at the moment.
>> I currently use Sky for digital TV and am unlikely to change any time
>> soon (I've got HD). But I use ntl for telephony and broadband. I'd like
>> to switch broadband to one of the new Sky offerings.
>
> AFAIK, Sky plan to offer broadband service via Easynet's LLU network. This is
> being rolled out to BT exchanges across the country over the next year or so (no
> sign of any activity in Portsmouth yet, but the dreaded tiscali are just up the
> road in Fareham).

>>I'm in Guildford - any way to check on Easynet's plans?

> So, yes you need a BT Openreach-serviced line, unless Sky are also providing
> broadband via NTL's network, which I am guessing that they aren't (because the
> whole point of Sky Broadband is to compete with the killer 'Triple-play'
> (TV,Phone,Internet) as offered by NTL/other-cable-co)
>
>
>> I have BT wiring
>> (inc ADSL) from a previous use - but no current service.
>
> ?
> How can you have ADSL on a ceased line?

>>No, I mean I used to have ADSL when I was with BT, so the basic wall
stuff is here. (Mind you, it's five years ago, don't know if it meets
today's Openreach standards!)

>
>> Would I have to
>> switch telephony back to BT in order to use Sky broadband, or is there
>> some way of sticking with ntl for the phone (at least for now) and using
>> Sky for broadband?
>
> Once Easynet have unbundled your line, it may be possible for them to offer a
> ADSL-only package on that BT Openreach pair. Whether or not they choose to do
> so, is entirely up to them, of course.

Georgie Charles wrote:
> Jim
> Thanks for the help - comments below.

It would probably help greatly if you didn't prefix your comments with '>>'
because most newsreaders that quote original articles prepend '>' to lines, do
your quotes are difficult to find. However, I'll apply the scissors...

>I'm in Guildford - any way to check on Easynet's plans?

The easiest way is probably to ask them.

Samknows has a lot of information, most of it fairly up to date, on exchange LLU
rollouts. Wander over to samknows.com and feed your number into the
availability checker to find which exchange you are actually on, as Guildford
probably has multiple exchanges.

Guildford's central exchange already has an Easynet presence and is apparently
in service now.

However, if you are connected to one of the outlying exchanges, which are (going
clockwise):
Clandon,Shere,Bramley,Godalming,Puttenham, and Woplesdon
None of which have Easynet LLU presence at this time, although Godalming has
Bulldog and Tiscali now, and will have Carphone Warehouse by the end of this
month, and Be by the end of February. The rest: Nada, zilch, nothing but BT.

If you are unlucky enough to be connected to the Hascombe exchange, I doubt
you'll be seeing Easynet there for a _long_ time. (Actually, I am somewhat
surprised that BT even enabled that exchange themselves, given the number of
lines which appear to be attached to it)

>No, I mean I used to have ADSL when I was with BT, so the basic wall
> stuff is here. (Mind you, it's five years ago, don't know if it meets
> today's Openreach standards!)

<ASTONISHMENT>
Cough!

Two bits of wire is all that is needed for a telephone connection, and you can
even shove ADSL down a single wire (in some circumstances). Standards???!?!?
</ASTONISHMENT>

As the line has been ceased for over a year, when you get it reconnected, you
are likely to require an engineer visit. This will probably not result in
anything technical being done, and is probably not even chargeable if you are
'moving back to BT' from a rival operator. The engineer will arrive, look at
the wiring, probably mumble something about 'what cowboy did this', mumble a bit
more, drink some tea, examine the wiring in the street box and/or pole, and bash
buttons on his mobile phone to enable the line.

Ok, overgeneralisation, but they do inspect the line to make sure it is of
servicable quality if it has not been in service for some time.

Appreciate your help, Jim. I'm in the middle of Guildford, within half
a mile of the exchange - so I may be in luck.

Jim Howes wrote:
> Georgie Charles wrote:
>> Jim
>> Thanks for the help - comments below.
>
> It would probably help greatly if you didn't prefix your comments with '>>'
> because most newsreaders that quote original articles prepend '>' to lines, do
> your quotes are difficult to find. However, I'll apply the scissors...
>
>> I'm in Guildford - any way to check on Easynet's plans?
>
> The easiest way is probably to ask them.
>
> Samknows has a lot of information, most of it fairly up to date, on exchange LLU
> rollouts. Wander over to samknows.com and feed your number into the
> availability checker to find which exchange you are actually on, as Guildford
> probably has multiple exchanges.
>
> Guildford's central exchange already has an Easynet presence and is apparently
> in service now.
>
> However, if you are connected to one of the outlying exchanges, which are (going
> clockwise):
> Clandon,Shere,Bramley,Godalming,Puttenham, and Woplesdon
> None of which have Easynet LLU presence at this time, although Godalming has
> Bulldog and Tiscali now, and will have Carphone Warehouse by the end of this
> month, and Be by the end of February. The rest: Nada, zilch, nothing but BT.
>
> If you are unlucky enough to be connected to the Hascombe exchange, I doubt
> you'll be seeing Easynet there for a _long_ time. (Actually, I am somewhat
> surprised that BT even enabled that exchange themselves, given the number of
> lines which appear to be attached to it)
>
>> No, I mean I used to have ADSL when I was with BT, so the basic wall
>> stuff is here. (Mind you, it's five years ago, don't know if it meets
>> today's Openreach standards!)
>
> <ASTONISHMENT>
> Cough!
>
> Two bits of wire is all that is needed for a telephone connection, and you can
> even shove ADSL down a single wire (in some circumstances). Standards???!?!?
> </ASTONISHMENT>
>
> As the line has been ceased for over a year, when you get it reconnected, you
> are likely to require an engineer visit. This will probably not result in
> anything technical being done, and is probably not even chargeable if you are
> 'moving back to BT' from a rival operator. The engineer will arrive, look at
> the wiring, probably mumble something about 'what cowboy did this', mumble a bit
> more, drink some tea, examine the wiring in the street box and/or pole, and bash
> buttons on his mobile phone to enable the line.
>
> Ok, overgeneralisation, but they do inspect the line to make sure it is of
> servicable quality if it has not been in service for some time.

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 14:07:37 GMT, Georgie Charles
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I suspect I'll get more sense out of this group than Sky at the moment.
>I currently use Sky for digital TV and am unlikely to change any time
>soon (I've got HD). But I use ntl for telephony and broadband. I'd like
>to switch broadband to one of the new Sky offerings. I have BT wiring
>(inc ADSL) from a previous use - but no current service. Would I have to
>switch telephony back to BT in order to use Sky broadband, or is there
>some way of sticking with ntl for the phone (at least for now) and using
>Sky for broadband?

I would be interested in knowing if you have made the change from NTL
to Sky Broadband, what problems you had with the transfer/getting the
BT line back and how you have found the Sky service since.