[OT-ish] How big is the UK 'net?

[David_Biggins@usermgmt.com]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter Tomlinson [mailto:pwt@iosis.co.uk]
> Sent: Tuesday, 25 June, 2002 02:05
> To: ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk
> Subject: Re: [OT-ish] How big is the UK 'net?
> 
> 
> Except my ISP refused to do it for me at that price


<< apologies in advance for off-topic rant! >>

You're lucky.

A company I've been doing some work with DESPERATELY wants an always-on
and moderate bandwidth solution.   They're currently on ISDN, which is
giving them not enough speed, and too high a call-charge cost.    Given
the cost they're paying, they'd be prepared to pay more or less ANY
reasonable setup fee.  ADSL or cable would do fine...

They are on a major industrial estate, with major comms companies more
or less in spitting distance.

BT can't (won't) supply because there are two exchanges servicing the
estate - one nearby, and one in the town centre,  too far away.   Guess
which one they're on, and BT can't, (won't) swap them to the other.  And
no, it's nothing so simple as one side of the estate on one exchange and
the other side on the other exchange - they're actually on the side
nearest to the exchange that has ADSL.

NTL can't (won't) supply because the cable runs nearly 30 yards away...
Never mind that there is access grassland behind the buildings with
suitable wayleave and all the rest,  NTL say they can't do it and won't
give any real reasons - although I've heard the suggestion that the
cable for the estate only has the phone-type equipment attached and
can't support cable modem...  Doesn't sound very credible to me.

All this is maybe 200 yards from one of the biggest service provision
facilities in the country...

Broadband provision is increasingly a bad joke, and BT, the cable
companies, the regulators and the government departments that seek to
promote it, are perhaps, with effort, just about competent enough to run
a kebab stand.


## dave ##