BT / Openreach 'half job'

My understanding was BT/OR was introducing fibre to cabinet  broadband to my town (Deal, Kent). This would make a massive difference to my work. Only last week I had to wait 2 hours for a client file to download. I also find that using tools like Brandwatch are somewhat ponderous with my current 1.5-2mb link.

Back in  August I got excited when my Exchange said it was accepting FTTC orders. This was quickly followed by disappointment when it became apparent that the cabinet I am connected to (P38) (below)
View Larger Map has not been upgraded to FTTC because it does not have a suitably large catchment. The cabinets up and down the road have all been enabled. I realise they have to make an economic decision but the fibre actually passes up the road past my cabinet. The neighbours I have contacted are all of the opinion that it is a short-sighted move.

I approached BT/OR and gained this reaction:

“Our deployment is based on the commercial criteria for each cabinet and number 38 on the Deal exchange has not met these. This is because the cabinet is unable to provide a return on the Fibre to the Cabinet investment after construction and on-going running costs. Where cabinets are not commercially viable Government funding is available to Borough and County councils to improve fibre coverage and it is worth contacting your Council in relation to this.”

I will continue to push BT/OR to reconsider, and with the help of my neighbours, will be taking this argument to the county council and my local MP, Charlie Elphicke. Without this facility relocation is a serious consideration.

I need saving from National Savings

I occasionally comment on matters outside the media and measurement and this is one of those occasions.

Midway through last week I transferred some money from my bank current account to my Premium Bonds account. At the point of 'transaction' the computer hung on the page and eventually timed out. I called National Savings (NS&I). and was told they could not confirm if it had gone through and I should log on in 24 hours to see if the funds had appeared on my account. I did so and noted the funds were still with my bank.

In the meantime I had resolved that if the transaction had not gone through I would use them for another purpose. I attempted a transfer out of my bank account, but it would not comply; then finding that although it did not indicate anywhere, the transaction to NS&I was 'happening'.

I called both the bank (Lloyds) and NS&I trying to find out what was happening, with the latter saying I would 'in 4 hours' be able to reverse the transaction from their website. That was last Thursday and currently the funds are indicated as being in me NS&I account but 'not available'. Having made a number of calls to NS&I I am under no illusion that they are going to be returned any time soon...'it takes 7days' is the latest I have been told, not 4 hours!

I have lodged a complaint over this erroneous advice and have been assured that they will be investigated. They have indicated that they will replay my conversations with NS&I staff to verify that I am talking the truth; but none of it points towards getting the money back any time soon.




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Does online reflect your offline coverage?

If you capture the online version of a publication are you getting the full (printed) picture? Most newspapers and publications now have an online version of their coverage but if you use this as a proxy to what is out there, how representative is that?

I conducted a rather unscientific analysis and found that over the last 2 months there were 306 printed references to some brand names in a small selection of the printed trade press. Meanwhile, in the same period, there were 204 equivalent brand references from their online versions(thanks to Brandwatch). So online you don't get the full story? I would be very interested in your thoughts and experiences.