ADSL2+ Upgrade

What is happening?

BT is in the slow process of rolling out an upgrade to its broadband connections across the country. The newer ADSL2+ technology offers improved speed and reliability in comparison with the current ADSL technology. BT has recently announced upgrades to the exchanges serving the Goodnestone parish.

The Nonington exchange provides the service for Goodnestone, Chillenden and most of the parish. This exchange is due to have ADSL2+ available from 31st May. The Ash exchange, which serves houses in Rowling, is due to have ADSL2+ available from the end of July. These dates are provisional and may change.

Will I benefit from the upgrade?

People connected to the Nonington exchange who do not use Talk Talk or Tiscali will benefit, as will anyone connected to the Ash exchange. Talk Talk and Tiscali users already have ADSL2+. All other broadband providers, including BT, Sky, O2, Orange, PlusNet and Zen, use BT's equipment and will benefit. If you are connected to Vfast wireless, this will make no difference, as the change only affects broadband supplied through telephone lines.

How much of an improvement will I see?

It depends how far you are from the exchange and on the quality of your line. Most users in the parish will get an improvement of between 0.5 and 1.5Mbps, although some may get more, others may see little or no improvement. If you have a flaky connection, you may also see a reliability improvement.

If you're in Chillenden and already get 4Mbps, an increase to 5Mbps may not be very noticeable, but if you struggle with a connection of less than 2Mbps, or even less than 1Mbps, the speed increase is likely to feel much more significant. People close to a telephone exchange may see a big improvement. Unfortunately, this does not apply to anyone in the Goodnestone parish.

You can check the likely improvement by typing your phone number into the BT Broadband checker website. This will give a likely range of speeds for ADSL and the new ADSL2+ service.

What do I need to do to get the upgrade?

You will not instantly be upgraded at the end of May or September. Your broadband provider will need to move your connection to the new equipment. In most cases, your provider will contact you to tell you when this will happen and to explain the process. Usually the upgrade just requires a short outage. In some cases, it may take your provider many months to get round to scheduling the upgrade. You may be able to speed up the process by contacting your provider to request the upgrade.

Will my existing equipment work with ADSL2+?

Yes. However, you need ADSL2+ capable equipment to take advantage of the improved service, otherwise your connection will continue at the old ADSL speed. Many routers and modems bought within the last 3-4 years will be ADSL2+ capable. The best place to check is the specification page of your router's manual. If your router is not compatible you may need to buy new equipment to take full advantage of ADSL2+. Your broadband provider's letter or email should include details and may recommend a particular model of router.

Who should I contact for more information?

Contact your broadband provider.