Samknows Broadband Report County of Suffolk This report describes the current broadband landscape for the county of Suffolk both in terms of general availability and choice, and in terms of predicted performance. Broken into a number of sections, the report follows this structure: ADSL Broadband Unbundling & Competition 2 4 Cable Coverage 5 Appendix Maps 6 Glossary 13 1 of 14 Samknows
ADSL Broadband The most common form of broadband available in the UK today is ADSL. British Telecom have deployed this first generation technology to almost all of their telephone exchanges across the UK, while a number of alternative providers have deployed a mixture of this and the newer ADSL2+ technology to a significant proportion of the UK. The original ADSL technology, also referred to as ADSLmax, offers up to 8 Mbps downloading speed and up to 800 Kbps uploading capacity. The newer ADSL2+ is capable of up to 24 Mbps downstream with some providers offering up to 2.5 Mbps upstream. However, the speed customers will actually experience depends heavily on the length and quality of their telephone line; Samknows work with Ofcom 1 demonstrated that the average broadband speed experienced by UK customers was 4.1 Mbps. The average predicted speed in Suffolk is over a little over 4 Mbps (4,254 kbps 5Mbps) but this masks regional variations within the county. While almost a quarter of the community may experience at least 6 Mbps, above the national average, 19% of homes are likely to fall below the proposed 2 Mbps Universal Service Commitment; of these approximately 3,120 postcode areas have no access to alternative solutions such as Virgin Media s cable network. 1 See www.ofcom.org.uk/media/features/broadbandspeedsjy 2 of 14 Samknows
While more detail on the USC can be found later in this report, the map below highlights the wider ADSL performance hotspots plotted to full postcode level and mapped using a Voronoi diagram (larger version in the Appendix). While ADSL is universally available across Suffolk, the areas of note are marked in red above; these are areas where the predicted download speed will be below 2 Mbps. The green areas are those where homes and business can expect at least 6Mbps download speed, while the amber areas depict the middle speed either side of the national average. It should be noted that this approach to mapping data tends to amplify connectivity issues as sparsely populated polygons where broadband speeds are more likely to be poor will appear larger. As reported in the previous chart, 19% of the postcodes fall in the red areas above. 3 of 14 Samknows
Unbundling & Competition Although many ISP s simply resell BT Wholesale s ADSLmax packages, there is a sizeable number of network operators who are unbundling BT s telephone exchanges to install their own equipment. Within Suffolk, there is a total of 129 BT telephone exchanges, and many LLU operators. The table in the appendix summarises where the main network operators are offering services in each telephone exchange. However, it s clear that the majority of the County s telephone exchanges contain well below the average number of LLU operators. Ofcom uses a classification system to determine their level of regulation of the broadband market; Classification 3 contains areas where at least three operators compete against BT Wholesale, and there is sufficient competition that Ofcom no longer regulates broadband in these areas. The vast majority of the ADSL broadband market in Suffolk is classified as Market 1 yet to experience deregulation. Of the 129 exchanges, only 11 have sufficient competition for Ofcom to fully deregulate the market, and a further seven exchanges are classed as Market 2 areas where there is some competition but insufficient for Ofcom to deem it a vibrant market. The remaining 111 exchanges contain no alternative provides to BT Wholesale. 4 of 14 Samknows
Cable Coverage There has been considerable consolidation in the cable TV market in recent years to the point where there are just two operators in the UK: Virgin Media is the main operator with coverage of about 50% of the UK with Smallworld Media offering services in a number of locations in the North of England and in parts of Scotland. Both companies are deploying DOCSIS 3.0 technology which supports up to 200 Mbps downstream, although both are currently offering up to 50 Mbps. Virgin have embarked on trials of 200 Mbps in Kent and are planning to deploy more widely. Cable coverage can be localised, so this report plots Virgin cable coverage at full postcode levelusing the same Voronoi method as the ADSLmax maps. The red areas in the inset map are those where Virgin cable services are available. Across the County, around one in eight (13%) of households are able to receive a service from Virgin Media considerably lower the UK average with the vast majority of the community outside Virgin areas. Coverage is tightly focussed around Ipswich, Newmarket, and Felixstow. 5 of 14 Samknows
Appendix Maps 6 of 14 Samknows
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Exchanges Be C&W Sky Orange CPW Ofcom Market Llu Count Average Speed Aldeburgh No No No No No 1 0 5,240 208 Bacton No No No No No 1 0 4,281 135 Badingham No No No No No 1 0 3,785 79 Barnby No No No No No 1 0 4,508 65 Barrow No No No No No 1 0 3,863 104 Beccles No No No Yes Yes 2 2 5,182 434 Belstead No Yes Yes No Yes 3 4 4,298 700 Beyton No No No No No 1 0 3,917 132 Bildeston No No No No No 1 0 3,056 192 Blundeston No No No No No 1 0 3,779 173 Blythburgh No No No No No 1 0 3,709 98 Botesdale No No No No No 1 0 4,324 132 Boxford No No No No No 1 0 3,638 160 Bramfield No No No No No 1 0 4,106 52 Brampton No No No No No 1 0 3,063 68 Brandon No No No No No 1 0 5,277 223 Bungay No No No No Yes 2 1 5,808 181 Bures No No No No No 1 1 4,479 60 Burnt Fen No No No No No 1 0 2,171 19 Bury St Edmunds No Yes No Yes Yes 3 5 4,286 1129 Charsfield No No No No No 1 0 3,825 97 Cheveley No No No No No 1 0-1 Chevington No No No No No 1 0 4,747 77 Clare No No No No No 1 0 4,988 84 Claydon No No No No No 1 0 4,048 264 Cockfield Green No No No No No 1 0 2,746 121 Coddenham No No No No No 1 0 4,588 74 Coney Weston No No No No No 1 0 4,142 51 Copdock No No No No No 1 0 5,358 60 Culford No No No No No 1 0 3,073 93 Debenham No No No No No 1 0 4,430 139 Dedham No No No No No 1 1 3,667 33 Dickleburgh No No No No No 1 0 957 23 Diss No No No No No 1 0 3,884 41 Earl Soham No No No No No 1 0 3,292 108 East Bergholt No No No No No 1 0 5,277 83 Elmswell No No No No No 1 0 4,090 209 Elveden No No No No No 1 0 2,883 64 Eriswell No No No No No 1 0 5,459 85 Exning No No No No No 2 0 6,100 65 Eye No No No No No 1 0 4,870 104 Eyke No No No No No 1 0 3,142 167 Felixstowe No No Yes Yes Yes 3 5 4,950 815 Felixstowe Dock No No No No No 1 0 4,417 84 Fordham Cambs No No No No No 1 0 2,700 15 Foxhall No Yes Yes Yes Yes 3 5 4,440 1166 Framlingham No No No No No 1 0 4,462 234 Fressingfield No No No No No 1 0 3,700 100 Postcode Count 10 of 14 Samknows
Exchanges Be C&W Sky Orange CPW Ofcom Market Llu Count Average Speed Fritton No No No No No 1 0 2,000 6 Garboldisham No No No No No 1 0 3,795 22 Glemsford No No No No No 1 0 4,800 136 Great Barton No No No No No 1 0 4,769 78 Great Wenham No No No No No 1 0 4,568 172 Grundisburgh No No No No No 1 0 4,770 135 Hadleigh Suffolk No No No No No 1 0 4,270 376 Halesworth No No No No No 1 0 5,151 267 Harleston No No No No No 1 0 3,260 25 Hartest No No No No No 1 0 3,855 83 Haverhill No No Yes Yes Yes 3 5 5,105 610 Hawkedon No No No No No 1 0 3,700 35 Helmingham No No No No No 1 0 2,250 99 Higham No No No No No 1 0 3,667 33 Hintlesham No No No No No 1 0 3,970 67 Holbrook No No No No No 1 0 3,404 135 Homersfield No No No No No 1 0 2,900 5 Honington No No No No No 1 0 4,044 80 Horringer No No No No No 1 0 3,949 64 Hoxne No No No No No 1 0 4,337 49 Hundon No No No No No 1 0 5,178 45 Ilketshall No No No No No 1 0 2,831 62 Ipswich No Yes Yes Yes Yes 3 5 5,080 1137 Isleham No No No No No 1 0 2,917 12 Kentford No No No No No 1 0 2,873 173 Kesgrave No No No Yes Yes 2 3 4,046 496 Kessingland No No No No No 1 0 5,384 138 Kirton No No No No No 1 0 5,708 60 Lakenheath No No No No No 1 0 5,750 128 Lavenham No No No No No 1 0 3,942 126 Leiston No No No No No 1 0 5,059 271 Linstead No No No No No 1 0 2,797 48 Lowestoft No Yes Yes Yes Yes 3 6 3,501 1662 Manningtree No No No No Yes 2 2 3,257 103 Mayfair Yes Yes Yes No Yes 3 7 6,500 1 Mellis No No No No No 1 0 3,097 113 Mendlesham No No No No No 1 0 3,578 129 Mildenhall Yes No No Yes Yes 2 4 3,564 444 Nacton No No No No No 1 0 4,173 97 Nayland No No No No No 1 0 3,953 133 Needham Market No No No No No 1 0 4,320 215 Newmarket Yes No Yes No Yes 3 3 5,256 426 Occold No No No No No 1 0 3,394 71 Offton No No No No No 1 0 2,662 97 Orford No No No No No 1 0 3,537 116 Ousden No No No No No 1 0 3,567 30 Pakenham No No No No No 1 0 3,244 205 Peasenhall No No No No No 1 0 5,198 58 Postcode Count 11 of 14 Samknows
Exchanges Be C&W Sky Orange CPW Ofcom Market Llu Count Average Speed Prickwillow No No No No No 1 0 1,000 2 Rattlesden No No No No No 1 0 3,537 136 Rendham No No No No No 1 0 4,107 70 Ridgewell No No No No No 1 0 3,056 9 Saint Cross No No No No No 1 0 2,639 52 Saxmundham No No No No No 1 0 4,600 248 Shotley No No No No No 1 0 4,679 92 Shottisham No No No No No 1 0 3,076 135 Sicklesmere No No No No No 1 0 3,489 95 Snape No No No No No 1 0 3,566 141 Southwold No No No No No 1 0 5,702 275 Stanton No No No No No 1 0 3,961 149 Stetchworth No No No No No 1 0 500 1 Stonham No No No No No 1 0 3,837 118 Stowmarket No No Yes Yes Yes 3 5 3,918 764 Stradbroke No No No No No 1 0 3,910 108 Sudbury No No Yes Yes Yes 2 4 3,888 805 Thetford No No No Yes Yes 1 2 1,946 14 Thurlow No No No No No 1 0 4,270 50 Ubbeston No No No No No 1 0 3,064 110 Waldringfield No No No No No 1 0 4,875 40 Walsham Le Willows No No No No No 1 0 4,299 87 Wangford No No No No No 1 0 4,355 55 Westleton No No No No No 1 0 4,503 85 Whitton No No Yes No Yes 3 2 4,844 583 Wickhambrook No No No No No 1 0 3,733 90 Wickham Market No No No No No 1 0 3,868 203 Witnesham No No No No No 1 0 3,890 82 Woodbridge No No No No No 1 0 4,272 535 Woolverstone No No No No No 1 0 4,993 76 Worlingworth No No No No No 1 0 3,433 100 Wrentham No No No No No 1 0 4,495 55 Yoxford No No No No No 1 0 4,790 100 Postcode Count 12 of 14 Samknows
Glossary 21CN ADSL ADSL2+ CP DOCSIS 3.0 DSLAM FTTC FTTP IP ISP LLU LSOA Network Operator NGN PoP SDSL VDSL 21st Century Network. BT's replacement core network, which is being rolled out between 2007 and 2012. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. This is the most common way in which broadband is delivered in the UK. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, version 2+. A form of ADSL offering up to 24Mbps downloads, and up to 2.5Mbps upstream (for the Annex M version). Communications Provider. BT's terminology for their wholesale customers which are largely ISPs. Data Over Cable. A technology that allows broadband data signals to be transmitted over a cable TV network. Version 3.0 permits up to 200 Mbps but more typically 50 Mbps is deployed today Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer. The device installed in telephone exchanges that terminates copper pairs to provide xdsl connections. Fibre To The Cabinet. The process by which fibre optic cables are laid from a central point to a street cabinet. Traditional copper connections then run from the street cabinet to the premises. Fibre To The Premises or sometimes FttH (home). Fibre optic cables delivering services directly to the premises from a local POP or telephone exchange. Internet Protocol. The most commonly used set of rules governing how information is sent over networks (not necessarily just the Internet). Internet Service Provider. A provider of internet access services. Local Loop Unbundling. The process of permitting alternative network operators to install their own equipment on a passive network. Numerous CP s provide alternative broadband services over the BT Openreach network in this way, and increasingly this approach is the default for the emerging fibre optic networks. Lower Super Output Area. A standardised geographical area defined by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) for reporting purposes. Network operators are organisations that own and operate their own networks. Not all ISP s are network operators as many rely on BT s infrastructure. Next Generation Network. The generic name given to a new breed to communications networks. The main example of which is FttP. Point of Presence. A site in which a communications provider hosts equipment for terminating connections. In BT s network this is the telephone exchange. Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A DSL service in which the upstream and downstream channels operate at the same speed. The fastest member of the xdsl family able to provide higher broadband speeds but over very short distances. This is the main technology used on FttC deployments, and is often considered as a bridge to true NGN s. 13 of 14 Samknows
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