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BT Long Reach Technical Evaluation

BT are evaluating two alternate long reach technologies. The evaluation is to start mid January 2004 and last 4 weeks.

Bradley, BT's Milton Keynes Broadband Champion, is looking for 20 volunteers.

Interested?

Your phone line should be on the "Bradwell Abbey" exchange within Milton Keynes.

Expect 3 visits:

1, A modem and computer is installed. Microfilters will be installed on all extension sockets. The computer will simulate digital data traffic. There is no Internet connection.

2, 2 weeks later the modem is swapped over.

3, At the end of the 4 week trial all the equipment will be removed.

To clarify:

You cannot access the Internet with the broadband connection being evaluated.
Your existing telephone line will be used.
Your line should be "clean". That is no ISDN, RedCare, or Home Highway.
You'll still be able to use your current dialup connection to access the internet as usual. Normal phone usage will not be affected.
BT will be supplying all the test equipment. That is the modems and computer.
There will be no extra phone charges.
BT won't charge you for partaking in the evaluation.

I expect more information from BT. It will be posted here.

Bradwell Abbey

Here's a list of estates served by the "Bradwell Abbey" exchange:

Bolbeck Park
Bradwell
Bradwell Common
Bradwell Village
Broughton
Crownhill
Downhead Park
Furzton
Giffard Park
Great Holm
Great Linford
Heelands
Kents Hill
Loughton
Middleton
Milton Keynes Village
Monkston
Neath Hill
Shenley Lodge
Two Mile Ash
Walnut Tree
Walton Park
Willen
Willen Park

Names Collected

78 members asked to be put forward. A list of their names, email addresses and phone numbers was emailed to Serena on 1/12/03.

Here's a list of the top 6 estates:

Estate Members
Loughton 17
Middleton 14
Great Linford 7
Bolbeck Park 6
Kents Hill 6
Willen 5

Thanks, but...

BT's Bradley Borum emailed the following:

27/2/04

Dear Would-Be Broadband User,

In January over one hundred of you volunteered to help with a technology evaluation we were planning in Milton Keynes.
The evaluation was part of our continuing search for ways of closing the gaps in our broadband coverage.

Unfortunately, shortly after so many of you took the time to volunteer, we learned that the evaluation could only be done with BT employees. This is sometimes the case when we work with outside technology partners, or the evaluation is seen as overly intrusive.

We apologise, but assure you that our error was a result of our genuine desire to help accelerate the evaluation.

Milton Keynes is now very much the focus of our search for solutions to fill our broadband 'not spots', not only locally in MK, but throughout the country. It's also possible that we will want to run technology trials in the future, and having a list of volunteers names to hand can only help to speed things up.

Again, our apologies and thank you for your patience.

Kind regards,

The BT Milton Keynes Broadband Challenge Team


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