For the attention of Sharon White, CEO of Ofcom; and copied to my local MP who I hope will also take an interest.
This email is my response to the Ofcom’s consultation about the future of Britain’s internet.
Thank you, Sharon for asking for our opinions. I wanted to write to you as Chief Executive to tell you that my broadband barely qualifies as “broad” in any sense of the word. What I have could reasonably be achieved, I believe, with a coat hanger, two tin cans, and a long(ish) length of string.
Because I live five (5) miles from the nearest exchange my download speeds are abysmal, usually 0.92 mbps. That’s megabits per second, Sharon, in case you weren’t aware.
BT, of course, could not be less interested in my plight nor that of my neighbours out here in the sticks, still charging me the same amount each month for the privilege of their “service.” I reset my router every couple of days in order to renegotiate my signal-to-noise ratio, a measure which BT’s computers continually increase until my line quality is so degraded that I have to reset and renegotiate again. I have had to ask them to remove interleaving in order to squeeze even a meagre additional 0.02 mbps out of them. For this, Sharon, I still pay the usual BT line and broadband fees.
Streaming videos in my house (from services like Netflix) is turning me grey, as I often have to reboot my modem in order to (again) reset the signal-to-noise ratio. I see the word “buffering” more than I see my own children.
I call BT on a regular basis to complain and to beg for a better line. I sign all the petitions to get them to upgrade our infrastructure. I’ve done pretty much everything short of protesting in my underwear outside their HQ. It’s not like it’s warm in Aberdeen, Sharon, but it could be a possible next move if Scottish summer ever arrives.
Meanwhile, just a few miles away in Banchory, folk are enjoying all the many benefits of BT’s fibre broadband service, with blazingly fast speeds and excellent streaming. The only buffering they have to worry about is at the car wash, which (like most things) is way overpriced here in Royal Deeside. I bet the Queen has better internet at Balmoral, and that’s kind of out in the sticks, too. Something to think about, Sharon. Bet she has no issues ordering her weekly shop from Sainsburys (unlike me).
I have thoroughly explored the possibility of satellite broadband, as it would seem to alleviate the streaming and page loading problems, but unfortuantely its high latency and even higher expense, together with the fact that I’m renting and my landlord refuses to let me install a dish, precludes me from entertaining it as a solution.
I recently bought a new modem in the hope of increasing my broadband speed, even if by a tiny bit, but of course because ADSL is now considered an outdated technology by the majority of places it does not support it and once again I find myself cruelly thwarted by BT and its master plan to keep us peasants in the stone ages (so to speak).
Now, Sharon, what I would really, really like is for someone to tell BT to get with the programme and upgrade the rest of us to the 21st century, to stop putting its disgustingly huge profits and poor service before the people who have zero choice but to pay full price for slow-as-molasses connections, and to actually give two about bringing us practically-on-dial-up trolls into the light. If you can do that, Sharon, then this missive won’t have been a waste.
One last thing I meant to mention, I am a university student and rely heavily on my pathetically slow internet connection for research, writing, assignments, etc., and my husband and I are also directors of a small company which relies on internet services to find and carry out work for clients. Among my neighbours who suffer equally as much as we do at hands of BT on the same ancient, analog exchange, are several small business owners, several people who work from home, and of course the rental office for my home, which itself has installed satellite because, apparently, they are allowed to. Must be nice to be the king.
Thank you for your time, Sharon. I hope you will support British business and British people by making BT put in decent infrastructure where it is needed most.
My postcode is [redacted]
Yours sincerely,
Sian [redacted]
