How do I know if I have optical cabling?

Question

I was just reading up on the new optical wiring thats being fitted throughout the UK and was just wondering if anyone knows a way of checking to see if a certain area has optical wires instead of copper wires for internet access?

Answer 1

You might want to contact either your phone company, cable provider or your local utilities.

Answer 2

Only if you live in a cabled street and your ISP is Virgin Media. All other ISPs are ADSL and use BT's phone lines and exchanges

Answer 3

Virgin Media uses fibre optic cabling as far as the green box in the street.  It's coax from there.  You can only use this connection with Virgin.  Everyone else uses the BT local loop. (Unless you're in Hull - then it's worse)

A lot of providers are now installing equipment in telephone exchanges that's connected to their hub by fibre optic cables.  However, BT isn't currently using fibre optic cables from the exchange to domestic users.  The chances are that the cable was put in when the houses were built.  Mine's barely good enough for Morse code.  If you're more than about 500 metres from the exchange, it doesn't make much difference how good the ISP's equipment is - the data bottleneck is BTs bit of ye olde analogue telephone cable.

Answer 4

If think you have to call your service provider to see if you can get fiber to your home.  here in the states they run a tv ad about every ten minutes.