UK suffers ADSL glitch

Thousands of new ADSL users in the UK could have their services disrupted thanks to a glitch in BT's broadband network.

The intermittent problem concerns compatibility issues with the first and second generation Fujitsu line cards that connect each user's ADSL line to BT's network at their local telephone exchange.

According to Pipex, which now has more than 15,000 ADSL customers: "It has been identified that these line cards have a tendency to 'lock up' from time to time, preventing an individual user from connecting. It can take some time for BT engineers to reset the card once a fault is reported and as a side effect, the reset process may then affect service to other users in the same exchange."

BT has put temporary fixes in place ahead of a permanent solution, which should be in place early next month. However, BT has advised ISPs to delay installing new users who could be susceptible to the problem until the matter is resolved.

In a letter to ISPs Bruce Stanford, Director Broadband at BT Wholesale said: "Following the reduction in price of BT Wholesale's broadband products on the first of April, there has been a substantial increase in demand. There has also been an increase in the number of faults reported. In particular, BT Wholesale has had a significant increase in the number of end users reporting that they cannot synchronise.

News source: The Reg