Cutting the LA internet - rural internet provider

[this_is_gav]

Hi, we're based in a small middle school (~120 kids) in Northumberland.

Our LA, who currently provide our internet, are going to be charging around £5k for continued internet access next year (presumably the start of the coming financial year) and I'm looking to see if we can get a half decent service for any cheaper.

Our village has no fibre laid and it doesn't appear we can get SDSL. Am I right in thinking our only realistic options would be bonded residential ADSL or to stick with the LA?

Currently the LA provide a 10mb (up and down) wireless link. Obviously I'm not expecting anything around that speed (particularly up), but something around 6mb down and 2mb up ought to be sufficient. Is it possible?

[Brpilot99]

Most providers can provide adsl + bonded if you need more speed. It depends on your local exchange and your distance from it ... Checkout Virgin Business or Opal business (I dont think they will put in a residential line in a school) There are others in the market but these are 2 of the biggest. We're looking at the virgin offering at £39.00 per month .... If you give them a call they will put your telephone number into their system and tell you very quickly if its possible ... get yourself a Dansguardian box for filtering ...

[sonofsanta]

I'm guessing ADSL2+ isn't enabled at the exchange? If it was that'd be dead easy - Annex M was quoted to me at 16mb down and 2.5mb up over 4 bonded lines for <£200 a month. But if you don't have ADSL2+ then plain ADSL bonded is probably the best way, so long as BT Openreach don't just wander into the exchange and pull out the bonded hardware without any warning, as they did with us.

[this_is_gav]

I'm guessing ADSL2+ isn't enabled at the exchange?

Unfortunately not, no.