Hi Val
There is something called dégroupage, which in English is called LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) whereby the dominant supplier like BT or France Telecom/Orange have to allow other suppliers (by EU law) to install their own equipment in the local telephone exchange to be able to offer broadband down the dominant supplier’s copper wires. Obviously they will only install this expensive electronic equipment if they think it will be commercially viable.
If you look at this page: http://www.ariase.com/fr/haut-debit/tarn-et-garonne/par82-82137par.html it shows the status at the Parisot exchange which serves Castanet. No other providers have dégroupage in Castanet and furthermore with the equipment available there, no-one will get better than 2 mbps speed. As Castanet is relatively far from the exchange the speed is likely to be much lower. St Antonin by contrast has all the available types of equipment and three dégroupage suppliers. See this page for St Antonin’s exchange info: http://www.ariase.com/fr/haut-debit/tarn-et-garonne/san82-82155san.html . We are 4 km from St Antonin and get a download speed of about 3.7 mbps. In town it can be much higher.
If you choose a supplier who does not have dégroupage in your exchange, you will not improve the speed but are likely to get a worse customer service as they have no control over the equipment which belongs to Orange and they are only acting as a wholesaler for the service.
John
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