just checked my upload speed will be 5mbps which means sod all to me
In all honesty, Fibre Optic is generally 'What you see is what you get', but I'll chew off my own left bollock if you get anywhere near 5Mb/s after 3 months of service!
Such a technologically advanced country the UK is, yet we reign 64th in the Internet Connection list. Premiership we are not!
I forget when they upgraded the upstream - must be at least two or three months ago now;

Anyway, upstream is really not an issue for probably 90% of users - then again, neither is 50Mbit downstream. How many people do you know who upload more than a few emails? (And no, torrents don't count)
A few years ago, I'd very much agree with you, but the Upstream Speed is now as important as Downstream Speed.
Take your Games Console as one example.
Video 'conferencing' to your relatives in the USA or Aus as another.
I am exceptionally pleased that Virgin have taken the first step to a 'decent' connection. BT are supposedly spending billions on converting all copper to Fibre Optic in the next decade. A step which has taken far too long to implement.
It's a real boggle when far poorer, less technologically developed countries can trounce on our 'technological brilliance'.