This topic

No Distribution Point at my address

retrouser0909 — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 00:10:30 GMT

Hi there,

So basically I live in an OFNL development and I am the first person to get BT broadband. My address is a gold address and I have a NAT key. I was told by Bt and other ISPS they can now serve by address. When the engineer came to install a PSTN line (somehow Openreach approved the order) he told me there was no DP point and he couldn't connect me up even though the nearest ducting is 20 meters from my house and that ducting carries lease lines and copper lines to other nearby address. I had no site survey done and BT wouldn't help me out. They logged a complaint on my behalf and the outcome was we couldn't serve your address (which is a lie). Does anyone know if I order FTTC or SOEGEA will the same issue persist? If so how do I fix this?

Btw @lamplite1c if you could shed some light on this issue that would be great (I've seen your previous threads in the past and I think i'm in a similar situation that you’ve been in the past (could you also clarify the minimum lock out period with OFNL)??

Any advice from anyone would be great😊 .

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

jac_95 — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 06:03:33 GMT

Hi @retrouser0909

Unfortunately if your property developer went with OFNL as the fibre infrastructure provider then BT Consumer doesn't use OFNL as a infrastructure provider to supply their broadband services to you and therefore can't provide a full fibre broadband connection to you when only OFNL is the only broadband infrastructure provider available.

See: https://www.ofnl.co.uk/resident-faqs/

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

36ULW — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 07:43:24 GMT

If the Developer still owns the land, which I suspect they do I seriously doubt they’ll allow Openreach to come and start digging up roads/pavements to put in Duct or worse, put Poles up.

Openreach can’t and wouldn’t use OFNL’s Duct as they’d have to pay a rental on in like others do with Openreaches via PIA.

Usually one these Estates there might be some Openreach duct but it’ll usually go to a small building somewhere on the boundary of the Estate as OFNL will lease a Private Ethernet Circuit from Openreach, depending on the size of the Estate it can be anything from 10 to 100Gbps. This is then essentially shared between the houses on the Estate.

To be honest Openreach will probably make more from that Ethernet Circuit than they would providing individual lines to each home.

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

retrouser0909 — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 08:14:34 GMT

The estate has been opened up so I believe other isps can come and install their infrastructure….

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

iniltous — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 08:21:06 GMT

As stated , there are places where the developer does a sweetheart deal with a network provider, like OFNL in your case and it’s getting more common, developers like Persimmon now install their own network and ‘lock out’ all others out of the developement during construction ( Openreach being the pertinent one as far as BT are concerned ) and there isn’t anything that can be done about it as the developement is private property until the roads and footpaths are adopted by the local authority.

PIA only affects Openreach , forcing only OR to allow access to their infrastructure, there is no compulsory element for every other network provider, and these areas are an unattractive proposition financially after the local authority takeover responsibility for the roads/paths as although that allows network providers with ‘code powers’ to dig up the roads etc , it’s a massive financial outlay and what’s more if OR did invest in adding OR infrastructure it immediately becomes accessible to Alternative Networks , so basically OR spend thousands and before the sign anyone up , City Fibre ( for example) comes along using the new OR infrastructure and sign up the customers that are fed up with OFNL or whoever.

The real problem here is the fact you had an order taken for an address that Openreach has never been allowed to provide access infrastructure into, therefore it’s shouldn’t be possible to get an order raised by BT , it shouldn’t need a wasted visit from Openreach , and you wasting time being at home to find this out , it should already be known.

What does this checker show for your address ( post the results )

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

retrouser0909 — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 08:29:59 GMT

I think OFNL uses their own infrastructure so I highly doubt if they lease any equipment from BT/ Openreach.

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

retrouser0909 — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 08:34:43 GMT

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

jac_95 — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 08:38:14 GMT

@retrouser0909

If the property developer only allowed OFNL to build out their infrastructure then it will only be providers who use OFNL who will be able to provide you a phone and broadband service.

Even if the developer now allows other network infrastructure provider access to the estate, building out another network will take many many months to years. Especially if new underground ducts, poles and other equipment needs to be installed.

This is why Openreach ask property developers to let them know and order the infrastructure to be built out across the new estate well in advance (ideally as soon as the initial plans are drawn up)

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

iniltous — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 09:00:44 GMT

As stated , OFNL may ‘rent’ an Ethernet leased line from Openreach , that is installed in a street cabinet on the development usually at the entrance with the router/switches etc to split the service into individual ‘lines’ , from there ONFL use their dusts/cables to get to each dwelling ( all the traffic is aggregated onto the leased line if that went faulty all customers would be affected ) , but it’s not the only way to do this so it’s not necessarily the case that OR are involved.

TBH OFNL customers won’t realise or care if they are effectively sharing an Openreach leased line , they just perceive it as broadband sold to them by OFNL via whatever ISP they use, ( AFAIR ‘ See the Light’ may be one that is available ) , or this ‘spine’ connection could also be OFNL or even someone , if that’s the way OFNL actually gain access to ‘the internet’ they are not necessarily going to make that information available , it’s pretty irrelevant to their customers anyway.

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

lamplite1c — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 08:49:21 GMT

Hi @retrouser0909

With ours we were in quite a handy location the fact our house was built on an existing road (however still part of the development) this meant that even though OFNL were still trying no to block it they actually didn’t have a leg to stand on. Ok it meant we had to have a pole installed outside the house so that they could string the cable from the nearest pole but we got our line. I had found out that in our development the lockout deal only lasted 5 years however this is something that only the developers will know (depends how much they paid ect) be warned though from start to finish ( line install) it took around 18 months. Luckily for us the developers went into admin this then means all deals that company made are defunct. We now have TOOB 900 speed up and down. We left Bt due to the fact they lost our phone number that we tried to port to them that we had for around 9 years they said there was nothing they could do as the number had gone back to see the light /gamma telecom. Gamma and in fact Openreach had said it’s still with Bt/Openreach and Bt just don’t want to port it. 🤬

the people I found most helpful in getting this sorted out. Were the executive office complaints of Openreach as there the ones that can plan it all I just sent an email to them and they whipped Bt into line telling me what I had to request ie just a simple phone line no broadband ( not sure how this will work now copper has been stopped) but they will tell you. The other point is re the ducting. If we had to have ducting we would not have had it installed as this would cost us thousands

do you have any Bt phone poles local to you that they can connect to ?
regards

robert

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

retrouser0909 — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 09:55:36 GMT

@lamplite1c Thanks for sharing your experience. In my development, the lockout period has ended, but Barratt Homes still owns the land and will likely never transfer it to the council. BT advised me to order a telephone line, which was approved by Openreach without even a site survey. However, when the engineer arrived, he discovered there was no distribution point and couldn’t connect me. The nearest pole is a mile away, and the closest ducting, carrying leased lines and copper cables, is just 20 meters from my house.

Could you provide me with the email for Openreach complaints? Also, was the road outside your house still private when they installed the pole?

Thanks,
Jerome

Re: No Distribution Point at my address

lamplite1c — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 11:53:40 GMT

@retrouser0909

Hi Jerome,

I just looked through my sent emails and it was ceo@openreach.co.uk

Even though it’s the ceo it gets passed to the high level complaints team, the only thing you need to remember in your email is to give them reasonable options, basically help them to help you. The only reason I say this is because Openreach are not really customer facing, so no slating other companies just point out clear and consice facts eg the lockout has ended but it’s an unadaopted road, but check with you local council as on our development the council have now adopted the new developed roads. Our road was an existing council road which helped in our case as Bt was trying to say it wasn’t. But in your case if you can place the order there must have been a survey previously completed because now that we had a line in our neighbours can now place an order…. Have any of your neighbours recently had an install?

apologies if what I’ve said is teaching you to suck eggs but the reason behind it is Openreach could quite legitimately say you have to contact the ISP and not them.
I wish you luck

Rob