This topic

ONT Move

Wobblefish — Mon, 26 May 2025 14:58:57 GMT

I had a Fibre connection installed a few month ago and since then I have had some work done outside my house resulting in the cable which was routed through a drip channel in front of my door having to be tapped to the door step so I want to get it moved.

Contacted Openreach about this and they want to charge me 600 pounds to just look at my front door and agree that they then should charge 120 pounds to move it, I'm perfectly happy to pay the 120 - but they must 'survey' it first - what a rip off !!

I gather from other questions on this forum that you can request your ISP to request a move which would be more like the 120 pounds but my current supplier Vodaphone flat out refused to do it based on the current location not being dangerous enough.

If I move supplier to BT instead would they then allow me to pay the 120 pounds to move the ONT - and how can I confirm this before signing up to a new broadband contract?

Re: ONT Move

garybs29 — Mon, 26 May 2025 15:08:59 GMT

So you had work done & now want to avoid some of the charges to get it checked & moved? If it's not dangerous it won't be able to be moved without the full charges being paid

Re: ONT Move

WSH — Mon, 26 May 2025 15:25:36 GMT

I’ve no idea whether joining BT would circumvent the survey fee. (Openreach and BT are separate companies and OR are a law unto themselves).

On a slightly different note, however, if you only had the fibre put in a few months ago you must still be under contract? Be warned, in this day-and-age, if you suddenly up and move to BT, Voda will probably hit you with an early termination fee that is even more than the survey fee! I’d check with them first, if I were you.

Re: ONT Move

Kodikid — Mon, 26 May 2025 15:44:35 GMT

There seems to be some mystique over fibre installation...it basically just a cable..get it done privately by a competent installer.

Re: ONT Move

iniltous — Mon, 26 May 2025 15:53:46 GMT

https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/products/pricing/loadProductPriceDetails.do?data=hcaYjIWegP2u2KS8FTdcOBScuIM1Opem5f8dVePnh8UlMnGHsqdC0vzO163bJmh34D91D7M0q8u%2FIlSgtIFAKw%3D%3D

look up the ONT internal shift price , this is the price OR charge the ISP , the ISP price can be whatever they see fit …there is no need for a survey fee as such in these circumstances , how you even got a price from Openreach directly is a mystery as they should not be entering in to a dialogue, and have no way to raise a bill for the work , I’d suggest they have used the wrong processes to arrive at a price ….

if VF your current provider won’t arrange the ONT shift , then migration to BT may work but that’s something of a leap of faith on your part , you are not likely to get either an agreement in advance of BT arranging this , or the right to quit penalty free if BT don’t arrange it .

A way to get this done , for a similar price to the shift but unfortunately with some ‘down time’ is to report it faulty , to do this you would either need genuinely to damage the cable so the ONT isn’t connected, or power off the ONT and say the cable is damaged , when the tech arrives you ask for the new cable to be routed differently from the existing cable route , obviously if you report it faulty when it’s not , it’s entirely possible that the fault would be cancelled as it can be checked if the ONT is ‘talking’ to the headend, so you would have to leave the service ‘off’ for at least some time

Re: ONT Move

WSH — Mon, 26 May 2025 15:52:44 GMT

@Kodikid Key word there is "competent".

I've worked with many a copper cable over the years I was employed, but fibre is a lot more fragile, lower pull weight and a lot bigger bend radius etc. I think I'd be inclined to leave it to OR. If nothing else, everything from the ONT back to the headend is their property. Screw it up and they're likely to hit you with an even bigger bill.

Re: ONT Move

36ULW — Mon, 26 May 2025 16:09:01 GMT

An ONT Shift is just moving the ONT and Lead In.

If you’re being quoted £600 it sounds like you have requested a Network Rearrangement, which is something like having a Pole Relocated, Duct/Cabling moved, Joint Footway Box Rebuilding, etc.

An ONT Shift should be made via your CP, not through Openreach directly.

Re: ONT Move

licquorice — Mon, 26 May 2025 16:09:11 GMT

@Kodikid wrote:

There seems to be some mystique over fibre installation...it basically just a cable..get it done privately by a competent installer.

No it isn't 'just a cable'. It needs to be spliced to the external cable at the CSP.

Re: ONT Move

Wobblefish — Mon, 26 May 2025 16:17:24 GMT

That is helpful thanks - I am still hoping someone will reply and say yes I am BT broadband customer and I just rang them on this number and they arranged it and charged me 'X'

Re: ONT Move

licquorice — Mon, 26 May 2025 16:19:04 GMT

But that won't necessarily mean the same would apply to you.

Re: ONT Move

Kodikid — Mon, 26 May 2025 16:57:07 GMT

The problem is akin to smart meters..companies are so focused on new installations that repairs and alterations are considered a nuisance. Obviously Openreach use sub contractors so why not contact them directly cutting out Openreach.

Again keep the mindset that rerouting a already installed cable is not the biggest job in the world and a third party would price it accordingly

Re: ONT Move

36ULW — Tue, 27 May 2025 06:04:39 GMT

Doesn’t work like that. You can’t book/requests jobs to be done on the OR Network using their Contractors. They’re Contractors of Openreach, not Openreaches End Users.

It’s an ONT Shift. All the OP has to do is request said Shift with his CP who in turn will book it via Openreach.