This topic

no postcode databse listing stopping connection

OliverH1 — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 17:42:57 GMT

hi, i've been bounced around for about 3 weeks just trying to understand why i cannot move foward with my 'new connection'. I have received the router on my 'smallholding' piece of land (with telepgraph pole serving my neighbour on my land) and enjoy the services of water and electricity. We do not live on this land and do not intend to and we do not run a business on it and it seems that not falling into one of these 2 categories does not make us qualify for a listing in the postcode database according to my local council designated office who writes them in.

I got an account opened and a router received on the fact that it does say 'can't find your address on our search - then just call us anyway' and so my application was set up. It's not looking like open reach want to engage with me as i'm about 3rd hand in the information chain i think. It's so frustrating it might not go ahead as the postcode issue was not a problem with water/electricity etc being connected. We just basically have some sheds and shacks where our goats and chickens are kept on this secure property and we need a broadband connection. I'm not really wanting to go the 4Grouter/mobile data sim route yet and would value a hard wired connection as per our neighbour enjoys.

Does anyone have any pointers or been in a similar bind and got a connection without the postode database inclusion?

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:47:26 GMT

@OliverH1

Welcome to this user forum for BT Retail phone and broadband customers.

Do you have an order with BT Retail, for a broadband service, who has supplied the router and which one is it?

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

imjolly — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:47:09 GMT

Is property registered on royal mail database? If not then you have virtually no chance of getting broadband from any ISP

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

OliverH1 — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:23:29 GMT

yes i do;

Order placed: Wed 21 Feb 2024
Order reference: VOL013-838366005***

Equipment: Smart Hub 2

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

OliverH1 — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:28:56 GMT

yes it's been a bit of a learning experience, we just own a piece of land a few miles from our home and didn't expect to have to fulfil the 'business' or 'living at the address' full time criteria for a connection. BT seem up for connecting us but the openreach (enablers) crew are hung up about their NAD keys or something. The telegraph pole serving the neighbour on our land is quite ironic and not lost on me. Anyway I cannot give up without keeping trying with these guys.

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 21:58:10 GMT

@OliverH1

As you have an order, I think it would be worthwhile if one of the moderators had a look at the order and the notes. They are quite busy, so it may take a few days, but its a bit of an unusual situation for a residential connection, but not that unusual for a business connection, so you may well be directed in that direction.

One of them will post here, probably tomorrow.

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

OliverH1 — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 23:22:25 GMT

thanks for the input, we are not what you would call 'residential' really as no one resides there overnight but we are a fenced secure property with fixed sheds/gates etc and business eqpt is stored there. If anyone could help us further this process i'd be very grateful.

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 07:07:18 GMT

@OliverH1

Really I would have expected this to be classed as a business connection, that typically applies to farms and smallholdings. The problem is that these types of connections sometimes are classed as leased lines, which can be very expensive, so you need to avoid that.

Either way, its going to need some form of address designation which is causing the issue, so you may need to register the property as a business, to get a postcode. You should then be able to ask BT Business to provide a connection via Openreach.

You say you want to avoid 4G. A 4G router with a provider that has a good signal at that location, it not that expensive for an unlimited usage contract, and it can prove more reliable that overhead copper cables. Three mobile BB has fairly good coverage, and offer a routable IPv4 address.

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

iniltous — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 08:20:09 GMT

Interesting that you managed to get water and mains electricity connected, presumably they provide a bill for these services and those bills have an address , what address is on the bill , something like ‘patch of ground outside of *****’ ? and with domestic water supply, unless on a water meter , the bill is based on an arbitrary old style rateable value , so in areas that predated water meters , so housing built until the 2000’s , and haven’t chosen individually to get a water meter installed, a 3 bed house pays less in water charges than a 4 bed , because of that implied rateable value , even if the 3 bed actually uses more , on what is your water bill based ?.

As already stated , a business ‘order’ is probably the only way to proceed, domestic supply relies on the ISP identifying your registered address , from an Openreach postal address file , which is closely based on the Royal Mail dataset , to be on that database as a residential dwelling, certain criteria apply, being registered for council tax, have a front door and a letter box are some of these qualifying criteria.

Business don’t necessarily need the same criteria ( and presumably use a different ordering portal ) for example consider a road construction or road maintenance scheme with temporary portacabins erected along the roadside for the duration of the works , these cabins don’t have a postal address as such , but can order a business service, but are not a standard install , liable to a paid for Openreach survey , and any additional work to enable supply is also paid for by the client ( like extra telegraph poles etc. ) at a minimum, even if existing line plant is in the vicinity as potentially in your case , a survey officer needs to identify it , as obviously there is no registered address that has already been pre-matched to existing infrastructure as with a regular domestic order.

I wouldn’t expect to get regular pricing with a range of providers available , it’s going to be much more bespoke and expensive , using a business type provider ( not necessarily a leased line ) with pricing commensurate with that type of business ‘line’ .

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 07:53:07 GMT

I think that is probably what the moderators are going to imply. It may be the case that it has to be passed to BT Business, the residential Smart Hub 2 would have to be sent back, and a BT Business Smart Hub send instead, by BT Business.

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

PaddyB — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 10:45:54 GMT

Hi @OliverH1,

What @iniltous has said is correct. To order a residential service with BT, the property needs to be a residential dwelling registered on the Royal Mail Database. If it's not registered with the Royal Mail, Openreach won't fulfil the order. Your best bet would be to contact BT Business and they would be able to advise you on the best way forward.

If you send me your details, I'll be able to take a look at that order which should hopefully be able to give us some understanding of what is going on. I suspect the order isn't going anywhere and will more than likely need to be cancelled.

I have sent you a private message with instructions on how to contact the team. You can access your messages via the envelope icon at the top right of the screen, or click on this link, Private messages

Thanks,

Paddy

Re: no postcode databse listing stopping connection

OliverH1 — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:16:48 GMT

i very much agree it needs to be a residential dwelling to order a residential service. Frontline staff who enrololled and enabled my account and sent me a router should be given this little bit of information as i was very much 'yessed' through the process and just ended up inheritting around a months calls and back and forths to no avail. Someone needs to say if your not a business and not a residential dwelling (on the postcode databse) then we can't help. I've kept my account/case open but i'm very unhopeful of this process ending in a connection now sadly. i've got a router i can't used sent out to me also. 😞