Changing Providers: Is There a Risk to Speed?

[Paul608085]

I currently have BT Home Broadband FTTC 80/20, (don't know what the current package name is), that I am generally very happy with: speed, reliability and resolution of problems have all been very good in my experience. My only reason for even considering a change would be cost, (I know, you get what you pay for!), but for this question please ignore that:

I have been reading on these forums about people who have moved in to a new, (to them), home, where the previous occupant had BT FTTC and the new one wanted to take the line over and keep the same BT Broadband service. It appears that the procedure is that an account at an address cannot be taken over, but has to be ceased for the old occupant and a new account opened for the incoming one. This triggers a cease of the line and the broadband port in the cabinet is handed back to Openreach. Normally this would immediately be re-allocated to the new account at the address, but if the cabinet is full and has a waiting list of FTTC customers from any ISP that uses Openreach, then the released port is allocated to the next in the Openreach queue. The implied outcome being that an address that may have previously had a good connection may not be able to continue to receive it.

So, my question is: does the same apply when an existing line changes ISP, and therefore is there a risk that by effectively ceasing my BT line and moving to, (say), Sky, I could lose my FTTC connection and only have a far inferior ADSL instead? (If the cabinet is full, until the capacity is expanded).

Or have I misunderstood the process?

Apart from asking the next Openreach engineer working in my cabinet, is there a way that I can check port capacity in the cab?

This is the BT Availability Checker for my line, in case it helps:

[Keith_Beddoe · Accepted solution]

@Paul608085 

The answer would be yes, you would lose your current connection, and if the cabinet became full, then you would not be able to get a fast connection.

Only the availability checker would be right, but this is only updated once a week, so the cabinet could easily fill up with pending orders from any provider, especially as more people are working from home.

If price is the issue, then speak to BT Customer options on 0800 800  030, and see what they can offer.

[Paul608085]

 @Keith_Beddoe

Thanks for the quick reply, and confirming my concerns. I know that it probably would not happen, (any idea how often it does happen?), but that alone is probably enough reason for me to stay with BT, (certainly at the moment!).

Paul

[Keith_Beddoe]

Its always a risk, and you could then wait a very long time for a connection, as others have discovered.

[Paul608085]

As a follow up question, are the ports in the cabinet allocated such that each ISP has a certain number? ie, BT have 50, Sky have 40, TalkTalk have 20 etc, or are they all shared ports on an Openreach fibre link back to the exchange, (or where ever the node is), that is then broken out there amongst the ISPs?

In other words, is it possible that TalkTalk's capacity might be full, but Sky had availability? (for example).

[pippincp]

No, ports are  allocated on a first come first served basis. At the exchange ISP's either have their own backhaul (LLU) or use BTWholesale.

[Paul608085]

@Keith_Beddoe  @pippincp 

Thanks for you prompt replies and answers.

[CJT80]

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@Paul608085wrote:

I currently have BT Home Broadband FTTC 80/20, (don't know what the current package name is), that I am generally very happy with: speed, reliability and resolution of problems have all been very good in my experience. My only reason for even considering a change would be cost, (I know, you get what you pay for!), but for this question please ignore that:

I have been reading on these forums about people who have moved in to a new, (to them), home, where the previous occupant had BT FTTC and the new one wanted to take the line over and keep the same BT Broadband service. It appears that the procedure is that an account at an address cannot be taken over, but has to be ceased for the old occupant and a new account opened for the incoming one. This triggers a cease of the line and the broadband port in the cabinet is handed back to Openreach. Normally this would immediately be re-allocated to the new account at the address, but if the cabinet is full and has a waiting list of FTTC customers from any ISP that uses Openreach, then the released port is allocated to the next in the Openreach queue. The implied outcome being that an address that may have previously had a good connection may not be able to continue to receive it.

So, my question is: does the same apply when an existing line changes ISP, and therefore is there a risk that by effectively ceasing my BT line and moving to, (say), Sky, I could lose my FTTC connection and only have a far inferior ADSL instead? (If the cabinet is full, until the capacity is expanded).

Or have I misunderstood the process?

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@Paul608085  to clarify are you asking about changing providers at an existing address? 

[Paul608085]

@CJT80 

That is correct. I have lived at this address for 9 years, always with BT Broadband. I was considering moving to another broadband supplier solely based on cost, but the potential for a drastic reduction in service, (albeit slim), back to ADSL2, is making me re-consider.

[CJT80]

@Paul608085 

If you migrate from one provider to another at the same address there should be only a brief loss of service.

It would only be if you moved that you would face an issue.

I left BT and joined another provider and the transfer was done at 5 am, I didn't even know.

You join the new provider who handles the migration.  You don't contact BT to cancel, or this causes more issues.