Do I have a connection to an exchange?

[lawhollol]

hi 

I have moved into a property that has been empty for 7 years. There is a phone socket on the wall that looks about 7 or 8 years old.

Is there a way of determining if the line going into the building is terminated and connected to the exchange electrically. Is there a chance that after the line has been unused for so long it would have been disconnected/unallocated?

Other that using a wired phone, is there a way to determine the lines status (I dont know the phone number of previous people) before I attempt to get  a broadband account and equipment sent to me. I anticipate signing up to a broadband supplier, they sending me the equipment and I plug it into a deallocated/dead line.

I have multi-meter and competent in its use. would a call to BT be helpful?

thanks

Law

PS. a slightly related Q is that before the phone line enters the building it enters a 12" long, 2" wide black cylindical plastic tube, 2 lines exit the junction box and one enters a neighbouring property, FYI this is also empty. Does this indicate 2 properties are sharing a line or that 2 lines come down the main cable and split at the premises?

[Keith_Beddoe]

@lawhollol 

There would be no connection after all that time. Its Openreach that would do the work.

If you want a connection , then....

You would need to follow the process for ordering a new phone line first. Once that has been provided, then the Openreach database will be updated, and you can add BT Broadband to the line.

Place an order for a line only using this link - https://www.bt.com/landline/deals

If the address doesn't appear properly when you enter the postcode, there is a section underneath where you can manually enter the address.  This will raise the order with the address showing as bronze and it will prompt Openreach to carry out a survey to confirm the routing.   

If extra work is needed, then you will be given an estimate of the cost.

[licquorice]

It matters not whether there is an existing connection. When you place an order with a supplier, whatever is required to provide service will be carried out.

It will be a multi-pair cable that is split into individual pairs.

[lawhollol]

I am pretty the line to the exchange is OK, cables and sockets all look pretty good. Just some connecting in the exchange perhaps. 

Am I right in understanding that the cost for a new line will vary depending if its BT or another company.

Thanks again

aw

[Keith_Beddoe]

@lawhollol 

As this is a BT Retail Customer Forum, you can only get advice on BT Retail services, and discussion of other providers is not permitted. All BT Broadband packages include the line rental, but in many cases, you do not have to choose a phone service.

If you decide to choose a different provider, then you would need to post on their user forum.

[iniltous]

It doesn’t really matter if the cable pair is intact all the way from your master socket to the exchange , if it’s many years since it last worked chances are you would be told you need a new line install ( even if a socket exists ) as opposed to a ‘start’ , ( because no stopped service will exist at that address ) where a stopped line exists it is simply started back up,

In reality there can be little  difference and if the line can be brought into service without an engineer visit to your property that will probably happen ( even if you are given a install time and told to be available at that time to grant access should it be needed ) 

There can be differences between what different providers charge ( even though what Openreach charge is the same regardless of the provider ) …it used to be the case that taking line and broadband ( with BT ) came with free setup , and as already stated as this is a BT forum , any advice on other providers should be sort elsewhere, want to use BT , order online or call .

[Starwire]

When a phone/broadband service is ceased the line goes into something called a ‘Stopped’ Status for 6 months on the assumption someone will move in and takeover it.

After 6 months, providing the Stop hasn’t been taken as a spare for someone else then it’s put into a Spare Status and would be completely disconnected from the Exchange Equipment when it is reallocated. Although depending on Exchange Capacity it may remain in a Stopped Status for years. Although that’s as rare as hens teeth as I can virtually guarantee an Openreach Engineer would’ve taken it for Flex Off Friday.