Recurring problem with terrible crackle on line

[nigelg]

Hi, I wonder if I could possibly request some assistance with a recurring fault. This fault has been with us for over a year now. 

In May 2016 I had some help from forum mod John, who got us an engineer visit with increased time for the engineer. I think the engineer called it a 'boost' job.  At that time the engineer thought he may have found the fault, but it still came back intermittently (even after changing to Infinity). Another engineer visit in December 2016 did not find the fault, and he said he expected we would need another visit. Since then the problem has varied, but recently we just can't cope with it again, and we shouldn't have to. So please could a mod help us to get an engineer out again with extended time, as the engineer that came last December said a longer time is needed to go looking at junctions etc.

I look forward to getting this problem resolved.

[nigelg]

Just an update. We now have an engineer booked for Monday 22nd May (morning), but I don't think it will be an extended time. If this could be made possible I think that would be a big help.

[TelephoneBob]

A 'Boost' job you refer to is a 'Broadband Boost' which is a Service Based Solution Order. It's not a Fault Report.

A Broadband Boost is basically where BT pay Openreach something like £230 up front to try and improve the performance of a Broadband Circuit. It's by no means gauranteed they can improve it though.

If you're reporting a noisy line then it would be reported as WLR3, aka Phone Line Fault. If on BT's line test it shows a Hard Fault, i.e. Earth or Battery Contact then it'll be passed to a Customer Service Engineer to fix.

If it comes back as a LTOK, Line Tests OK then the fault will go out as a CDTA. That's Contious Decision to Appointment. Basically the Line Test says there's no fault but the providers asking Openreach to still go out.

On these jobs the Engineers are instructed to do a Pair Quality Test on arrival, if it passes and there's no evidence of noise then they are not to intervene in the Network and close off the job. A charge is then passed onto your Service Provider, which they may pass on to you.

[nigelg]

Thanks for the clarification TelephoneBob. I fail to understand how that can ever lead to an intermittent fault being fixed, but fingers crossed for tomorrow!

[indoneringback]

BT Openreach seem absolutely hopeless at sorting out a noise fault.  They seem to rely on their testers that say the line passes and not bother to look for the fault.  Noise and intermittent faults are more difficult to detect and solve but it used to be an everyday job when I worked for BT as a Special Faults Investigation Officer.  They need to put away their sophisticated testers and get into the network and listen.  Their testers can temporary clear a high resistive connection only for the HR fault to re-occur. There were many ways to look for poor lines that normal testers would past i.e. try an old worn out 1 1/2 v battery and measure voltage drop along the line, you will soon find where a poor contact is.    

[TelephoneBob]

If the Engineers been sent on a CDTA (explained above) and the PQT Passes with no evidence of noise then they are under strict instructions not to intervene in the Network.

You might not like it but why should an Engineer risk getting his ear ripped off by his OM and potentially lose his job just to appease you.

If there's an on going issue then it's up to the Service Provider to raise an SFI2 Task.

[indoneringback]

May I ask what is a PQT?  No wonder the reputation of BTOpenreach is so poor.  The customer just gets forgotten due to the internal politics of BTOpenreach and their inability to cure an intermittent noise fault unless it shows up on their electronic type testers.  Unfortunately (at present) they have the monopoly of the external plant but unless their attitude changes this may also change.  I do not blame the customer facing employees they can only work within the protocols set by their employers, as one technician said to me after 5 technicians were unable to cure my noise fault "we don't have the skill set to enter the network and can't pass the fault back unless our manager agrees" so the fault remains unresolved.  This is not a good situation for individual customers to experience.  I looked after a large network of PABXs and telecomms for a NHS trust and could put pressure on BTOpenreach when they offered poor service but this is not avaiable for private individual customers.  Perhaps OFCOM should act or move aside for another regulator that has some committment to customer service.

[licquorice]

Openreach haven't got the faintest idea of what 'Customer Service' means. The customer is just an irritation they have to suffer.

[TelephoneBob]

A PQT is a Pair Quality Test. It's does a full diagnostic test of the line.

It's checks the AC/DC Voltage across the pair, Insulation Resistance, Loop Resistance, Capacitance Balance, AC Balance, Insertion Loss at 1.6khz and some wide band noise tests.

Basically everything a 9083 can do and then a lot more.

The JDSU's and EXFO's they use are good bits of kit, but only if you know how to use them correctly!

[TelephoneBob]

'Openreach haven't got the faintest idea of what 'Customer Service' means. The customer is just an irritation they have to suffer.'

What's the Company name of the really successful Communication Network you own?