Changing provider

[northshields]

As I understand it, if I am currently on VDSL and the street cabinet is marked with VDSL as "Waiting list", I cannot simply change provider, but have to give up that connection and wait until a slot becomes available. Am I alone in thinking that the practice is seriously anti-competitive in that it effectively forces you to stay with your current provider who can then charge whatever they like whilst your only remedy is to go down to standard broadband.?

Or have I misunderstood the position?

[licquorice]

So, in the absence of any spare ports, what would you consider a fair system of allocating ports that are vacated by somebody chasing a cheaper deal. Let them have the port straight back again or give it to somebody unable to get VDSL. Or, as is the current case, give it on a first come first served basis.

Answers on a postcard to ......................

[northshields]

liquorice,

I appreciate entirely that there will be different points of view. However, my own view is that it should be possible to retain the existing connection and change supplier. I don't see how else there can be any competition between providers or how else to avoid a situation in which a customer is completely captive and at the mercy of his current provider.

I am afraid that I see nothing wrong in "chasing a cheaper deal". It happens in the energy and mobile phone markets, so why not the broadband market?

[licquorice]

It's fine as long as you are not doing it at the expense of others.

[-Richie-]

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@northshieldswrote:

However, my own view is that it should be possible to retain the existing connection and change supplier.

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Openreach treat a switch as 2 orders, 1 from the gaining provider to start the service then a 2nd from the losing provider to stop supplying service, which is why switching can sometimes go wrong if one part fails.

Once you ask a provider to supply services, they check the database to see what options are available, if a waiting list then you'll be offererd ADSL, after you leave the FTTC service that then frees up the port, so first come first served.

Openreach have no way to tell if you're the same customer, they don't hold your details because you're not the customer, they see one ISP asking for service and another ceasing the service.

[iniltous]

The overwhelming majority of FTTC ‘cabinets’ are not at ‘waiting list’ , your ‘anti competitive’  comment doesn’t really hold ,  if , as you suggest , not allowing you to effectively keep your port as you move from one FTTC provider to another, it’s pretty anti competitive in that it locks  out any potential new customer that want but cannot get FTTC ( there ‘need’ may b3 as valid as yours , potentially unable to move from another network not willing to negotiate a renewal ‘deal’ , and the change in speed to ADSL would be unacceptable….there is no perfect system if there are no spare ports on a particular FTTC ‘ cabinet’ but customers waiting ….and as a dead end technology there is no commercial reason for Openreach to expand FTTC , 

[pippincp]

You should really be complaining to OFCOM as they are the ones who created the rule. Openreach cannot give preference to any ISP so as soon as a service is cancelled (eg when moving provider) the port becomes available to all so the first order is the one who will get it.