Failed Installation of FTTP - 11 weeks and counting without internet!

[hammer124]

Hello,

I'm writing this as a last resort in the hope that something can improve my current situation. I'll try to include everything that has happened, but at this stage, it feels like I should be writing a novel!

I ordered FTTP with BT via EE on the 18th of April 2024. I was approached as an existing EE Mobile customer with an offer to "switch over free of charge" from my existing provider, TalkTalk. The offer was enticing mainly because I was being offered a FTTP 500mb package, a significant upgrade from my 150mb package with TalkTalk. Considering my contract with TalkTalk was due for renewal in September 2024, which I did not want to renew, I decided to switch.

I placed the order and was given an installation date of 10th May 2024. On the scheduled day, an Openreach Engineer arrived but stated, "oh, you don't have the external work needed, i.e., the ducting." This was odd since my address was stated as being available for FTTP, and I expected the internet to go live as per the order confirmation on 10th May. I have since learned that this does not necessarily mean you have everything in place from an infrastructure perspective to be connected on the day.

I immediately contacted BT to ensure that my current service (TalkTalk) would continue until the new one (BT) was live. Unfortunately, I was told that Openreach had already switched off my current provider! This was surprising, given that everything I read online says they shouldn't do this.

BT called me back on the same day with an offer for a 4G minihub to give me some form of internet until the installation was complete. However, the minihub would only be valid for 60 days and had to be shared between my three housemates (two of whom work remotely full-time, and myself who is between home and the office). BT assured me that I could get another one if the work took longer than 60 days, but they usually complete delayed installs within this timeframe. On 12th May, another BT representative informed me that the external work could take 4-6 weeks to get council approval and complete the ducting.

For the next seven weeks, I was back and forth with BT (and Openreach through BT) while using a 4G minihub that offered no more than 30mbps between three people, trying to get an answer on when the external work would happen. Every time I called, Openreach told BT they were trying to come the following week, but they never showed up! The lack of communication between the two organizations was appalling, resulting in me having to ask BT to call me back at specific times as Openreach had no updates. I would like to think I was being patient, but at this point, I decided to raise a complaint and escalate my order.

Finally, after raising a complaint, it looked like things were near the end! On 19th June 2024, two contractors arrived outside the property at lunchtime, drilling a hole in the ground. Great, I thought, we're one step closer! A week later, Openreach called me directly to arrange for my installation on 26th June. Finally, I might have the internet I was promised months ago!

An Openreach Engineer arrived on the promised day. He was baffled as to why no internal work was completed during the seven weeks I was waiting for the external work. He had been informed by the previous engineer that this was already done! Nevertheless, he proceeded with the installation, hoping for a quick install. However, my housemate, who was home during the installation, called me to say, "it can't be completed; the engineer says there's a blockage in the ducting." At this point, I could only laugh at the fact that the ducting was just installed, but none of the contractors checked to see whether it was installed correctly.

I contacted BT again, and Openreach informed them that they needed to dig in the road, which would cause more delays. They assured me that this should be completed between the 22nd and 24th of July. However, there still needs to be a third engineer visit to actually connect my internet, so I wouldn't be live on the date the external work is completed. This week, I eagerly awaited Openreach to complete the external work, tracking their planning permission via one.network. All signals indicated they were coming on the 23rd-24th of July. But no!

So, it's been 11 weeks and counting since I should've gone live. Openreach has failed to show up to complete the external work they promised BT would be completed this week (w/c 22nd July 2024). Now, they're saying their contractors are "aiming to have everything finished by 30th September." That's 20 weeks since I should've gone live!

This is completely unacceptable. BT seems to be doing everything they can to support me, and I have to give credit to the teams I've spoken to on the phone. Unfortunately, Openreach is not committing to any date, forcing BT to constantly go back on what they say to me. Since the last failed installation date, they've done nothing for 4 weeks! I've complained and had my case raised to the escalation team, but nothing has changed. I don't understand how Openreach can say they have council permission, quote a date for external works, and then not show up, pushing things back another two months!

I would appreciate any advice or guidance. At this point, I am seriously considering taking the compensation I have accumulated and switching to Hyperoptic, as I know they use their own engineers. I cannot continue relying on 4G minihubs and hotspotting my phone for work purposes.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

[naylor2006]

Sounds like everything is going through the right channels but you are at the complete mercy of Openreach, BT Retail your ISP have little power to get them to do anything quicker.

My personally feeling, because I actually did something similar with Vodafone, is just take the compensation and go to the alt net. Alt nets do sometimes share Openreach's Passive pathways for laying fibre, ours are blocked around here so Truespeed havent hooked up the bottom 5 houses in my road. You would want to ensure that their engineers will install their own pathway from the curb to your property before going ahead, thats what I would be checking, just to be sure even if its true always.

They will install their own Fibre Modem, the benefit I always see if there are two services to a property, one of them not being Openreach, is that you will always have a back up during switch over. For example I had Virgin cable before going to Fibre with Openreach, my order went so badly wrong, 4 months it took to go live but because Virgin Cable is nothing to do with Openreach I left that service live, otherwise id have had no internet with no mobile service to back it up, 5 pound a day is cool and that but no way would compensate that.

With two fibre providers you can do the same, sign up with Hyperoptic then when their renewal prices are poor you can then go back to an Openreach ISP but leaving your Hyperoptic live on a rolling contract until Openreach figure it out. Then 2 years later you can go back to Hyperoptic as a new customer. Sure you'll have two ONT's inside but its what i'd do. As much as its going to irk me if I cant get a good deal anywhere on Openreach fibre once my 24 months with BT are up I may end up going back to Cable 😕

On another note, 150Mbps on FTTC you were getting before? Wow.