How does Openreach coordinate physical repairs?

[Annej1]

The fibre cable was damaged in the street by a gardener (not ours!) and three properties cut off. This was over a week ago and three different engineers have been sent out to do initial assessments and log the problem. We all then got automated messages to book another appointment and then those appointments were cancelled or missed. When I call BT they apologise and then try to book another appointment which they assure me is the right kind of appointment, but then the day comes and that doesnt turn out to be the case. Surely Openreach should just organise the repair and let customers know when it will be fixed? Does anyone know why we are stuck in this process and why interacting with customer services just makes things worse?

[iniltous]

How can a gardener damage a cable that affects three properties ? , it’s understandable if they were excavating in a garden that the could damage an individuals service but more that one ?
Anyway , if the damage has been reported , and OR are aware and know the problem is outside any individuals home , then access into the premises affected isn’t needed , it seems a quirk that appointments are asked for by the ISP but cancelled by Openreach as no visit is home needed , the work to fix the problem doesn’t need customers to be at home.
If the ISP ( presumably BT in your case ) have advised Openreach , and they have visited and presumably identified where the problem is and what’s needed to restore service , there isn’t anything more BT can do until the service is fixed , this arrangement , you speak to your ISP , they speak to OR , OR never speak to you is the way the regulator demands the way it is .

[Annej1]

The gardener cut though the cable on the telegraph pole when they were trimmed hedges... yes they should have been more careful!

That makes sense but no one at BT customer services has said that, they seem to think the system is requiring us to make another appointment (and insisting we have to stay in for it).

[36ULW]

Most likely a COF215, 600 and or 250 in a Duct, which within a Service Strip. This is quite common on New Sites.

Used to be a pain to be honest when I used to be a CST.

Service Strips technically fall within the boundary of peoples gardens/driveways and Utilities are supposed to have Right of Way to access them although I’m not sure it’s legally binding and some residents can be Anchors about it. 

[Annej1]

It's on the telegraph pole in the street.

[36ULW]

It sounds like your Neighbour has damaged either a COF215 or 600 Cable feeding a Node and or a COF250 feeding a CBT.

Problem is they’re just seeing you have no Connection so are just sending out Customer Service Technicians who will most likely not be trained to Replace/Re-Joint that kind of Cable.

When I worked as a CST we used to arrange for a FND Team to Repair it. Although that was a few years ago and I now hear some CST’s have been trained to do that kind of work. If Openreach are anything like they were when I was there they’ll be no National Process in place and the local FTTP SD Team will have their own way of dealing with it.

By sounds of it though the Team in your area clearly hasn’t perfected anything. 😒

[36ULW]

Ah right, so on the Pole. Posted that while I was typing.

Same thing what I said applies, most likely cut through the Cable that feeds the CBT. 

It needs an Engineer who’s been through the Fibre Foundation Course to repair. Most SD Engineers wouldn’t have done that.

[tonysmini018]

Is there a small node (black bin shaped joint) half way up the pole?

If not, then it will likely need the CBT you are plugged in to at the top of the pole replacing and the feed to it replacing underground all the way back to the node/joint that feeds it. 

There was a post on FB about a gardener who had chopped a pole feed on Wednesday or Thursday that quickly got deleted, possibly this is the one she was on about.

[Annej1]

Thanks, can't see a box and I remember the first engineer commenting that something like that would be needed. I wonder why BT support are telling customers we need to book the appointment to get that work done? Surely Openreach will get on with that part independently? 

[tonysmini018]

The repair will be booked to the first fault investigated and processed from there (depending on what’s needed to fix it, if it requires a permit you could be waiting a couple of weeks).

The reason the others report it to their providers is in case you are entitled to any compensation back or an alternate back up/mobile data add on whilst you are off line.