Installation incomplete, how long to update and complete?

[Schomosport]

Openreach engineer arrived at the property Friday 22nd November to transfer our service to Full FIbre. Installation couldn't complete because they couldn't thread the cable through the existing underground ducting, engineer suspected a blockage or possible collapse. Engineer said that they would need to put a camera down the duct to establish what was causing the problem, possibly needing to dig down to correct. This task was out of scope for the installation crew but the required team were working nearby and might get to me later that day, he would keep me informed on progress (he hasn't). Since then, I have had a single text from Openreach saying that someon would be in touch with next steps. That was Saturday, no further contact since and there is nothing useful I can get from BT's 'Track My Order' web pages.

It's not a tragedy, we still have our existing broadband service, also with BT, but I don't like silence from service providers who get halfway through a job and then leave me in the dark.

Is there anything I can do from my end to expedite, OpenReach won't talk to me and  I am doubtful ringing BT up will bear much fruit but happy to have a try. Maybe I just need a little more patience, we have been with BT for decades and for the most ppart have little to grumble about as far as reliability of service and fault correction is concerned.

On the topic of cable routing, it is a 1997 build with the BT service provided underground. Most of the properties in the nearby main road are much older and are serviced via overhead lines. The engineer gave me the option of running an overhead line instead however we stated our preference was for an underground installation and the engineer semed perfectly happy about it. If it comes to the crunch, what powers do OpenReach have to overide our wishs and becasue of e.g. balance of costs, insist we have the service provided by overhead cable? Thanks!

[iniltous]

Usually, if a duct is blocked , they ‘rod’ from the jointbox and house wall ( assuming the blockage is between the last jointbox and the house wall , or  if it’s between boxes the rod from each box  ) to locate the stoppage and mark the area with degradable grey paint …did they do this ? , if they did where is the stoppage , within your garden/driveway , or within the public footpath  ?

Its unlikely that your method of provision would be changed to overhead withiut your consent, and in the majority of housing with underground services this isn’t even going to be an option, your circumstances of having a potential overhead alternative is pretty rare …..they may suggest it ( if the duct clearance proves problematic, or ( for example ) were under a concrete or resin bonded driveway and the customer insists on underground and a new driveway as the don’t want a ‘scar’ on the driveway surface, hence asking where the stoppage is 

[36ULW]

I can only assume the Engineer was a Contractor, from someone like Kelly’s or Quinn’s.

It’s been a few years since I left but when I was there if a Contractor hit a possible blockage on an Installation they would send the job back to Openreach who would in turn send one or two of their own guys out to either try and clear said blockage or track/locate it and then mark it up for an dig and do they necessary paperwork, which we called an A55.

As to why you’ve not heard back I couldn’t say. Can only assume it’s because they’re busy and haven’t been able to resource it yet.

[Schomosport]

Update - might as well record the saga for the benefit of anyone else watching who has the job only half done.

Following Friday (installation +7 days) phoned BT about midday. On hold 14 minutes, spoke to someone In Dundee who agreed the order was showing as incomplete but they needed to await the review notes which were due by close of business. I asked what the expedition process was, told it was failure to receive review notes by the agreed time so nothing doing before Monday since cotractor wasn't yet in breach. Fair enough.

Monday (installation +10 days) non-local Openreach engineer turned up, rodded the duct with a snort about the previous engineers efforts and quickly  located the blocakge just outrside property boundary. Asked if it was our land or council land, getting civils out to dig down was 5 days lead time but permission for civils for lead time from council was 10 days. It would definitlely be quicker if it was on our land so I changed my mind and signed the permissions. Engineer said they would check the land legistry anyway so might not make any difference. We continue to manage quite happily on non-fibre, only changing becasue it is cheaper and will eventually be mandated anyway. I asked what was the likelihood of the digging team severing the connection,engineer said shouldn't be a problem, it was a hand shovel job. - but they would the rod onwards to check for any further blockages as the box we would be connectedto was about 100 yards away.

To be continued....................

[Schomosport]

We have requested upgrade to full fibre from copper. The current service is underground, Three OpenReach engineers have visited us so far. The first pair installed the modem but couldn't thread the fibre optic through the underground duct becasue it was blocked. Offered to run it overhead from pole on the far side of the road. I declined on the basis thatthe extant duct was prefereable to me rather than have overhead clutter attached to my property. The second engineer confirmed the blockage, marked up the suspect areas and said it would be passed to civils. The third engineer arrived to say that he had been tasked with connecting us overhead, an option which I declined. The engineer further explained that civils had rejectected correcting the underground problem because of cosy when an adjacent telegraph pole to support an overhead connection was available. He again probed the underground run to see if he could get it unblocked but was unsuccessful. I asked him to explain the proposed overhead run and he said that because our property was sunk relative to the road and telegraph pole he would need to connect to the high point of the gable at the front of the property. There is no masonry adjacent to the gable end, it is timber fascia board and timber cladding, it is not a structural item, its purpose is largely cosmetic and to keep out the rain. I have reservations as to its suitability for providing a secure cable attachment. It would also involve running several meteres of cable across and down the face of the property before entering through the existing aperture near ground level where the service currently comes in. The engineer said he would file his report and include a note about the building being sunk relative to the road. I would then neeed to contact the service provider (BT) and explain the situation, get them to look at the notes and seek a resolution. All engineers who have visited the property have been polite and professional, some more willing to explain the situation than others.

Sorry for being so long winded, now to the questions:

1) For me, the satisfactory outcome is they resolve the underground blockage and complete the connection underground. What is the probability of me getting my way? What is my best apporach?
2) If they insist on connecting overhead to the timber structure it will impede its maintenance (paint) and repair (replacement). Under such circumstances how do I proceed: "Dear OpenReach, please temporarily detach you cable from my property because I need to replace the wood you are attaching to." Doesn't sound very plausible and likely involves me paying a bill.
3) If I switch service provider, will the outcome be any different? (I would prefer not to, I have been with BT for many years and am generally satisfied with the service).

[Keith_Beddoe]

Info, continuation of https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Fibre-broadband/Installation-incomplete-how-long-to-update-and-comple...

Would have been better to update that thread instead of starting a new thread.

[Keith_Beddoe]

Continuation.

See https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Fibre-broadband/New-overhead-connection-or-repair-existing-undergroun...

[Schomosport]

Yes apologies, I should know better.

[Schomosport]

Full fibre success. Came home from town yesterday afternoon to find an OpenReach enginer prospecting for cable with cable detector. He had run a copper wire down with his probe and was finally on track. The 'blockage' was a right angle turn through an underground box mostly obscured by shrubs and leaf debris just outside our boundary fence.  I knew it was there, with hindsight I should have pointed its location out to the previous engineers who visited but I had assumed they all had access to some sort of site plan hence justifying their assertion there was a blockage. Anyway, engineer 4 soon had the undergrowth cut back, lifted the cover and a couple more further down the close and completed the connection. He explained he couldn't establish the service because of some kind of routing and identification error neither he nor his colleague on the end of the phone could sort out but he had reported it to the appropriate team and told us to keep an eye on the modem for the next 48 hours and as soon as the centre LED stopped flashing we could disconnect the cable and filter from the wired port and the hub would switch over to fibre automaticaly.LEDstopped flashing a couple of hours later and I did as instructed and indeed the hub did switch over, don't think it flashed from blue for more than a couple of seconds.

So, 3 or 4 weeks later than planned, all is up and operational, all  have I to do now is get the billing sorted out. I will probably leave it until the next bill comes in (subject to the wife's agreement, paid from her account!) in the hope that now the contracted for service has been established BT's accounts software will sort it out for itself and adjust the billing accordingly, fingers crossed. Thanks to those interested enough to contribute responses.