Lengthy delay in order as Openreach claim that they can't find my address

[amahy]

Hello,

I ordered BT Fibre Essential Broadband on 11/07/2025, and my Smart Hub arrived on 28/07/2025.  My engineer visit was booked for 31/07/2025, however no progress has been made on my order.  The online tracking page has said the following message for over a month now: "Our engineers need more time to understand how to connect the service. As soon as they are in a position to start work they will confirm the installation date."

I have rung BT 3 times now, yet still no progress.  The first person told me the issue was that my address was not registered, so I did that via Royal Mail's online form.  However, the latter 2 people said the issue was that Openreach can't find my address.  If Royal Mail can find my address to deliver the Smart Hub, then why can't Openreach?!  The address I live at used to be one big property, but it was split into multiple properties over 20 years ago.  There has clearly been a phone line at the property before, as there is a phone socket in the living room, however I cannot find out the details of this.

I would appreciate if someone could help me, as I feel like BT is stringing me along.  I have already paid £42 for the set up, which feels like a scam, considering I have been waiting nearly 2 months now.  I am also annoyed that Openreach keep using the same excuse, claiming that they can't find my address, when many other nearby properties have Broadband.

In short, can I get Broadband in a property that had its address registered a month ago?  If not, what are my alternatives?

[iniltous]

The claim Openreach can’t ‘find’  your address doesn’t mean they physically can’t drive down your street and find your address like the postie that delivered your router , it’s your address doesn’t have a proper match within Openreach records and without that  the  appropriate external equipment etc.  can’t be allocated to progress your  order to supply service …with these things it’s not the case that someone turns up , looks around for the nearest ‘line-plant’ and then connects you to it and then retrospectively records the information about where you are connected …the allocation of equipment , lineplant etc needs to be done in advance based on your postal address so the installer knows in advance where to connect you ,  if the exact address can’t be ‘found’ and matched to Openreach lineplant records , then the appropriate equipment etc can’t be allocated and the order is rejected by Openreach because of the incorrect or mismatched address data , that’s what they mean by saying they can’t find your address .

In some respects it’s probably an error that BT were even able to raise an order in the first place , if the address can’t be matched then an order shouldn’t be accepted.

You have almost certainly  pointed out the issue  ,and that is the address was one large property divided into multiple units but chances are it was never properly recorded as such, if this isn’t done correctly, or more accurately the appropriate authorities advised by whoever converted the single dwelling into multiple dwellings, then these addressing issues do occur.
Search for your address here …

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome

You need to see an exact match for the address ( the same way it is recorded on the Royal Mail database )  , not something similar or ‘close enough’ like you are Flat X , but it says Apartment X , or you are flat 1A but it shows flat A1, but an  exact match …if there isn’t an exact match just something similar or no entry at all , then that’s the root cause of the problem and without correction you won’t get service 

[amahy]

I have followed the link to the address checker, however my address is not listed.  The other addresses in the complex are, but not mine.  How do I fix this please, as there is no button to do so.  As I said before, I have registered my address using Royal Mail's online form.

[iniltous]

Until the RM show your address and then Openreach update their own data to match the new entry in the RM  there is nothing to be done, this update is normally automatic, if it doesn’t happen automatically then you need to contact the ISP that supplies or is trying to supply you (presumably BT in your case ) and request an ORDI (Openreach Data Integrity) to update OR records , but that’s pointless until there is a RM entry in the first place, if you recently completed the RM on line form you should have seen it says to expect a delay.

[amahy]

I completed the RM form on 30/07/2025.  Does anyone know how long the delays are?

[iniltous]

TBH that’s a question for RM

[amahy]

If Royal Mail have such lengthy delays with registering my address, what am I supposed to do? The mobile data signal is rubbish where I live - I need a much faster internet. 

[amahy]

Update after a couple of months:

Eventually, I cancelled by order with BT - nothing was progressing.

It MUST be possible to get broadband at an address not registered with Royal Mail, as many of the other properties in the complex that I live in are on BT's DSL checker, yet NONE are on Postcode Finder (and many have successfully ordered, and currently have broadband).  

Does anybody know why other unregistered addresses can get broadband, but not me, despite them living next door to me??!!!  It all seems very fishy.