Pole needs replacing

[DavidK12]

Hope you can help with this.

 After many months of discussions and turmoil we finally got a broadband connection we are happy with. Full fibre and 500mbps (250 actual in fact) - when I tell you that we were previously struggling to maintain 1mbps you will appreciate how happy we are now!

 My next door neighbour also wants to upgrade but has been told the metal pole outside my house needs to be changed to a wooden one as fibre is not possible via a metal pole. Our fibre is supplied via this pole, although the engineer did need to obtain a special clip to go inside it. We do not want the pole changing as it will make a mess of the front of the property (and we’re quite like the metal one), and it clearly isn’ta requirement for FTTH.

 Who do I need to contact to resolve this?

 Thanks!

[Keith_Beddoe]

@DavidK12 

This is just a BT Retail Customer forum.

You need to contact Openreach.

[DavidK12]

I tried contacting Openreach but its website clearly states that any contact should be made via my service provider as that is who my contract is with.

Eventually a manager at BT called me back and sent a link to a form to complete and send to OR - it was a form for new builds in fact but seems to have worked as I have been given a reference number.

Apologies for using the wrong forum but I was desperate having spent most of the day trying every available contact method in order to get help with my issue. If there was a viable alternative supplier I would not hesitate to change - BT (and Openreach) have caused so much frustration it is beyond belief (although I imagine most on here will believe it well enough....)

[Starwire]

Depends what kind of Radial Hollow Pole, aka Metal one it is.

Some of the old old ones, that look like a Lamp Post will need changing out. The old metal ones can have FTTP CBT’s Installed in them. They use something called the Squid in them as opposed to a Block Terminal you’d usually find on a Wooden Pole or in a Joint Box.

[DavidK12]

I already have full fibre via this pole so I know it is usable. The OR engineer however, has told my neighbour it has to be changed for a wooden one. Funnier still, they have a block terminal already on the wooden pole outside their property...?!

[Starwire]

A lot of the new Engineers Openreach have employed these past few years are useless to be honest. 

I wouldn’t trust half of them to work on my line, god help the Company when the older experienced guys have retired or been made redundant.

[DavidK12]

You’re right!
There are some good younguns though - the guy who did ours was a baby but he did a good job and was very friendly and polite. He did have to ask one of his experienced colleagues about how to fix the cable inside the metal pole, but at least he did ask rather than saying it couldn’t be done.