Fibre installation delays

[Retroanaconda]

Hi folks,

Moved into a new property back in June and excitingly fibre has recently been run down the road and so I am able to get FTTP. Placed the order a month ago and expected there to be a bit of a lead-in as there needs to be a trench dug to get the fibre from the carriageway box to the property - sadly the existing copper is directly buried and there is no duct despite the house only being 17 years old.

Some subcontractors appeared just after we moved in with an excavator but they only dug the first few metres of trench and laid a duct to a Toby box at the point where they thought the property boundary was. Despite me pointing out that there was another 30m or so to do they said they could only dig what was on their job sheet and another job would have to be raised.

Chap from openreach came a few days later for a prearranged appointment, and we discussed the routing for the trench/duct and where it needs to come into the house. Sadly that is the last we have heard, it has been two weeks since then and nothing has happened. The openreach engineer says it’s been flagged for civils works but he can’t do anything to move it along until that’s done. BT retail just say it’s openreach’s delay and there’s nothing they can do.

Does anybody have any suggestions of what we can do to move things along? We have no mobile coverage and so are effectively without any form of communication while at home. I even asked BT to put us on good old fashioned ADSL while we wait for the fibre, but they said that they had disconnected it from the exchange already!

Thanks

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Retroanaconda 

Welcome to this user forum for BT Residential phone and broadband customers.

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do. BT will not give you an activation date for your broadband package, until the trench is dug, and Openreach complete the installation.

DIG (Direct In Ground) copper cabling is very common, which makes things difficult.

ADSL would not be an option where either FTTC or FTTP is available.

Is there no 4G coverage via EE, as BT could loan you a mini hub?

[Retroanaconda]

Openreach are the holdup I know, but BT as their customer (not to mention parent company) should be applying pressure on them on my behalf. It’s almost as if Openreach have got a monopoly on the infrastructure and couldn’t care less.

Sadly there is no 4G coverage in the house, I have to walk to the corner of the garden to post this on a very flaky EE signal. So no point getting the mini hub thing.

The previous owners had broadband of some kind, I’d presumed it was ADSL as the fibre has only just been run in the road, but it may have been FTTC. In any case it is not unreasonable to expect them to wait until after the FTTP is installed to disconnect the old copper cable! They are a shambles.

[Keith_Beddoe]

BT have no priory over other ISPs that use Openreach, its not allowed.

[36ULW]

BT Consumer aren’t the owner/parent of Openreach Ltd.

[Retroanaconda]

I’m not suggesting that they should have priority, just that they should be pressuring openreach to get on with it.

Will call BT again today and see what the latest excuse is. 

[Retroanaconda]

Some gentlemen and a digger turned up today and managed to run the new fibre cable for half of the distance, so we’re making progress slowly.

Interestingly it’s not in the c. 50mm duct I was expecting but laid straight in the ground in a very small (13-14mm) tube to protect it. I assume this will be enough to protect it from future damage, as it’s only buried about 150mm deep?

[36ULW]

That’s Gabacom Sub Duct.

Openreach started using it a while back. Other Network Providers have been using it for years.

It’s cheaper than Duct56. You have to bear in mind Openreach are trying to build Fibre to 25 Million Homes and contrary to popular belief they don’t have a Magic Money Tree so they’re trying to keep costs down.

Also it’s only accommodates one cable. So let’s say Upp, CityFibre, etc come along in 12 months time it means they’ll also have to go to the expense of digging up your garden to lay their own Sub Duct.

[Retroanaconda]

The chance of another provider installing their own network round (rural highlands) here is close to zero I’d say, so won’t need to worry about that.

The guys came back today and finished the job, cable and microduct laid where I wanted to the correct location. They even put it a bit deeper under the drive at my request.

One more hurdle to overcome and we’re there 👍🏻

[36ULW]

‘The chance of another provider installing their own network round (rural highlands) here is close to zero I’d say, so won’t need to worry about that.’

You say that but there’s some bespoke Alt Nets who specialise in Rural Areas. Although they charge a Premium for it.

Anyway, glad you got your Fibre finally sorted. The more connections Openreach make the better as I still have over 15,000 Shares in the BT Group.