No service

[darron1219]

Hello,

I'm seeking some guidance on how I can progress having service restored from anyone that may have experienced our current situ.

We are on day 33 with no service.  In the process of installing fibre, Openreach were unable to feed the new cable through the same conduit as the original copper one and snapped the copper cable in the process.  The solution is Openreach attempt to unblock the original conduit or install a new  between the footpath and our house (five metres).  Seemingly BT have been unable to raise a job with Openreach to complete this work.  I've had repeated  engineer visits for 'faults' on the line, but with no line in place, nothing they can do other than log on the account the fibre cable needs installing.  I've now been told the only way to progress is to cancel the current order and start from scratch.  This was on the 16th October.  It's now the 28th and  I've had a call to say the order hasn't been cancelled and its likely to take another three days before we can start again.  With over seven hours of phone calls, I feel like we're going around in circles.

I've been told if I tell BT to give up and go to another service provider to progress, we will waiver any compensation due.  Is this correct?

Anyone experienced the same and have any advice?

Thank you

Darron

[iniltous]

BT don’t raise anything with BT ( apart from the original order ) however it won’t necessarily be ‘known’ by BT that your copper service was made unavailable during the failed FTTP installation.

Openreach won’t have simply washed their hands of this , but I’d agree the ‘fix’ is taking an unacceptable amount of time , obviously it’s up to you if you cancel and reorder with someone else , but all that will achieve is  forfeiting your compensation with BT , and the next company will be starting from scratch ( so it will take longer to get service ) 

BT should be enquiring with OR and updating you with the timescales etc of whatever the solution is , but if your duct is unserviceable and presumably the problem is underneath your garden , unless you have an objection to excavation ( perhaps because you had landscaping that you don’t want disturbing ) it shouldn’t be particularly problematic, but it’s entirely within Openreach remit  , and nothing to do with BT .

[gg30340]

I have notified the moderators of the forum about your problem. Once they have read this they may be able to help or at the very least find out why it is taking so long with no conclusion in sight.

They will advise you by posting on this thread.

[NeilO]

@darron1219 I'm really sorry about the delay, I'll send you a private message so you can get in touch with your order details and we'll be happy to find out whats happening.

Thanks

Neil

[darron1219]

@iniltous, appreciate the swift response. You're absolutely right. The soonest other provider engineer visit is 16th Nov - and that's just for the initial visit to establish what works needs doing. I agreed to front lawn to have a small trench dug up back on the 4th Oct

[darron1219]

Much appreciated, thank you. Already had the PM and replied. Thanks again

[darron1219]

Thanks Neil. PM responded to

[darron1219]

Update.... there is no update.  No change 

[iniltous]

TBH , hopefully your original order to migrate to FTTP wasn’t cancelled , that would have been the worse thing to do ,

Its really strange this is such a problem if there are no third parties involved, in essence the ‘duct’ , you call it conduit, is presumably it’s a 2” duct and is blocked under your garden , the solution is new duct from the footpath box to your home this is done on FTTP orders all the time with housing built in the 1960’s through to the late 1980’s as the copper cables were never provided in 2” duct so excavation was known to be required, with later built properties ( built from the 1990’s onwards ) 2” duct was used but obviously as it’s underground it’s condition cannot be known until an attempt to install something in it is tried , a draw rope or cable , your issue is something that likely to happen often ,probably dozens of times every day across the OR ‘estate’, and given you state it’s only 5metres in distance it’s not even going to be particularly expensive 

A solution to these problems is something put in place frequently , hence the delay is baffling unless there is a pertinent fact not yet disclosed, as yours is hardly ( on the face of it ) a unique issue.

What is the return using your address ,  (or use your phone number if it’s a standard not DV , BT number ) at this checker site
https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

The useful part is the section like this

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG Feed with no anticipated issues.

Preferably  post the return for your address

[darron1219]

Hi @iniltous ,

You are absolutely right.  House is mid eighties.  The hole left next to my front door by one of the first engineers (31st Aug) concluded no duct, or at least no duct as far as they could reach without destroying anymore of the front porch slabs.  The next engineer, which was an Openreach subcontractor came on the 25th Sept, installed the internal box and submitted the forms for the ground works to be completed but nothing has progressed since this date.  I'm told this subcontractor marked the job as complete which is what started this issue.  The original copper was snapped underground by one of the engineers as they were trying to see if they could draw the new cable through using the old.

I've since been going around in circles trying to get the original job re-opened or a new request for the ground works.  Nothing unique and nothing seemingly complicated.

The result from the link you posted:

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG congested duct.

FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.