topic Re: Openreach - utter shambles in Broadband

Openreach - utter shambles

Millsey101 — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:39:41 GMT

I'm absolutely fizzing mad about this, new Sky customer and should have gone live on March 1st but due to Openreach getting things really badly wrong I am STILL without any services to the house.

I am staggered that after phoning Sky support multiple times this week that nothing has changed and nobody can tell me when my services will actually go live.

Apparently Openreach messed up the configuration of lines, poles and cabinets, ok human errors occur but this is beyond my tolerance for failure.

I work from home but that's been difficult trying to tether through a mobile, we're getting tv from an ancient freesat system that I happened to have but no home phone.

Sky say "oh well, you'll be getting compensated thanks to OfCom"... my response... stuff it, use the money to pay someone to sort this out.

I've only switched to Sky to save a few quid, so far it's turned out to be a bad decision.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

PandJ2020 — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:43:44 GMT

@Millsey101 wrote:
I've only switched to Sky to save a few quid, so far it's turned out to be a bad decision.

Any provider relying on the OpenReach network would be the same...

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Mark39 — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:50:35 GMT

@Millsey101 wrote:

I'm absolutely fizzing mad about this, new Sky customer and should have gone live on March 1st but due to Openreach getting things really badly wrong I am STILL without any services to the house.

I am staggered that after phoning Sky support multiple times this week that nothing has changed and nobody can tell me when my services will actually go live.

Apparently Openreach messed up the configuration of lines, poles and cabinets, ok human errors occur but this is beyond my tolerance for failure.

I work from home but that's been difficult trying to tether through a mobile, we're getting tv from an ancient freesat system that I happened to have but no home phone.

Sky say "oh well, you'll be getting compensated thanks to OfCom"... my response... stuff it, use the money to pay someone to sort this out.

I've only switched to Sky to save a few quid, so far it's turned out to be a bad decision.

Unfortunately that's not possible. Openreach own the network. Nobody works on it without

their say-so.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Millsey101 — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:57:11 GMT

correct... I was with Virgin, and as much as I hated their customer service, their actual service was very good (most of the time)

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Millsey101 — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:58:20 GMT

Yes, but Sky are one of their customers and yet Sky don't appear to have any influence over Openreach - apparently there's no escalation route, nobody can do anything apart from wait for Openreach to resolve the problem.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Mark39 — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:59:26 GMT

That's right, neither Sky nor any other provider has much sway over Openreach.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

TimmyBGood — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 18:28:24 GMT

@Millsey101 wrote:

Sky don't appear to have any influence over Openreach

That's correct, and this is specifically enforced by Ofcom because Openreach is obliged to treat all its ISP customers equally in order to prevent BT Group (which still owns Openreach Ltd) from leveraging a competitive advantage.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Millsey101 — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 18:44:19 GMT

Are there any options open to me now? How can I escalate this?

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Millsey101 — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 08:32:01 GMT

New update from Sky... openreach still don't know when they'll fix this, apparently I might get an update on Monday.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Millsey101 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 06:41:30 GMT

Still not resolved, next update on Friday apparantly, I hope this doesn't drag into a third week.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Chrisee — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 07:21:45 GMT

@Millsey101 My own install was delayed by roughly 6 weeks. Installing new lines is a messy business which can and does go wrong in a minority of cases. Getting firm dates from Openreach is often impossible as there are many potential causes for delay. You will be paid compensation once the line is in as explained here Customer Auto-Compensation | Sky Help | Sky.com

The fact you plan to use the service for business is irrelevant as you are buying a service classified as a domestic which has lower priority than lines sold for business but in this case probably makes no difference.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

JimM1 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 08:19:02 GMT

@Millsey101 As Virgin Media and Sky are not able to control what happens external to each others operation. You would have been better to keep your Virgin system up until Sky's broadband was fully up and running.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Millsey101 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 09:10:07 GMT

I did but I thought a few days would be enough! And since we've used the line to the house before I was told that reconnection wouldn't be a problem - in fact it's a configuration error in the automated open reach system according to Sky so that's doubly weird.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Millsey101 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 09:12:16 GMT

6 weeks is madness. I may look to cancel completely and reinstate the Virgin service if this goes beyond the weekend.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Chrisee — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:00:04 GMT

@Millsey101 wrote:

6 weeks is madness. I may look to cancel completely and reinstate the Virgin service if this goes beyond the weekend.

@Millsey101 would agree but I made sure I had an alternative connection while waiting for the new line to be run. The compensation covered the first 6 months fibre service from Sky.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Millsey101 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 16:10:38 GMT

The problem is not knowing how long it's going to take - if they said '6months' then fine I'll sort something but stringing me along with daily or weekly updates isn't helpful really. I guess maybe they just don't know!

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

JimM1 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:27:18 GMT

@Millsey101 In all of this i may as well ask, what package from sky did you purchase, and if you know what did you have from virgin media, if you are going back to a landline based broadband how long was it previous that the old BT line was disconnected if you know? Jim

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Millsey101 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:41:35 GMT

I don't understand why a package comparison would be relevant, both are / were just standard domestic contracts. Virgin took over from a Plusnet contract 3 yrs ago, clearly the PN service came in via the overhead line so it worked then. Neighbour who's line goes to the same pole and cabinet switched to Sky a few months ago and had no issues at all. They had been with Virgin longer than I had. None of this really relevant I suspect, the physical infrastructure is still there and probably works if only OR would resolve the line/pole/cabinet config issue.

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

JimM1 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 20:01:38 GMT

@Millsey101 If you happen to be in an area, now designated to be fttp and that can change at any time to fibre connection then it will be only that option, you will not be connected via the current landline, just thought i would ask, sorry if you got upset...

Re: Openreach - utter shambles

Laing1 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 20:43:41 GMT

@Millsey101 wrote:

I don't understand why a package comparison would be relevant, both are / were just standard domestic contracts. Virgin took over from a Plusnet contract 3 yrs ago, clearly the PN service came in via the overhead line so it worked then. Neighbour who's line goes to the same pole and cabinet switched to Sky a few months ago and had no issues at all. They had been with Virgin longer than I had. None of this really relevant I suspect, the physical infrastructure is still there and probably works if only OR would resolve the line/pole/cabinet config issue.

@Millsey101 what Sky package are you having installed is it FTTP ?

if you are not sure then enter your full postal address below and post the table and notes after removing your address from the image

we will see what type of broadband is available at your address.

If FTTP is available then you may not have been able to buy the slower and older FTTC which relies on copper cable to your house (which is more than likely what the plus net broadband came over) so they may need to run a new fibre cable from the pole to your house the link below will show us whats available and may well give some explanation to the delay

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