Openreach fault and interaction with Sky

[jaybee7]

Hi. My FTTP has been down for 8 days, red LOS light on the ONT. An Openreach engineer visited on the 2nd day and said the fault was between the pole and the exchange.

I was hoping to get some insight into how Openreach interacts with Sky in these situations.

• Sky have told me that there is no info on their system from Openreach, just that an engineer has been assigned and the next update will be on the 6th April.
• Openreach (via Twitter DM) have told me that they're aware of the fault but refuse to give me any info at all, they won't give me a fault reference number, a summary of the fault, if it affects multiple properties or just me or a forecast fix date. They've told me they've provided this info to Sky (they haven't)
• I've asked Sky to escalate this with Openreach but OR have just told them "no info until the 6th".
• I've looked at this list of Openreach faults and mine is not on there afaict, none of the dates match my issue https://status.zen.co.uk/broadband/ . Openreach won't say why this is. (I know its a Zen page but if mine is an exchange issue shouldn't it be listed here as it would affect multiple providers?)
• I live near the exchange and there's been little to no activity between my house and there during the period.

Does anyone have experience of the interface with between provider and Openreach, who could shed some light on why I can't get any info or even confirmation on this fault? Or how I can escalate it with Sky? No internet, no phone line for 8 days+ and no forecast fix for 2 people trying to work from home is a significant issue.

Thanks

[cookiemonsteruk]

@jaybee7 

Zen are another isp that may or may not use openreach infrastructure either way they are not going to show info relating to another isp. If sky is your provider your only point of contact remains thru sky

[Daniel0210]

@jaybee7 

And don't forget that Sky Broadband is a cheaper end system and anyone relying on broadband due to wfh should have a plan B in place for this very scenario. wfh won't prioritise the repair. Hope you're back up and running soon. 

[jaybee7]

Partway through a Sky contract and changed role at work to WFH, I don't think Sky are likely to acknowledge this unreliability and release me from my contract to let me move to someone else (who would presumably also use Openreach) are they?

Who are Sky cheap in comparison with btw? I thought they were similarly priced or slightly pricier than everyone else, especially when they only offer 500mbps max speeds 

[jaybee7]

Thanks, understood, my thinking was that if it was an exchange side fault it would affect Zen, BT, Sky, EE, all providers who used that exchange, and therefore Zen might just list all Openreach faults (it would take more effort for them to filter a bigger list if faults to just show their customers wouldn't it?).

I was just looking for some insight from someone who actually uses these systems as to whether this was the case. The Zen list appears to show all types of fault, FTTC and FTTP so my exchange fault should (in theory) be listed?

[cookiemonsteruk]

@jaybee7 

Zen are an unbundled network meaning that they own and maintain their lines. Sky on fttp do the same so one isp may not have faults whilst another may . 

Further more zen have recently stopped their g.fast deployment so are probably primarily a g.fast provider which is effectively an accelerated fttc.

What is your local exchange?

[jaybee7]

Ah I see, thanks. The exchange is St Annes (Lancsashire)

[cookiemonsteruk]

@jaybee7 

As in Lytham FY8 ?

Sky customers are reporting a few however BT broadband is being crucified. Would anticipate its a network issue on fttp lines and maybe not g.fast and fttc

[jaybee7]

FY8 Lytham is the next town, mine is LCSTA St Anne's (according to Samknows) , not sure they're the same? 

"Good" to know it's not just me that's affected (although not good for everyone else without broadband), that's one of the questions I asked Openreach and they refused to answer, so thanks very much.

I'm on FTTP, my neighbour is Sky but standard FTTC and he's having no problems.

[TimmyBGood]

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@jaybee7 wrote:

that's one of the questions I asked Openreach and they refused to answer, so thanks very much.

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That isn't surprising: you're not their customer.  Openreach is contracted by ISPs/telcos, and are only permitted very limited contact with the public (basically to receive reports relevant to Health & Safety).

[Mr+Ramsden]

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

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@jaybee7 wrote:

that's one of the questions I asked Openreach and they refused to answer, so thanks very much.

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That isn't surprising: you're not their customer.  Openreach is contracted by ISPs/telcos, and are only permitted very limited contact with the public (basically to receive reports relevant to Health & Safety).

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@TimmyBGood that's all well and good and totally understandable. But what is frustrating to those of us caught in the Sky /Openreach finger pointing is that the stock answer from the ISP is "its an issue with Openreach" but as a customer of the ISP (Sky) i personally expect them to act as my agent with Openreach and chase a resolution which they don't. They are just happy to shift the blame and sit back. Yes it may be consumer broadband but its faor to expect decent service.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Mr+Ramsden wrote:

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But what is frustrating to those of us caught in the Sky /Openreach finger pointing is that the stock answer from the ISP is "its an issue with Openreach" but as a customer of the ISP (Sky) i personally expect them to act as my agent with Openreach and chase a resolution which they don't.

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Absolutely, yes.  My reading of the situation is that this is an unfortunate side-effect of Ofcom taking a much closer interest in the relationship between Openreach and BT Group (who still own them) to prevent BT as an ISP gaining a competitive advantage as a legacy of privatisation: by insisting that Openreach communicate with ISPs 'equally' they appear to have generated a situation which is 'equally' poor for customers of all of them.

[Mr+Ramsden]

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

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Absolutely, yes.  My reading of the situation is that this is an unfortunate side-effect of Ofcom taking a much closer interest in the relationship between Openreach and BT Group (who still own them) to prevent BT as an ISP gaining a competitive advantage as a legacy of privatisation: by insisting that Openreach communicate with ISPs 'equally' they appear to have generated a situation which is 'equally' poor for customers of all of them.

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Oh for sure its alll a hangover of divorcing Openreach from BT. But communucation is a 2 way street and there is no reason why Sky as the ISP should not be bugging Openreach about outstanding issues, and they shoud certainly communicate better back up the chain to us their customer. 

[jaybee7]

This is exactly my frustration. Openreach aren't bothered if I have a working connection or not and have said as much when I've approached them for info, I'm not their customer. I am however Sky's customer, but they just tell me that it's an Openreach issue, so not their problem. In the meantime I've got no internet or phone and no info about when it might be fixed.

[jaybee7]

so, worst suspicions confirmed, no promised update from Sky on the 6th April (no FTTP connection since the 28th of March) so I called them today.

Openreach had updated the fault on the system to say 'specialist engineer requested, will check progress on the 12th of April. I pushed Sky to contact Openreach for more info as this wasn't good enough, and they then stated that the forecast for the repair to be completed is the 26th of April.

So, 2 working weeks from date of fault report to engineer assessment, and then another 3 weeks for the *estimated* fix. 

Asked Sky to escalate into Customer Service to ensure Openreach prioritise this over the dozens of other jobs they appear to be doing in my area and they've said there's absolutely nothing they can/will do, and havesuggested I buy a Giffgaff data sim card and use an old phone as a hotspot (they credited my account with a bit of cash for the SIM).

I bitterly, sincerely regret signing up for FTTP with Sky. Avoid it and go with someone who has a backup plan for you when things go wrong. FTTP sounds great but Openreach clearly don't have the capacity to support it when it fails, and Sky have no contingency for you. If there's even a hint that this will go on past the 26th I'll be asking to be released from my contract. Furious.