OpenReach Nightmare - speed getting worse

[Sandman1600]

So a couple of months ago our broadband went down... the whole village went down. It came back up around an hour later - everywhere apart from ours. We were without broadband for a week.

OpenReach came out and "fixed" the problem but whereas we'd been getting consistent speeds of 35.7Mb (according to the Sky app) for the last two years, we were now down to 31.8. Above Sky's minimum speed so nothing we could do.

Then the broadband died again. Another week with no connection. OpenReach visit again and this time we're left with speeds of 29.7Mb and after a few days this drops to 28.9.

This is below what we're guaranteed so Sky agrees to send out OpenReach again. Engineer arrives and claims were back up to 32Mb and leaves before  we get chance to check. Now the Sky app is showing 27.8Mb/s.

So quite literally, every time OpenReach have been out to fix the problem, the already pitifully slow speed has gotten worse than it was before they visited.

I spoke to Sky yesterday and all they can do is send OpenReach again. The person I spoke to was adamant that I have to complain directly to OpenReach and directed me to their complaints page. This seems like nonsense as it clearly says any boradband issues have to go to your provider.

Does anyone have any suggestions what I can do in this situation? OpenReach apparently only send contractors that need to close the job in ordee to get paid (two engineers have told us this) so they don't really seem to care whether its fixed properly or not. 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Sandman1600 wrote:

This is below what we're guaranteed so Sky agrees to send out OpenReach again. Engineer arrives and claims were back up to 32Mb and leaves before  we get chance to check. Now the Sky app is showing 27.8Mb/s.

Probably important to know that the speed itself isn't guaranteed: the guarantee is of a one month refund and the option to leave a minimum contract term without penalty if the quoted speed cannot be delivered.

I spoke to Sky yesterday and all they can do is send OpenReach again.

That's correct.

The person I spoke to was adamant that I have to complain directly to OpenReach and directed me to their complaints page. This seems like nonsense as it clearly says any boradband issues have to go to your provider.

Yes, unfortunately that was wrong.  Openreach won't accept such complaints directly.

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Realistically it's also the case that Openreach is disinclined to put resources into the legacy copper network at the same time as that's being replaced.

[Sandman1600]

So basically I have to just roll over and accept that the service is deteriorating slowly and nothing can be done. 

Great. 👌🏻

[TimmyBGood]

@Sandman1600 

The copper network is being replaced because it's completely inadequate for modern needs: it was never intended to carry data at all.

You can persist in getting Sky to book Openreach, but it's best to be realistic about the likely outcome.

[Sandman1600]

I fully understand the situation. I understand that the copper network is in need of replacement. 

However when the response to worsening problem is basically a shrug of the shoulders, that's pretty abysmal. 

[TimmyBGood]

@Sandman1600 

If your location is in scope for the national FTTP rollout, that has a target date for completion by the end of this year.  Past then it's unclear what will happen at the remaining 15% of properties: it appears that government is anticipating cellular and satellite data will be the most likely solution.

Openreach is a private commercial company and only actually required to deliver the Universal Service Obligation, which for broadband is still a hopelessly inadequate 10Mbs.