Ridiculous delays for Openreach

[C+Robby]

I had a home moved booked for 24th September (booked in at the start of September) which had to get cancelled and rebook because previous property owners cancelled the line. I then had to wait and wait and wait for the cancellation to be shown on the account before I could rebook (this took another 2 weeks). I was finally able to rebook the home move for 4th October. 

I then get a call from an Openreach engineer when I'm out for the day saying they are at the property and can they come in and take a look as they'll need to upgrade the existing ADSL connection for FTTP. I ask them to reschedule to the following day when I'll be available and they agree but no engineer shows up.

After chasing with Sky, I'm told that Openreach need to complete the exterior works and there will be an update on the 5th October (not that it will be completed, but there will be an update...). Then presumably, there will need to be some interior work to pull the fiber and install the ONT into the premises which will take another ridiculous time to install? THEN, and only then can the Sky engineer come out to hook up the new modem (which is currently scheduled for 30th December).

All the while, whenever you check any provider, we are apparently able to get Gigabit internet at our property.

I don't understand how this is taking so long to organise? All our neighbours already have FTTP so surely there can't be THAT much work that is required. I'm now stuck with a 4G dongle (in an area with terrible reception so I'm getting about 5Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream) waiting for an update (not even the completion of the works). I can't call Openreach because they just tell me to contact Sky and Sky just say that they are waiting for an update from Openreach.

The delays are ridiculous and I don't even trust that the work will be completed by December (I'll have long gone by then to Starlink or something else). Why is this so difficult to install?!?

[TimmyBGood]

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@C+Robby wrote:

All the while, whenever you check any provider, we are apparently able to get Gigabit internet at our property.

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That typically indicates the area has full-fibre infrastructure deployed from which an ISP can place an FTTP wholesale order: it doesn't mean there's an optical cable and ONT at the address.

If you put your address in here you'll get the Openreach notes.  Remove any personal details if you post an image.

[C+Robby]

That's fair enough, but I still the delay in actual work from Openreach is outrageous - at least offer the existing copper connectivity if the ONT installation is going to take months.

Thanks for the link for the address checker too. This are the results but I'm not sure what to take from it:

[TimmyBGood]

@C+Robby 

The significant line is 'UG Pre built to curtilage Soft.' which as I recall means there's duct to the boundary line but then a new trench is required ('soft' usually means garden rather than driveway) to reach the building.  Unfortunately Openreach don't have unlimited availability of trenching teams either in-house or through subcontractors

[TimmyBGood]

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@C+Robby wrote:

 - at least offer the existing copper connectivity if the ONT installation is going to take months.

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An ISP won't do that because they'd incur two lots of Openreach setup fee which their typical profit margin can't cover within a minimum contract period.

[TimmyBGood]

@C+Robby 

UG Pre built to curtilage Soft

2 stage

Standard +2 weeks **Could be weeks.**

Dig in the Grass

The fibre cable is routing underground, however there is no duct in place to your property, and the existing copper cables are directly buried in the ground. There may be some works required to install a duct or the cable underneath grass (soft dig). Depending on the location of the works, this may require 3rd party permissions, local authority permits, and there are lead times with the planners and civil engineering teams. The installation could take a long time depending on the complexity.

[C+Robby]

Thanks very much for the feedback. If Sky and/or Openreach had communicated this to me earlier then I wouldn't be so livid with the situation. I get that things take time but not getting any suitable feedback from either party is so frustrating that these things can be open ended. I'll dig the trench myself if needs be!

[TimmyBGood]

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@C+Robby wrote:

If Sky and/or Openreach had communicated this to me earlier then I wouldn't be so livid with the situation.

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ISPs do seem to be particularly bad at this where it's a property the customer has just moved into and a new FTTP installation  is required: they don't seem to understand that this is very different to an FTTC-to-FTTP 'upgrade' where the existing broadband connection can simply stay in place for as long as it takes to get the new one working.

[C+Robby]

100% agreed. They just told me to get a dongle until it's installed and offered £30 for the problems encountered. Not only is the 4G signal in this area terrible, if this drags on for a few months, the £30 won't even make a dent in the ongoing dongle costs and the bulk of the package I'm on is for the TV package (where catchup is basically unusable because I can't download anything).

[TimmyBGood]

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@C+Robby wrote:

They just told me to get a dongle until it's installed and offered £30 for the problems encountered.

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As some consolation you should qualify for the Ofcom-mandated compensation if you were actually promised an activation date which wasn't met, and at £5.25  day that could be considerably more than £30.

[simon194]

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

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@C+Robby wrote:

If Sky and/or Openreach had communicated this to me earlier then I wouldn't be so livid with the situation.

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ISPs do seem to be particularly bad at this where it's a property the customer has just moved into and a new FTTP installation  is required: they don't seem to understand that this is very different to an FTTC-to-FTTP 'upgrade' where the existing broadband connection can simply stay in place for as long as it takes to get the new one working.

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I think it's probably down to Openreach's policy that was introduced last year where FTTC and FTTP are available at an address, they will only do a FTTP install.

I've hit this problem with my work line. My employer is switching all us home workers to Vodafone Business and Vodafone only offer FTTC so it can't be ordered at my address even though my existing work broadband is over copper.

[C+Robby]

So after Sky were supposed to receive an update from Openreach yesterday, I called up and lo and behold, no update from Openreach. The person I spoke to on the phone now has to raise a request with the internal team in Sky who are allowed to contact Openreach to get an update and they will respond within 2 days apparently, who will then inform the call center person to give me a call back.

Once again, it's now a waiting game with absolutely zero progress made in the last week. This is so frustrating!

[MRN68]

I feel your pain..... I ordered 4th August 2022, still waiting, ADSL here, but cannot have that enabled as fibre ports are available, I can see them less than 10 metres away, but some weeds mean it's a H&S issue, so waiting for tree cutters... no trees btw.....

[C+Robby]

I had someone from OpenReach finally come around last week to confirm that they need to dig from the edge of my garden to the house - which I already knew from checking the OpenReach website (above)...

Now I'm waiting to hear back abotu when they can actually do the dig. It's farcical now.

[TimmyBGood]

@C+Robby 

@Chrisee  and I raised the issue of subscribers moving house and getting caught in absolutely unreasonable FTTP delays (with no option to get FTTC as an interim solution) when we were at Sky HQ last week, but I suspect that wasn't with quite the right 'product group'.   It's really something Ofcom should be investigating, as it appears to be a fundamental flaw in what's supposed to be a reasonably seamless process.