BT Connection Charges (merged threads)

hammy_the_hammer

to be perfectly honest i would imagine BT would be highly delighted to decide which new build housing estates they provided lines too. imagine the uproar if they were able to decide that to provide lines to your lovely new house wasn't financially prudent.
the £125 charge isn't just a case of a man connecting the wires , there's all the civil work to be paid for and the cost of the cables which have to be jointed. pairs often have to be provided to the cabinet, either with new expensive long runs of cables or intervention in the network to provide them.
offer to pay the 'true' cost of providing a line to your estate. ponder why the cable companies don't offer a service on new build sites even though their network goes past the edge of the new estate

DonnyDave

Browntoa wrote:

BT is implementing the installation of 21st Century Network (21CN).

[...]

how do BT finance that level of investment without being allowed to get a minimal return on other areas ??

These are real practical and technical issues that must be tackled and that some of those who want a choice of provider conveniently avoid.

hammy_the_hammer wrote:

to be perfectly honest i would imagine BT would be highly delighted to decide which new build housing estates they provided lines too. imagine the uproar if they were able to decide that to provide lines to your lovely new house wasn't financially prudent. ...

Another thing to bear in mind is that BT can be restricted in what it can do by the regulator. For example, I understand that it wanted to introduce inclusive call packages before other operators, but it was blocked because that would be "unfair competition".

So BT install new lines at cost (or even loss). Say that they also provide connections on behalf of other providers on a cost basis. What incentive would they have to 'innovate' new services? And what happens if BT goes bust? Where does the money come from to continue running of the network? The answer is of course the Government; that's you and I, the taxpayer.

So when the 'BT Bashers' get their way and 'evil' BT goes under, they still have to pay for it all!

insomniac

Sorry to dig up an old thread.. but just thought I'd add that the charge is now £124.99! Thats a £50 pound increase in a year or so.

I've just rented a flat which happens to be in a new building, BT want the 125 to move my account to the new flat and it seems there is a 9 month contract as well. It puts me in a position because I'm probably only going to be there 6 months. Like others I don't want a landline but need broadband. BT have quite a good scam going here.

insomniac

Fair enough, I agree BT have to cover the cost of the install. I guess in my case I feel a bit hard done by because over a 6 month lease I'll pay the 125 plus some kind of early cancellation fee, and the next punter who moves in will get the benefit of free connection. Really the builder or more so the landlord should cover this cost.. Or another way of looking at it is that BT covers the cost naturally with line rental. I haven't been charged for the gas + elec connections, I'm sure they cost money to install too.

The silly thing is that with 30 or so new flats the economies of scale are quite large here, they could have all been hooked up in one go for much less that 125 per flat and then as tenants moved in considered it a reconnection.

Oh well.. maybe Telewest will get back to me and say the area is cabled. (The other problem with a new development is that the new postcode is not in any databases yet)

bbb_uk

insomniac wrote:

Really the builder or more so the landlord should cover this cost..

This would just ultimately be passed on to you or another new buyer anyhow.

Or another way of looking at it is that BT covers the cost naturally with line rental.

Then that would mean a line rental increase for which everyone would be paying BT and BT would ultimately get even more money than they do now. They are kindof restricted due to regulation on their prices otherwise I firmly believe costs like these would be higher, with higher linerental and/or call charges.

I haven't been charged for the gas + elec connections, I'm sure they cost money to install too.

I assume this cost is built-in to the price you paid for the house especially if they (the builders) had to pay for it to be done in the first place which is extremely likely. Also, gas & electricity are considered essential items whereas a landline is not - well not as much.

The silly thing is that with 30 or so new flats the economies of scale are quite large here, they could have all been hooked up in one go for much less that 125 per flat and then as tenants moved in considered it a reconnection.

That's possibly true.

hammy_the_hammer

you think that all the work to provide the lines to 30 flats would cost less than £3750 ??? that's processing orders , exchange work , civil's ie duct work and box building , street cabling/jointing and fitting cables within the properties.
for an equivalent rate a builder will block pave half a drive

kchok

oh my god so many BT employee s responding Kelly1980.I thought it is all about saving Money and not let company like BT rip us off !!! shame on you lot.why don't you just put a link to BT website??

ahrimaniac

'oh my god so many BT employee s responding Kelly1980.I thought it is all about saving Money and not let company like BT rip us off shame on you lot.'

Oh good lord, get a grip. Both sides of the argument have been represented fairly. The site is indeed about money saving: not about 'I want the advantages of a service but I'm not willing to pay for it'. See, that's just plain old sponging.

Edinburghlass_2

Posts nos 84,85,86 and 87 have been merged into this thread

normanmark

insomniac wrote:

Sorry to dig up an old thread.. but just thought I'd add that the charge is now £124.99! Thats a £50 pound increase in a year or so.

I've just rented a flat which happens to be in a new building, BT want the 125 to move my account to the new flat and it seems there is a 9 month contract as well. It puts me in a position because I'm probably only going to be there 6 months. Like others I don't want a landline but need broadband. BT have quite a good scam going here.

Why is it a scam? Why do people expect one company to put in a phone line at their expense & then not expect to see any return on it? Some people seem to think it's their god given right for a telecommunication service & making sure it isnt them to foot the bill!