Broadband switchover - can I avoid prolonged downtime?

Will_d

Basically, I get Sky broadband unlimited and Sky talk for a reasonable amount each month. Price is not the issue here.

Yet I still wish to renounce Sky and its mephistophelian de facto svengali, Murdoch. However, I really don't want to endure a drawn-out transition to a new provider.

Having spoken to Orange, I now know that Sky disabled my BT line, and reactivating it in the course of any prospective switchover could mean being without broadband and a phone line for up to ten days.

Does anybody know of a way to minimise this anticipated disruption, or even of a provider that can supply a comparable phone & internet bundle without undue delay?

Any help will be much appreciated.

nomoneytoday

A PAYG dongle for a few days? Library/Coffee shop wifi access?

dodger148

A few years ago I made the mistake of trying to change over to sky but they messed up, but did in fact get the line over to themselves. It took my ISP around a week to get the line back if thats a help. It was at the time possible to access the internet through dial up, so i did.

jungle_jane

We had to wait 10 days - it seems as though they have to go down to a box somewhere and physically plug you up. Well that's what they told us...i was quite amazed by this. They also refused to initiate the process until my BT line was actually on (we were moving house) so i couldn't start that activation process before i had moved. it was a huge pain...

i bought a £25 dongle and used that for while i was waiting....

macman

A 'return to donor' via BT should not result in any appreciable downtime for the voice side of the llne. However this requires a 12m line rental contract, and only once the line is back on BT's network can you apply for your broadband with another ISP-so you'd need to make other arangements for 10 days or so.
I wouldn't have the remotest confidence in Horange's ability to do a direct transfer from LLU though. If you're determined to dump Sky, why not use somebody decent? What are your LLU options other than Sky?

Will_d

Hi guys,

Thanks for the responses - looks like this really is going to be a painful and inconvenient process.

Macman, to be honest, I haven't really explored many alternative packages from other providers - though I will. Orange was the first one I spoke to, and apparently dealing with TalkTalk is hatefully infuriating.

Much to contemplate...

:mad:

spike7451

jungle_jane wrote: »

We had to wait 10 days - it seems as though they have to go down to a box somewhere and physically plug you up. Well that's what they told us...i was quite amazed by this. They also refused to initiate the process until my BT line was actually on (we were moving house) so i couldn't start that activation process before i had moved. it was a huge pain...

i bought a £25 dongle and used that for while i was waiting....

They have to connect your phone line to the broadband equipment (DSLAM ect) that belongs to which ever ISP you go for,That is the LLU part,where your ISP has it's own equipment in every exchange.Where they don't have their own kit,that is the dreaded 'Off-Net' or whatever your ISP calls it.
It's impossible with todays technology to have your phoneline connected to every BBand connection so all they have to do is flick a switch.