Refused broadband as it "can't be added to my phone line"

Pinemarten

Hi folks,

I have a problem I've never come across before and wonder if anyone can offer some advice.

Until a few days ago I had phone and broadband with plusnet. We're in a rural location so speeds were only 3-4mb which was enough. However the phone line and broadband kept dropping out for weeks at a time and their customer services were a nightmare to deal with, so I applied over the internet to switch my phone line and broadband to sky.

When the switch happened sky didn't activate broadband, and plusnet then cut my broadband off. Two days later the landline dropped out and still isn't working. I have to wait a week for an openreach engineer visit.

Sky now claim I had never ordered broadband in the first place. After many phonecalls they advised me to cancel and apply again for phone and broadband over the phone. I tried to do this today but they said that my phone line can't support broadband, and it's a product they can't offer me. They said this is because I would get less than 0.5mb and therefore it's their policy not to offer it. They said this was in no way related to the current loss of landline. But only last week I was getting 3-4mb from plusnet.

I have tried to apply for a couple of other phone and broadband providers including Vodafone but they all say when I enter my postcode and select my address that broadband isn't available there.

What's going on? How can I suddenly lose all access to broadband when it's been provided previously? I didn't know this could happen, and it's not happened to any of my neighbours. Anyone come across this before? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

iniltous

Some ISP's won't supply a broadband connection if the predicted speed is below their own self imposed minimum, this is so when advertising of broadband is in the format 'A typical @ky customer gets 10Mb/s,' they don't want 'long lines' spoiling their average statistics.

If you were getting 3-4Mb/s and the speed predictor sites say 0.5Mb, then perhaps the speed estimator is unduly pessimistic ...if your neighbours are close by (and not 100's of metres away) what speed is predicted if you enter those addresses ?

When you switched to Sky all Plusnet services were effectively ceased as Sky only offer their own LLU services, so if you were getting dialtone from Sky ( however briefly ) Plusnet at that point were disconnected , not in 2 parts, phone changeover then broadband changeover,migration between providers doesn't work like that.

It may be that the providers you have tried as an alternative to @ky also don't want anyone spoiling their own speed 'average' , and as you are finding out, they don't have to offer service if they don't want to.
There is only one provider that has no choice but to provide service if someone asks for it

Browntoa

Sky want a minimum of 2mb it's why they are refusing

It's the minimum for on demand to work

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/12/sky-broadband-wont-sell-people-unable-get-2mbps-speeds.html

teddysmum

Sometimes you can be denied broadband and a phone line because the allocation at the exchange has run out.


A few years ago, I applied for Tesco's line and broadband but was told that,at that particular time, there was not sufficient space in their allocation. I could have just their phone line or keep my line with another provider and take their broadband. It was added that the situation could change on a daily basis, due to people leaving.


I went elsewhere, but shortly afterwards both facilities became briefly available , followed by a period of neither being available.

Pinemarten

Hi,

Thanks all for your helpful replies.

Teddysmum - That's interesting about a particular company having limited allocation at the exchange. When we were first connected and had the line installed it was by sky, but we subsequently changed to another provider. Maybe since they have run out of allocation, although they didn't raise this as an issue.

Browntoa and lltinous - What you're saying about the companies wanting to maintain an average broadband speed makes sense given the limited information sky gave me. The bit I still don't understand is why the prediction of anticipated speed was so low given I was getting 3-4mb only a couple of weeks ago. Not having a current broadband connection means I have no way to contest that prediction. However I have found a provider Post Office which has so far accepted my online application for line rental and broadband so I'm hoping they won't cancel during the connection process as sky have done.

Thanks for sharing your advice folks.

Quentin

Frying pan to fire comes to mind


Have you read up on PO BB?

[Deleted User]

Pinemarten wrote: »

I have found a provider Post Office which has so far accepted my online application for line rental and broadband

:eek:
I think you may end up wishing you'd stayed with Plusnet.