New build active BT/open reach connection line charges??

calltobala

Hello All

I moved to new build and trying to get SSE temporary standard broadband for few months while awaiting for Fibre in the area.

On website, they usually say they will charge £60 if WE DON'T HAVE AN ACTIVE BT/OPEN REACH LINE IN THE PROPERTY.

its is a new build and got sockets installed by property developers but never had any broadband so far and we are the 1st one to be in.

I am wondering what is the exact meaning of active line and do we have to pay £60 for engineer visit despite having BT telephone point sockets in property.


Please let me know your thoughts

iniltous

calltobala wrote: »

Hello All

I moved to new build and trying to get SSE temporary standard broadband for few months while awaiting for Fibre in the area.

On website, they usually say they will charge £60 if WE DON'T HAVE AN ACTIVE BT/OPEN REACH LINE IN THE PROPERTY.

its is a new build and got sockets installed by property developers but never had any broadband so far and we are the 1st one to be in.

I am wondering what is the exact meaning of active line and do we have to pay £60 for engineer visit despite having BT telephone point sockets in property.


Please let me know your thoughts

Openreach pay the builder to install things like the master socket, to build the joint boxes in the footpath, lay the ducts for them etc, so in a way you contribute towards this expense (what you pay is much less than what OR pay the builder per property )

If you moved into a property that had service working previously, then usually the existing 'line' can be reactivated , so an 'install' isn't required, but the first occupant of a new build wanting service isn't going to have an existing line that can be reactivated, so they usually have to pay for this initial connection, TBH £60 is quite cheap for this , some other Telco's charge a lot more.

The existence of a socket doesn't mean a line exists and the install isn't needed, it's if there is a connection all the way back to the exchange, and in your case there won't be until one is provided (installed) because you are the first occupant

Owain_Moneysaver

Plug a phone into the 'master' socket and if you get a dial tone dial 17070 and that should read back the number allocated to the line.

If you haven't got that then you probably haven't got an 'active' line.

Also note it is quite common for extension sockets to not be connected at the 'master' socket by the builders.

MataNui

Activating the line usually involves an openreach engineer poking around in one of those green boxes for a bit.



Around here though because of capacity issues it normally involves several engineers, several visits poking around in boxes, under the pavement, the exchange and around a six month wait for activation. It must cost openreach several hundred £ per connection so at £60 i guess the end user gets a bit of a bargain.