BT Monopoly

dukes1971

Hi, i've just moved in to a newbuild and when I tried to move my whole package provider to the new address, Sky said they were unable to because BT had restricted their access to the landline and broadband. I've since found out that this is because BT and St Modwens who built the house had struck a deal for BT to lay the phone lines and have full customer access for the first 12 months. So now I have been forced to have BT phone and fibre for a minimum of 18 months contract before BT let any other provider in to supply me. Is this normal or is it underhand business taking away my choice to choose who provides me with a phone/bb/tv?

TadleyBaggie

It was a business choice of the developer which you have no say in. They would have got a very good deal from BT Openreach which would install the infrastructure for (probably) free, but allow BT to recoup the cost by having a captive market for a while. No doubt a fair percentage of the new owners will probably stay with BT even beyond the minimum contract period.

So it makes financial sense to the developer. Was there any indication in the contract you signed with them that such a restriction was in place?

You do have choice regard a TV package, e.g. Freeview, Freesat or even Sky, although without their phone/broadband there may not be a discount available.

onomatopoeia99

First question is do you have a traditional copper phone line, or a fibre line to your property ("FTTP").

If the latter try Zen, as Sky, Talktalk and all the other poundshop ISPs choose not to supply on FTTP.

iniltous

dukes1971 wrote: »

Hi, i've just moved in to a newbuild and when I tried to move my whole package provider to the new address, Sky said they were unable to because BT had restricted their access to the landline and broadband. I've since found out that this is because BT and St Modwens who built the house had struck a deal for BT to lay the phone lines and have full customer access for the first 12 months. So now I have been forced to have BT phone and fibre for a minimum of 18 months contract before BT let any other provider in to supply me. Is this normal or is it underhand business taking away my choice to choose who provides me with a phone/bb/tv?

Sky have told you a bit of a porkie pie, BT don't have an exclusive deal, because 'BT' don't have any network to make exclusive deals with, Openreach provide access to the external network that BT use, and OR make that network ( copper pair or fibre) available to any provider that wants to purchase wholesale access and then provide retail customers service over it..
Chances are that it's probably a FTTP ( fibre to the premises ) connection , and Sky chose not to offer service over that, if you don't want to use BT , there are other providers that use OR FTTP and provide service over it, but they tend to be premium providers , and charge accordingly , at present the budget end of the ISP market don't offer OR FFTP not because they are in some way not allowed to, it's because they chose not to.

JJ_Egan

Same .
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5958579/bt-monopoly-of-fibre-to-the-home