Openreach line doesn't enter my property - what to do?

danthemoneysavingman

Hi,
hoping this is the right forum for this question. I put in the phones section too just in case.
I am trying to switch away from Virgin Media to a provider via Openreach (BT lines network).
However I have noticed that the line from the telephone pole that comes to the house is cut and hanging off.
Do I need to book a phone line engineer to sort this, or is it part of the "reconnection" ?

Please advise! Clock is ticking!

DtMSM

clive0510

bt helpline. 0800800150

JJ_Egan

  OP See identical post .

neilmcl

danthemoneysavingman said:

Hi,
hoping this is the right forum for this question. I put in the phones section too just in case.
I am trying to switch away from Virgin Media to a provider via Openreach (BT lines network).
However I have noticed that the line from the telephone pole that comes to the house is cut and hanging off.
Do I need to book a phone line engineer to sort this, or is it part of the "reconnection" ?

Please advise! Clock is ticking!

DtMSM

You're new provider should arrange all this.

No need to post here, your original post is in the most appropriate area.

Sandtree

As others have said, your chosen provider will liaise with BT Openreach however don't expect them to be coordinated or fix it in one go.

We moved into a new build several years ago that was basically on a cross road and standing at our front gate you could see 3 green cabinets, one on our block, one on the otherside of the side road and a final one on the diagonally opposite corner. The house was prewired but the master socket wasnt connected, rather than a telephone line coming in there was a blue rope going through piping that went to the edge of the property... in order of appointments:

1) Guy sent to do inside work, job failed as cannot connect phone line to blue string
2) Guy sent to do inside work, apologized as outside work still not started
3) No show
4) Guy sent to do survey
5) Guy sent to explain council had rejected request to dig up road to wire into the two cabinets not on our block so now surveying to link to cabinet on our block
6) Work commenced to put in cable to cabinet
7)  No show
8) Guy sent to wire up but had to cancel as he'd been instructed to connect to different cabinet than where cable went
9) No show
10) Guy turns up and does the job!

10 visits, 10 days having to take time off and in total of 4 months to get wired up... on top of that many calls and arguments... at one point we were told that we would have to wait 3 years for the job because the newly laid road couldnt be dug up and only after arguing did they agree to see about connecting to the cabinet 100m away on the same block.

Compensation was much more than I ever ended up paying in fees before we moved out.

danthemoneysavingman

Really appreciate your detailed response!

Spelunthus

You cannot deal direct with Openreach.  Your ISP will do that.  We booked a line with EE - we can see the pole from the house - but it took 9 months to connect.  The parties that were involved were : OpenReach, EE, Electric Power Company, Local Council, EE Contractor, Power Company Contractor.   We raised a delay complaint with EE and quoted the Universal Service Obligation.  When the line was finally installed, we got an appology payment of £150.

danthemoneysavingman

Spelunthus said:

You cannot deal direct with Openreach.  Your ISP will do that.  We booked a line with EE - we can see the pole from the house - but it took 9 months to connect.  The parties that were involved were : OpenReach, EE, Electric Power Company, Local Council, EE Contractor, Power Company Contractor.   We raised a delay complaint with EE and quoted the Universal Service Obligation.  When the line was finally installed, we got an appology payment of £150.

Thanks for response. The story of your experience was useful / interesting info.
I have no desire to deal with OpenReach, just trying to understand if I needed do something myself before they try and start my service. It seems I do not.
THOUGH, it could all go titsup which is useful to understand has happened to others.

danthemoneysavingman

neilmcl said:

No need to post here, your original post is in the most appropriate area.

I posted in 2 forums for 2 reason, 1 sure as I wasn't sure which was best place, but the other being that I would expect to reach different people for a variety of responses by posting in 2 separate places!
This has worked out for me - which was nice ;-)

DCFC79

danthemoneysavingman said:

neilmcl said:

No need to post here, your original post is in the most appropriate area.

I posted in 2 forums for 2 reason, 1 sure as I wasn't sure which was best place, but the other being that I would expect to reach different people for a variety of responses by posting in 2 separate places!
This has worked out for me - which was nice ;-)

Future ref
Just post in 1 section, board guides can decide if a post is more suited elsewhere.

Moss5

https://www.directsavetelecom.co.uk/new-telephone-line.php
This is where I got a new line at the right price.