Lead time for new copper line install?

dmc88

Moved into current house 3/4 years ago, have had Virgin and 4G internet on and off since. I don't even know where the original "BT" landline socket is, I assume there is one somewhere, but I doubt it still functions given the length of inactivity.

How long (and I guess, how much) is it likely to take / cost to get a new "normal" line installed when my VM contract comes to an end in June? I intend on haggling with them but if worse comes to worse I need a backup plan and don't want to be dark any longer than necessary.

Thanks in advance

Robin9

The Openreach cabling will terminate at ground level in a small grey or black plastic box. Mine is adjacent to the front door step.

If there is no existing supply then you could be facing a big bill if excavation in the footpath is involved.

Sandtree

Robin9 said:

The Openreach cabling will terminate at ground level in a small grey or black plastic box. Mine is adjacent to the front door step.

If there is no existing supply then you could be facing a big bill if excavation in the footpath is involved.

We had a new build and there was no cabling at all... there was trunking and some blue string coming out of it by the front door but as the first 3 OpenReach engineers pointed out they couldn't do the interior wiring when all they have to connect to on the outside is blue string.

Ours took well over 6 months, had dozens of visits, some no shows, had to have 200m of pavement dug up, more errors my OpenReach and finally got connected up. Was just the standard £140 connection fee so arguably exceptional value for money but would have preferred to pay more for quicker connection.

dmc88

I'm 99.9% sure there will be an existing connection somewhere so shouldn't be a "full" install, as the house is 1960's and was rented to a young couple for a couple of years prior to us buying the place. Is there a way to check on some database somewhere? Obviously I don't have a phone number or anything to type against...

The only obvious connection point on the outside of the house is the brown Virgin cable box like you say by the front door. I'm wondering if the cables internally are buried under the carpet for some reason

onomatopoeia99

Robin9 said:

The Openreach cabling will terminate at ground level in a small grey or black plastic box. Mine is adjacent to the front door step.

If there is no existing supply then you could be facing a big bill if excavation in the footpath is involved.

Or they could run it above ground from a pole in the street to the eaves level then down the outside of the house, like many homes have.  There may even be a line in place already, the previous owners of this house had VM but the BT line was still there.  All I needed to do was to get my ISP to reactivate the line.

The_Fat_Controller

You could be unlucky, I know of a few cases where the old BT master socket has been ripped off the wall, the cable cut back and then offending hole has been filled and painted over, or even worse, new skirting board attached over cut cable.

Ask your neighbours where their lines come into their homes.

Best of luck !

J_B

Robin9 said:

The Openreach cabling will terminate at ground level in a small grey or black plastic box. Mine is adjacent to the front door step.

Ours terminated in the loft!

matelodave

J_B said:

Robin9 said:

The Openreach cabling will terminate at ground level in a small grey or black plastic box. Mine is adjacent to the front door step.

Ours terminated in the loft!

so does ours

The_Fat_Controller

Mine is in ducting from the roadside pit, under my driveway, under the concrete slab of the timer-framed house and appears in the middle of my lounge wall where Wimpey fitted the master socket.

Happy hunting !