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Social tariffs not available.

  Hi, I have been trying to get social tariff broadband or any cheaper than my Talk talk contract. I have been knocked back though as the other providers can't sign me as they say Openreach won't give them the ports they need to let them provide a service at my address. I was advised by Vodaphone to stay with my old provider as if they can't get the ports no-one can. I can't get to ask Openreach about this so I wondered if the forum could provide some answers. Is this something I have to live with or is there anything I can do? I now have to pay more than I've ever done for broadband and can't afford it really. Has anyone else had this problem?

Comments

  • iniltous
    iniltous Posts: 3,485 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 8 June 2023 at 3:42PM
    It could be that the FTTC ‘cabinet’ you are on is at capacity, so anyone wanting to become a new FTTC with an ISP that offers this  ( that includes existing FTTC customers who want to switch providers) will be told there is a waiting list ( which isn’t really a list ) .
    Enter your address info here,
    https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL
    if it’s waiting list , then until someone on the cabinet gives up their FTTC service, then you cannot get a ‘new’  FTTC service , regardless if it being with a social tariff or a regular tariff .

    Its nonsense for an ISP to say Openreach won’t ‘give them any ports’ , it just shows that whoever you were talking to is clueless, all ports are available to all ISP’s , but once the cabinet is full , unless OR are going to add new ports ( and they probably won’t as it’s a dead end technology ) it’s a case of keeping an eye on the checker and when ‘waiting list’  changes to ‘available’ , because someone has moved out of their home  , or swapped to a non OR provider , or gave up their broadband , get your order in quick 
  • Thanks for the quick reply. This may be a silly question but don't I have one as I'm connected? Why isn't it possible for a new company to just take over the connection? This is very frustrating as if I could have changed provider I would be less than half for it, but now I'll be stuck on an expensive contract for another 18 months. 
  • iniltous
    iniltous Posts: 3,485 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 9 June 2023 at 4:53PM
    There has never really been an answer to this , if someone is on FTTC , but the cabinet is waiting list , if that customer enquires with a different ISP they are told waiting list , even though they are already on FTTC , I guess it’s simply a fairness  policy , if a cabinet were full and consumers could keep the same FTTC port as they move around various providers, anyone else waiting without being on FTTC will have less chance to ever get into FTTC ,but that’s never been ( AFAIK) confirmed….
    TBH , the majority of FTTC ‘cabinets’ have spare ports so it’s not an issue in most cases , but obviously in those few areas showing ‘waiting list’ it can be.

    Its always possible that you could take ordinary ( social tariff ) exchange based , slower ADSL , for a short period , your old FTTC port them becomes spare , changing the FTTC status from ‘waiting list’ to ‘available’ and if your provider has promised to upgrade you at the first opportunity, you get your original port back with the new provider, it may seem daft , but that seems to be the way it works
  • Thanks very much, I thought getting onto a social tariff would be easy and cut my bill size to less than half. I'm probably going to have to get a new contract with Talktalk again and it looks like an eighteen month one too. Talktalk don't have a social tariff option and they didn't understand the idea of a waiting list and I can't get to ask Openreach. It has been forced on me really as if there are no available ports I can't move to another company. Really frustrating. 

    Thanks again for explaining all this to me.  
      
  • iniltous
    iniltous Posts: 3,485 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    As said you can move to another company, but on ADSL , and then wait for FTTC to become available , if you are not prepared to have a reduced speed for a ( probably ) short period, then as you say you are limited in options, however, FTTC ‘cabinets’ do  move from waiting list to available organically, it’s possible someone down the road from you may cease their FTTC service tomorrow, and a port opens up, you simply keep checking and if the cab is showing available, don’t delay , get an order in quick, obviously if you are going to commit to a new TT contract rather than continue on a rolling month contract that would keep your options open, then there is not much point checking the cabinet.
  • Oh, I hadn't fully taken in what you meant by ADSL and FTTC so will get back onto talktalk. When I asked them before I don't think there was a cheaper option than the deal they gave me and they included calls at a discount. Maybe they weren't being completely honest with me,but I'll ask them again and see what happens.

    Thanks again.
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