Street locked to only one internet provider. Is this legal?

Picasso86
Picasso86 Posts: 1 Newbie
in Phones & TV
Hi there,

We moved into a newly built area last year and we were unpleasantly surprised to discover that the only communications infrastructure available belongs to Virgin. This basically means that we cannot get broadband or the phone line with any other services provider.

I know that there is some family business going on here where the father runs his own building company and built the housing, and the son works for Virgin and provided the communications infrastructure.

I am trying to find a way to get rid of Virgin because it is too expensive but I don't seem to have any other option available.

Is this even legal? Is there a way this situation?

Kind regards,
Picasso86
«1

Comments

  • billy2shots
    billy2shots Posts: 1,122 Forumite
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    If you want to pay for the infrastructure of a a new provider you can (unless there is some legal covenant in place).

    If you want a new provider to foot the cost of the infrastructure then you will be disappointed.
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
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    Ask BT OR what are the plans to dig up and cable your street.
  • boliston
    boliston Posts: 3,012 Forumite
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    this sounds quite bad - a bit like finding you can only use british gas for your gas or only use edf for electricity - actually it's even worse as it means you are limited to using quite a bad broadband provider with infrastructure incompatible with any other provider - if bt are forced to allow people to use other providers then the same rules should apply to virgin
  • billy2shots
    billy2shots Posts: 1,122 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    boliston wrote: »
    this sounds quite bad - a bit like finding you can only use british gas for your gas or only use edf for electricity - actually it's even worse as it means you are limited to using quite a bad broadband provider with infrastructure incompatible with any other provider - if bt are forced to allow people to use other providers then the same rules should apply to virgin


    Virgin haven't chosen this, the developers of the new built area have. You should have checked this as part of your due diligence when choosing the house.
    Are you responsible for the roads (pay a management company each year)? If so you will need to ask the other residents if they want another provider. Ask the management company to organise the work then expect a nice increase on your annual management fee.
  • iniltous
    iniltous Posts: 3,075 Forumite
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    edited 5 January 2019 at 2:43PM
    Before the roads and footpaths are adopted by the local council,that's when they become responsible for the maintenance of them, and the street lighting etc, the development belongs (unsurprisingly) to the developer, and if the deveopler did a sweetheart deal with VM and locked out everyone else , basically meaning you have a choice of VM, mobile or nothing, then until the council adopt the 'common areas' then you are stuck, and yes it is legal.
    As someone suggested ' nothing to do with VM' is ridiculous , and something that Openreach couldn't get away with, and even if they did, you would still have a choice of all the mainstream providers anyway...VM pay the developer for these 'exclusive' deals, that lock out the opposition, and VM have no obligation to wholesale their network like OR do.
    It will be interesting when OR and everyone else who build networks ( Vodafone, Gigaclear etc ) have code rights ( which could be 2 to 3 years after the developer finishes the last property ) because the cheapest method of retro fitting OR infrastructure is overhead ( telegraph poles ) and the neighbourhood may reject this as a method of provision as 'spoiling the street scene'
    I'm unaware of any areas that have been retro fitted by OR being done by underground ducted methods , that doesnt mean it's never been done though
  • billy2shots
    billy2shots Posts: 1,122 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    iniltous wrote: »
    Before the roads and footpaths are adopted by the local council,that's when they become responsible for the maintenance of them, and the street lighting etc, the development belongs (unsurprisingly) to the developer, and if the deveopler did a sweetheart deal with VM and locked out everyone else , basically meaning you have a choice of VM, mobile or nothing, then until the council adopt the 'common areas' then you are stuck, and yes it is legal.
    As someone suggested ' nothing to do with VM' is ridiculous , and something that Openreach couldn't get away with, and even if they did, you would still have a choice of all the mainstream providers anyway...VM pay the developer for these 'exclusive' deals, that lock out the opposition, and VM have no obligation to wholesale their network like OR do.
    It will be interesting when OR and everyone else who build networks ( Vodafone, Gigaclear etc ) have code rights ( which could be 2 to 3 years after the developer finishes the last property ) because the cheapest method of retro fitting OR infrastructure is overhead ( telegraph poles ) and the neighbourhood may reject this as a method of provision as 'spoiling the street scene'
    I'm unaware of any areas that have been retro fitted by OR being done by underground ducted methods , that doesnt mean it's never been done though


    Many new developments roads and communal areas are never adopted by councils these days.
  • iniltous
    iniltous Posts: 3,075 Forumite
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    billy2shots wrote: »
    Many new developments roads and communal areas are never adopted by councils these days.

    That possible on smaller developments, you can always put up a notice saying 'private road' and have no street lighting etc, but larger delevopments and mainstream developers want that 'responsibility' given to someone else , after all, say you hit a pothole on an unadopted road , knackering your suspension or tyres, who do you claim against ?, and with regard to the OP, chances are ( if it's worthwhile to VM to install in the development) that it's not just a few property's
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 5,186 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    billy2shots wrote: »
    Many new developments roads and communal areas are never adopted by councils these days.

    Didn't know that, something to keep in mind for the future.
  • Alias_Omega
    Alias_Omega Posts: 7,912 Forumite
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    Keep checking USwitch etc. You can get 50MB Virgin for £23 ishy a month. You can be crafty and share with neighbors etc to reduce costs, or times when you need to give notice to force a better retention deal.
  • DoaM
    DoaM Posts: 11,863 Forumite
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    iniltous wrote: »
    after all, say you hit a pothole on an unadopted road , knackering your suspension or tyres, who do you claim against ?

    That's why such developments should have Public Liability insurance. The Managing Agent/Factor (or Residents' Association, if they're self-managing) should be organising this.
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