topic Re: House Move - Update on connection? in Plusnet Feedback

House Move - Update on connection?

custos — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 08:55:26 GMT

I moved into a new house on the first of the month and would love an update on when I might get a phone line and Internet. However I simply can't wait for an hour in a queue on a mobile to talk to someone. Can anybody help please? My user Name is watts46.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

Townman — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 09:11:21 GMT

Hi,
When you say 'new' house, do you mean a brand new build or simply a house new to you?
If it's new build, then the answer will very much be predicated on what the building contractor has done. It would be wise to ask if they have laid ducts for phone cables through the build? Have wires been pulled through the ducts to each property?
Provision to new builds can be very protracted - BTOR have a contact page for customers in new build properties. Until BTOR sugnoff the infrastructure there is no telling how long it will take, regardless of the ISP.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

MatthewWheeler — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 09:26:23 GMT

Sorry to hear about the delays.
Unfortunately as your property is a new build it can take some time to get the services installed.
As soon as we have a update we'll let you know.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

tijara33 — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 10:43:36 GMT

It always amazes me that builders are allowed to release houses to the market without full services being installed. They wouldn't be allowed to sell a new house which didn't have running water, drainage & electricity so why not an essential like a telephone line, particularly when access to the internet is so important.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

custos — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 11:40:39 GMT

Yes it is a new build, actually a small development of 4 houses. To be fair to the developer, all the necessary ducting has been installed and there is a large access cover marked BT just a few metres from my front door. I watched the trenches dug and can trace them across the road to another BT access cover and onwards to a junction box. The area is FTTC enabled and less than a mile from the local exchange. A neighbour has just told me that large cables were being fed into the ducting via the access point outside of my house yesterday so I assume that progress is being made. The most frustrating thing is not getting regular updates - my last update was 2 weeks ago.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

Townman — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 12:42:30 GMT

Yes no updates is the norm for BTOR - until the 'current task' is completed there will be no forecast for anything else. AT best PlusNet might be able to advise of the next "update" date.
It does sound though as though things are moving. Try using this - https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/contactus/newhomes/newhomes.do - to get an update.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

custos — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 14:02:20 GMT

OK, I have filled in the Open Reach form and await a response.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

custos — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 10:53:38 GMT

Wow - I got a reply!
"We've looked into the provision of service to your new property and we can't provide a completion date for the work currently. We are working with our Planning Team in order to get a date for you and we'll be back in touch as soon as we can provide a further update."
So there you go then - no news, not even from Openreach!

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

HarryB — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 12:27:14 GMT

Sorry to hear that, I hope you're not waiting too long for the work to be completed

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

Townman — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 06:21:32 GMT

...no doubt they are the exact words you've been getting from PlusNET on updates... Nothing useful from their suppliers to help meet reasonable customer expectations.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

MattyC — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 09:16:22 GMT

That was a very "Openreachy" sounding response.
They've updated the order tracker this morning and it sounds like they're arranging to build a new DP. In honesty this is not quick work, and we have been given a required by date (RBD) of 05/10/2015. The full notes for transparency with any unique identifiers removed:

Quote
CALL OFF ESTIMATE PLANNED AND ISSUED TODAY.
FOR THE WHOLE SITE PLUS NEW DP**** SETUP.
ESTIMATE SENT TO: DIRECT LABOUR.
RBD: 05/10/15.

I'll update the ticket to reflect this, though really sorry it's bad news.
Matty

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

custos — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 09:16:56 GMT

I have no idea what a 'DP' is but my next door neighbour is expecting a BT engineer to connect her next week!

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

Townman — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 09:54:28 GMT

A 'DP' is a distribution point.
That's a point in the network at which a 20/40/80/100 pair cable is terminated to which smaller cables or individual 'drop' wires are connected to connect to individual or smaller groups of properties.
I suspect that your neighbour will be waiting like yourself, unless the 'DP' work is completed by then.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

custos — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 10:09:33 GMT

Thank you.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

MattyC — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 10:12:00 GMT

Thanks to Kevin/Townman for the above. Apologies for not explaining that.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

custos — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 10:28:23 GMT

One week to go and Openreach have not been anywhere near the site - what's the bet that there will be a further delay? They clearly don't give a damn 🙂

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

Townman — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 12:53:10 GMT

If I were in your shoes, I'd be asking for updates via the link in post #5 on a daily interval.

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

custos — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 17:19:42 GMT

The full text of the message from Openreach received 11 days ago is below. They do not provide any means of responding to them!
Hello Geoffrey,
Thanks for taking the time to contact us. I'm sorry for the delay in responding to your enquiry.
We've looked into the provision of service to your new property and we can't provide a completion date for the work currently. We are working with our Planning Team in order to get a date for you and we'll be back in touch as soon as we can provide a further update.
If you've any other concerns other than the provision of service to your new property, then if you could raise those with your Communications Provider directly.
Thanks,
Openreach Newsite Development Queries Team

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

custos — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 13:21:53 GMT

I actually expected a delay in getting connected as it seems to be the norm. However what is so annoying is the total lack of information available as to why there is a delay at all. Both Openreach and Plusnet speak in riddles. Actually to be fair, Openreach don't communicated with us Plebs at all! I have been told in a roundabout way that a new 'DP' has to be built and I understand that a 'DP' is the Distribution Point from where all the properties in this new development get connected. However exactly what 'building a new one' means is anybody's guess. The 'DP' is underground beneath a large access cover (with BT ingraved on it) a few metres from my front door. There is a multi core cable end in there. I assume this has to be terminated but what on earth has to be built? The completion date for this work is October 5 - just 5 working days away and there has been no activity on site at all. Perhaps someone out there knows the process and can explain it to this Pleb?

Re: House Move - Update on connection?

Townman — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:06:51 GMT

Hi Custos,
Please don't describe yourself as a 'Pleb' - this stuff is rather complex when it does not go to plan and is rich in terminology. Whilst I do not know the precise details, I understand the principles. Hopefully the following will help illuminate?
As advised before the DP is a location where a big bundle of wires are divided down to smaller bundles of cables for onward distribution in different directions. The DP could be anything from a green cabinet, a road side pillar, a box on a pole or a rat's nest of wires in sub-surface chamber. "Building" it is essentially facilitating the means of 'patching' (connecting) individual wire pairs in the bigger cable to wire pairs in the smaller cables. This might be by cross separate wiring termination blocks for the bigger and smaller cables, or it might be direct crimp connections between the two.
Especially in the case of under-ground joints, these have to be protected and water-proofed, so in your case a water-proof housing needs to be added to the end of the cable.
Though this is not a big job, it is likely to need a team rather than an individual as each pair needs to be (check) identified before being patched.