All exchanges are equal, but some are more red than others...

[#1]

My exchange is red.  I'm sure I'm not alone.
It was red as far as I remember in may.  When I checked in June the estimated fix date was in July.  When I checked after this date, it was in August.  Each date arrives, and when the usergroup status checker has a recent update, BT have just advanced the estimated fix date one month.  Sometimes the status checker has no new information for as much as 4 weeks.
I've checked the status again using the usertools website, and this is by far the best checker I've been able to find on the internet, and it tells me the September fix is now the 19th of Oct, already passed.
How can I find out a real time exchange status?
Has anyone else noticed the 'add one month and do nothing' happening to their exchange?  Who can we complain to about the 'estimated' dates being nothing more than a trick to fob off people into thinking work is just about to be done?

[#2]

Hi there,
I've asked the question and I'll let you know if there is anyway that we can get a more concrete fix date.
I'm sorry that this has dragged on for quite so long.

[#3]

Thanks James,
I know this is a BT issue rather than a plusnet one.

[#4]

Quote from: ambix

BT have just advanced the estimated fix date one month.

I recall complaining about this in a ticket over a year ago with the Sheffield Cutler exchange. It is currently red and I believe the log for this was originally started on slate and charcoal.
The infinitely adjustable fix date seems very common as I am sure most people in the forum and beyond have noticed before.

[#5]

I feel your pain.

[#6]

A problem shared is another poor innocent soul depressed

[#7]

From my experience, if the fix date advances by 4 weeks at a time it should be treated as "we don't have a date at the moment, but our system requires us to provide one".  When the step becomes 2 weeks it means "we are planning on fixing this sometime soon"; then 1 week steps mean "we are nearly there".
In my case the fix was done alongside LLU unbundling tasks.

[#8]

Yep, mine too. As Openreach put some TalkTalk kit in the exchange they also completed other work which resolved speed issues.
The date didn't move in increments of four weeks, and then two weeks and then one week though. It was four weeks ahead for about three months, and then was suddenly green again after the Openreach work.
Apart from chucking some randomness into the thread I guess I'm trying to say that just 'cos the date keeps changing doesn't mean it won't be resolved sooner.

[#9]

As far as I am aware Opeanreach do not install any kit into the exchanges. What's probably has happen is that they have taken users of BT Wholesale equipment and put them on to TalkTalk equipment.
BT Wholesale would be silly to invest in more equipment when they know that a large percentage of users will be going to be LLU'ed.

[#10]

It's not actually their equipment, but for obvious reasons, BT don't let other people poke around in their exchanges
They'll install the equipment, presumably for a hefty fee.

[#11]

I subcontract for Openreach and I know that they do not install equipment. They do not even install the LLU equipment. This is either done by subcontractors or by the LLU company themselves.
I go back 30 years with BT and BT never, or very rarely install the equipment into the exchanges.
As far as I'm aware Openreach do not work on any equipment after the MDF.

[#12]

Fair enough, I stand corrected!

[#13]

Quote from: itsme

As far as I'm aware Openreach do not work on any equipment after the MDF.

I thought Openreach work on the HDF (Handover Distribution Frame) too when a third party requests an LLU migration from IPStream?
As I understood it:

• LLU Supplier or contractor installs LLU DSLAMs in the co-mingling area and wires them to the HDF.
  
• LLU Supplier gives BT OpenReach details of which ports on the HDF to plug into which circuits on the MDF.
  
• On day of migration BT OpenReach engineers complete the migration with the information provided by the LLU supplier.
  

Basically the LLU engineers only ever have to visit the exchange once, unless a fault develops with their kit or they need to increase capacity.

[#14]

Cabling is run from the HDF to the MDF, Openreach terminates the MDF end and the LLU contractor terminate the HDF end. Who runs the cables I'm not sure but I reckon that it would be the LLU contractor.
I have seen one case were terminations of blocks of 20 pairs had been reversed. This was reported back to the LLU company but in the meantime Openreach engineers had reterminated the block at the MDF. The LLU contractor comes in and reterminate the HDF and it's back to square one. Takes 3 months to resolve as both parties are saying that the wiring at the MDF and HDF is correct. Which it is because the problem is between HDF and the LLU equipment but because BT can access this equipment the problem drags on.

[#15]

and for those of you wondering what this is all about click here 
and I include myself in that group so I did some research.