Broadband and phone rotten + Question re fibre

[#1]

I have had problems with broadband and phone and gradually getting worse.

Any incoming phone call closes broadband connection but not consistently.

Line is full of interference but not consistently.

Broadband closes regularly, up to a dozen times per day.

Download speeds are reduced perhaps 25%

Upload speeds are reduced perhaps 75%.

A few years ago, the underground cable to roadside box, approx 200yards away was identified by a BT engineer as being "rotten, it is likely to be 70-80 years old +

He transferred the connection to an adjacent pair down manhole under pavement.

It therefore seems that this pair is now also rotten.

He told me the connection in roadside box used ALUMINIUM wire.

I need the 200yards of underground wire replacing but cannot get through on phone or on "troubleshooter", which doesn't work.

All wire, phone and computer, from front house wall inside the house was replaced some years before all this trouble.

If I were to order Fibre and it was found that the speed wasn't up to scratch, then Plusnet would be obliged to replace wire, wouldn't they?

Any advice, recommendation etc welcomed

[#2]

I wouldn't order fibre until the fault is fixed - it would likely lock you into a more expensive contract. Only after a lengthy fault fixing period would you be able to leave a contract if the guaranteed minimum speed was not reached - and the guaranteed minimum speed may be quite low.

If you have a noisy line on the BT quiet line test - call 17070 and select option 2 - then report a phone line fault (ignore the broadband fault for now, it will probably go away once the phone fault is fixed). It is harder for an ISP to fob you off without fixing a phone fault.

[#3]

Thanks for advice. I'll follow up your 17070 suggestion when I can. Trouble is that at the moment the phone line is clear! But all other faults remain.

[#4]

When the landline is bad, I would do a 17070 and see what it is like.

Sounds like you have an intermittent fault on your landline. Which is more of a pain than a constant one. Makes it harder work for yourself.

I would keep a log on when the landline is bad and when it isn't. If you have Excel then I would create a spredsheet. I think you may need to raise a landline fault and the more information you can give them the better of course.

[#5]

I think the answer lies in the comment I made about the faulty connection some years ago. The bt engineer switched the connection to an adjoining pair somewhere under the pavement, but told me the wire(s) down there were "rotten". The wires may have been laid down when the house (built 1892) had a phone first installed, before I was even born (1947).

I'll have to wait as current health condition prevents me fro moving about very much.

[#6]

Sorry to hear about your health condition.

As you've said, it sounds like you have an intermittent landline fault. You need to raise it to whoever your supplier is first. Do when you can is my best advice.

Otherwise your fibre will be poor.

[#7]

Hi @pimpernel, thanks for getting in touch and I'm sorry to hear you're having intermittent issues with your phone and broadband recently. I have run a test on your line and we've detected a external fault that more than likely will be what's behind the issues you've seen recently.
I have raised the fault up with our suppliers who have given us the standard 2 working day turn around time and estimated response time of 10/07/20 by 23:59. Keeping in mind this is the very latest a engineer would be out to investigate the issue and it could be resolved sooner. I've raised a fault ticket on your account and placed it on hold until the morning of 11/07/20 so our faults team can check to see if your issue has been resolved. 
The fault ticket on your account can be seen here.
 

[#8]

I do hope you can find and rectify the fault as I'm also receiving flak from others in household.

[#9]

The fault appears to have been sorted and will monitor for a while to consider whether to proceed with fibre. The fact it was in the box on my house wall still leaves me a little concerned about the state of the ancient underground wire between this box and the roadside box.