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Is a new ADSL activation really 10 full working days?

fuiste
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: ‎10-01-2011

Is a new ADSL activation really 10 full working days?

I've just signed up a family member and was surprised/shocked to be greeted with the following
--
Your broadband order
We'll arrange for your broadband service to be activated. This will take a minimum of 10 full working days to complete.
--
I've signed up at least 20-30 referrals over the years and don't think it's ever said it would take 10 days. I'm sure in the past it has said about 5 working days, but my experience has always been that things were active even quicker, sometimes even within 3-4 days.
What has changed now that I'm being told it'll take at least 10 days?
I don't think it's relevant, but in this case my family member is moving their phone service from BT to Plusnet. Surely this isn't what's causing the 10 day lead time, or is it? In the past I've signed people up and then moved their phone rental to Plusnet but never seen a delay of 10 days before and the phone line rental just moved over to Plusnet at a later date.
Has something changed / Is the ADSL activation now 10 days because Plusnet want to fully take over the line rental from BT completely before they place the ADSL order with Openreach?
I doubt it based on the following text in the order summary, but wanted to be sure.
--
Your phone order
Once your broadband service has been switched to us, your phone service will also be switched. This usually happens on the same day. You'll be able to carry on using your phone service during this time.
--
Thanks,
Conor.
4 REPLIES 4
fuiste
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: ‎10-01-2011

Re: Is a new ADSL activation really 10 full working days?

And the status that has been emailed to the new customer is that activation date will be 22/12/2015 for the ADSL service and the phone service is due to be transferred from BT on 21/12/2015.
This really seems to be excessive and is 12 working days from the order was placed on Sat 05/12/2015.
Why is the process so long now? Surely the whole ADSL provisioning system is fully automated these days and doesn't even require a person in the exchange to plug in a patch cable?
For FTTC installs I *might* understand the delay since an Openreach engineer needs to be booked to do some patching in the cabinet as well as changing the faceplate in the customer property, but there shouldn't be any manual labour required for an ADSL activation (i'm even refraining from calling it an install).
Am I missing something?
Thanks,
Conor.
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,922
Thanks: 9,538
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Is a new ADSL activation really 10 full working days?

Hi Commer,
The major delay here is the industry's anti-slamming regulations.  The rules require time for the existing supplier to notify the subscriber of a request to migrate the service and allow time for the subscriber to report a slam transfer.
In the past there were unscrupulous migrations performed by particular communications providers and users found themselves tricked in to being transferred.  The anti slamming rules proved provide for a 10 day window for a subscriber to stop a migration.
HTH?
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

fuiste
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: ‎10-01-2011

Re: Is a new ADSL activation really 10 full working days?

Thanks Kevin!
Yes your explanation definitely helps and seems logical enough too. I guess it protects customers who then have a window to back out if they felt pressured to move to a new ISP & phone provider etc.
If I had signed my family member up to an ADSL only service without the phone service, and bearing in mind that they have never had an internet service previously (you heard correct - never even a dialup account, aka silver surfer  :)) - would they still have been subject to the 10 day anti slamming window, or would they have had ADSL turned on within 5 days which has always been my experience over the years?
I wouldn't have got them the good deal (free activation & 'free ADSL' as part of the £16.99 per month line rental for 12 months) that I got them though, so I'll put up with the extra delay - they've waiting this long so another 7 days beyond what I was expecting won't be the end of the world - just mildly annoying and something new that I've learned today  Wink
Cheers,
Conor.
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,922
Thanks: 9,538
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Is a new ADSL activation really 10 full working days?

Quote from: Conor
If I had signed my family member up to an ADSL only service without the phone service, and bearing in mind that they have never had an internet service previously (you heard correct - never even a dialup account, aka silver surfer  :)) - would they still have been subject to the 10 day anti slamming window, or would they have had ADSL turned on within 5 days which has always been my experience over the years?

Hi Connor,
That is an interesting question which (under the change rules) I'm not entirely sure I know the answer for all circumstances.
1. The 10 day (or there about) rule certainly applies to voice service transfer
2. For BB transfer (as is), you used to have to obtain a MAC code from the current supplier - that is you get / give up-front consent to the migration - very sensible and a model which arguably would have been good for voice services too.  That has a 5 day lead time
3. Adding ADSL to a line which has no internet service has a 5 day lead time
4. Adding FTTC to a line which has no internet service needs a BTOR home visit (if a Mk3 faceplate is to be installed) and line work so might well take more that 5 days
5. Migration of internet services is now done without a MAC code - I do not know how this process works - one would hope that there is anti-slamming protection built into the process and I would expect that to mean that transfer will take longer.
May be CRT can clarify?
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.