Fibre Unlimited Extra Questions

[#1]

Hi,

I have just cancelled my virgin broadband and looking coming back to plusnet.

We currently don't have an active phone line (but it was last used years ago on plusnet), so just wondering if anyone knows timescales for turning the phone line back on and activating fibre extra, i don't believe i need an engineer visit.

Thanks

[#2]

I made the same jump - and save a fortune in the process; mostly by cutting the cord to a gazillion tv channels that I never watched.

I too had an old BT line that hadn't been used for about 6 years so had to have an engineer visit. It was worth it because he discovered a fault with the pairs running to the property and swapped the connection at the cabinet and did something "up the pole". When he left I knew that I had a solid connection. I only had to wait a few weeks for the appointment.

I guess if you don't have an engineer, you'll never know until you plug the kit in and find, maybe, it doesn't work and then you'll need an engineer anyway.

[#3]

The phone line worked when i was with plusnet some 5 or so years ago

[#4]

I though the same thing but the engineer told me that unused phone lines are repurposed after a while - hence the need for the engineer to get involved. They can't hand it over to Plusnet until they've checked that any work they've done is working properly.

[#5]

Hi @DEViANCE75 

From my experiencevery Openreach will want to do an end to end test to your green cabinet and/or exchange from inside your property. At the same time they might install the latest NTE.

Dan

[#6]

Hi Deviance75.

Exactly what would need to happen will depend on how that old line is recorded in openreach systems. If it's just an old stopped line, you shouldn't need an engineer to your house. The engineer installing does all the work at the exchange and cabinet, and will do the line test from the cabinet to you, rather than the you to them when they visit. If a fault shows up that side they'll look to sort that as part of the same job.

If the line is recorded as disconnected, or that there's no physical line there then the engineer would come to your house to complete the connection.

Plusnet should be able to give a good idea which way it would go when you order, and openreach would confirm within a couple of days anyway so you'd know what to expect.

As for timeframes, assuming the line is just a switch on job, the minimum is usually 7 days, but being honest, and particularly with fibre that's almost always optimistic. Openreach just don't have enough engineers to manage this, especially at the moment and realistically you'd be looking around 2 weeks for both together.

Going ADSL first, then upgrading to fibre after may get you online quicker-copper installs tend to be doable quicker.