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My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

cwaite
Rising Star
Posts: 237
Thanks: 14
Registered: ‎10-01-2013

My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

I got FTTC fibre in January 2013 and was told my estimated speed was between 39-41mbs, my starting speed was 36mbs, but over the last 22 months my fibre speed has dropped in stages to 18mbs (the speed seems to drop 2-3mbs every couple of months), PN have sent out Openreach several times and all they have done is switched pairs several times which has slightly increased my speed at times but has never put it back to the original speed, and its has continued to drop. I noticed that in August 2013 my estimated speed dropped from 40mbs to 22.1mbs and then the estimated speed dropped again in November 2013 to 19mbs.
Now PN are saying that Openreach will not tell them why my speed and estimated speed has dropped so much and there is nothing further they can do, I must just accept this without any explanation. I feel this is extremely unsatisfactory.
Openreach have also handled my case very badly over the last 22 months

  • five engineers failing to show up when scheduled

  • wrong engineers being sent out (3 times I was sent an overhead linesman when Openreach had said the fault was underground), a non-broadband trained engineer was sent on one occasion,

  • an engineer who had visited previously told me that changing pairs was not the answer to my problem and that he would return the following day with a colleague to test out sections of the cable and trace the fault, but he just turned up whilst I was at work and changed pairs.

  • a REIN engineer visited fitted a filter to my master socket then said he was going to follow the line back to the cabinet and check for electrical interference, but just got in his van and drove off to his next job

  • Openreach have told plusnet that my connection is slow as I am 1.3km from the cabinet when in fact an engineer has measured my line at 650 meters from the cabinet

  • Openreach agreed to move me to a different pole which is connected to a different cabinet, they sent out an engineer to test the spare capacity on the pole, the engineer spoke to my partner and said that Openreach would not move me as the pole is connected to a different cabinet and drove off, the engineer just reported back to openreach there was no usable connections on the pole

  • Openreach are now saying that they will not move me to the other pole as the wire would interfere with electrical cables, my drop wire is currently carried safetly under the electrical cables buy the use of a bracket which is attached to the electrical pole outside my house, the same method could easily be used to re-route my drop cable to the other pole.

  • PlusNet have run many test which often pass but often fail (GEA Test detail says Circuit performance appears unstable due to mean time between errors issues. Continue submitting trouble report)


I have asked PN to ask plusnet to explain all of the above and why they can't use a bracket to re-route my dropwire but apparently Openreach have told plusnet that they have wasted too much time and money on me and have told them to stop submitting any more requests. They will not answer any of my questions that I have asked over the last 22 months. They also do not appreciate that I have taken over 2 weeks off work waiting for their engineers.
I feel that I have been let down badly by Openreach and now plusnet, plusnet have told me I am free to leave my contract, but I am in a non cable area and therefore am totally reliant on my BT line to give me broadband.
Please could someone let me know where I can go to take this further, I cannot believe a company can treat someone like this without explanation
 
62 REPLIES 62
jtk
Dabbler
Posts: 20
Registered: ‎26-10-2014

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

cwaite
Rising Star
Posts: 237
Thanks: 14
Registered: ‎10-01-2013

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

This is the website of the Australian industry telecommunications ombudsman not sure how this is going to help me.
dick:quote
AndyH
Grafter
Posts: 6,824
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Registered: ‎27-10-2012

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

Quote from: cwaite
PlusNet have run many test which often pass but often fail (GEA Test detail says Circuit performance appears unstable due to mean time between errors issues. Continue submitting trouble report)

This means your line is erroring a lot - which in turn means DLM will be reducing your sync speed to provide stability.
Can you post your speed estimates from here http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/ ?
cwaite
Rising Star
Posts: 237
Thanks: 14
Registered: ‎10-01-2013

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

I have attached two screen shots from the dslchecker.bt.com one is from January 2013 and the other from 2nd November 2014, no-one from BT can tell me why the estimate and actual speed has dropped so much.
dick:quote
leader
Grafter
Posts: 261
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

Andrews and Arnold is the one isp that will sort this.
Don't waste any more time with plusnet if they say your free to leave*.
http://aa.net.uk/broadband-trial.html
Yes they are that good. Wink
*(You can keep your phone with plusnet if you've paided for the LRS)
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

You just cannot make that assertion.
If the BTOR infrastructure is decrepit and / or there is significant cross talk on the local circuits then NO ISP is going to make a jot of difference.  The manifestation of cross talk as the population of fibre installation on a cabinet rises is the most prevalent cause of speed estimates being reduced.
Your comment is made in a vacuum of facts and is therefore unhelpful.

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.

plusnettony
Plusnet Staff
Plusnet Staff
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Registered: ‎24-07-2014

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

Hi and thank you for posting.
I’m sorry to see that you haven’t had the speeds that you initially received. I’ve looked through the history of your account and it seems that we have done everything possible to try to improve the speeds for you. It seems, looking at your estimate, that BT now believe that you and others cannot get the speeds initially estimated hence the slower estimates that have now been provided.
We are in a position that no remote work can be done to improve settings. On ADSL, we can change SNR’s or add/remove interleaving settings all of which can have dome impact on the connection in one way or another. Unfortunately with fibre we can only arrange further engineers for you. As you state, this has been done multiple times now and doing so again would seems to be wasting your time.
Openreach will not change you onto a different pole without a very good reason. As you currently have a 19Mbit sync rate, which is within the range of the current estimates, they won’t consider this however much we request that this is done for you.
One of my colleagues in our faults team has escalated the case as far as he could for you. Even with this input, we have been unable to progress the matter to your satisfaction for which I am sorry.
I appreciate you’ve had problems for a long time but we usually wait until the faults is resolved before we look into any goodwill gesture (such as a lack of engineer, or the wrong kind of engineer visiting are things). As it looks like we won’t get to resolve this to your satisfaction, I’m happy to discuss this further on your account.
Tony
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Tony T
 Plusnet Help Team
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,918
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

Cwaite,
Your best option now is to talk to your neighbours and see what is their experience.  Then discuss the collective (but individual) submission of mass complaints to Ofcom over BTOR service provision.  Unfortunately there is little pressure anyone can apply against this failing monopoly.
I would suspect that all ISP providers in your location are at the same level of deadlock with BTOR.  It us down to the ISP to progress the issue with their supplier on behalf of the end customer, however if BTOR say "No" then there us no recourse other than Ofcom.  Understandably some ISP CEOs are reluctant to report another part of their parent group to the industry watch dog.  If the ISPs will not raise the issue with Ofcom then the local residents must do so.  In the past similar people power has brought about resolutions where the actions of ISPs and their CEOs has not.
Good luck,
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.

leader
Grafter
Posts: 261
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

Have you tried aaisp Townman ?
Their bt account's mananger would not have stood for this.
The Cwaite has lots of options and aaisp is one of them.
AndyH
Grafter
Posts: 6,824
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Registered: ‎27-10-2012

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

AAISP cannot defy the laws of physics though.
leader
Grafter
Posts: 261
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

aaisp will boldy go where no other isp.....  :)))
There are multiple options to approach the issue. Its just comes down to what cwaite wants at the end of the day and if its worth the time, stress and cost.
Its just unfortunate openreach make things so difficult and from personal experience plusnet for some reason don't seem to be as assertive with openreach as other isp's.
cwaite
Rising Star
Posts: 237
Thanks: 14
Registered: ‎10-01-2013

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

Even if I changed ISP My line would still be maintained (or not maintained in my case) by the dreaded Openreach. Also if I changed ISP I would automatically be accepting the lower estimated speed,
My neighbours have stuck with ADSL as they have been put off moving to fibre from what I have told them of my experience, so not much chance of people power in this instance.
Obviously it's too much for me to expect the speed I had when I signed up, but  my main gripe is that Openreach/Plusnet will not explain ANY of the points I have asked about their engineers lack of actions they also will not listen to my suggestion on re-routing my drop wire (they had already agreed to move me)
cwaite
Rising Star
Posts: 237
Thanks: 14
Registered: ‎10-01-2013

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

I for the past 24 hours I have been recording some line stats using the HG612 Modem Stats program, could someone have a look at these Stats and tell me if they think the information recorded that my line is running ok.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z28hx3pa66g007u/AADb3LhIrEzpiwLxTHRLwBEZa?dl=0
LinnPlusnet
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 1,686
Registered: ‎03-02-2014

Re: My FTTC speed halved Since Jan 2013 Openreach/Plus.net wont tell me why!

Hi cwaite,
Having difficulty opening that - are you able to extract them and post them on here?