No phone line, new phone, still no phone line ...

[#1]

Hi,

please can someone help here?

We live quite remotely and the hardwiring around here is pretty bad. Phone line has always hung on, with regular repairs being carried out around every couple of years or so to the underground cable, and various times at the exchange.  Previous engineers have said that we are 'down to our last pairs' on the wire as there is so much corrosion.... then they switch to another, less damaged pair ...

Recently we switched provider to plusnet, and literally the very next day the phone line went dead. We were pleasantly surprised by the apparent ease with which to report the fault, which resulted in several messages to say initially that an engineer would come, then the message changed to say that the road needs to be dug up, and it would happen next week.

Next lots of aerosol can-marks in the road (saying 'BT') appeared, and we started getting quite hopeful that at last the recurrent problems would be fixed. Then we had another message saying that it should be fixed the following week, just awaiting confirmation of when the work would start... so far so good.

Then, all of a sudden there was a message by text saying that our phone line was now fixed (it wasn't) and to phone back shoudl we get any more problems.

I tried phoning back and no one answered in half an hour of holding.

I tried reporting another fault and the message came back saying that there was no fault on the line, and that it must be the internal equipment.

How do i get beyond incessant holding on the phone, and how has this changed from a fault requiring extensive road digging (about half a mile of it) to no fault at all?

I replaced the phone (which was fairly old) and there is still no phone line - the phone is intermittantly completely dead.

Broadband is sketchy, and wifi dips in and out so it seems there is some sort of service, but it seems to fluctuate between wifi and phone line.

 Getting to the end of my tether here, someone called at the door the other day to report an accident in the woods nearby, and asked to use the phone to call an ambulance, and I had to send them away (we live remotely). I think that is appalling considering we pay for this service!

Please help!

[#2]

It's dependent on Openreach to schedule the work; hopefully they won't need to get Council approvals for road works;

may have to, if traffic lights need using around trench work.

I'm assuming your Broadband is holding up which is something; you could try using PlusNet CHAT facility on link below,

to get updates. And when out and about in area, if you see an Openreach engineer working, talk to him; he may have

better local knowledge

[#3]

Somewhere you might be able to find a website showing planned local road works - this would tell you if (and when) OpenReach were doing anything to the road.

Brian

[#4]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear you're having problems with your phone service.

Reviewing the fault report, it looks like after my colleague contacted Openreach on the 9th in regards to an update, an engineer was assigned later in the day and sent us a clear which meant that we automatically advised you of this.

And the fault report inevitably closed down after 48 hours of inactivity.

I've reported the fault back to Openreach.

We've been advised that this should be re-investigated within the next 48 hours.