BT Line/Fibre Available, New Build/Wrong Cabinet..

Hi all,

This is a long post, so I apologise in advance.

I have been trying to apply for fibre unsuccessfully, and am hoping to get some advice/tips from users and experts here.

I moved into my newbuild on 14 July 2017. Prior to moving in, I checked my address on Openreach’s “When Can I Get Fibre” (WCIGF) page. It returned this status:

“Your cabinet is enabled for Superfast fibre however you're not able to order fibre just yet.
This might be because the length of the line is too long to get Superfast speeds. We're actively looking at other options.”

9 May 2017

Emailed Openreach (OR) regarding fibre availability for my new build.

25 May 2017 - OR replied

“Thank you for your patience.
 
We have received response from our internal team.
 
You’re connected to exchange STANLEY and cabinet 22.
 
In response to your query regarding why you are unable to order we would like to inform you that the cabinet is fibre enabled, however, there is no telephone line at your premises as per our records. Once you order the line, you would be able to place order for fibre and receive good speeds.
 
Please place the order for telephone line first with your chosen service provider.”

6 July 2017

Replied the following to OR:

"I am moving to my new build on 14 July, 2017. 

When I checked openreach's website last week, it says I can apply, but when I checked again today, I get the message "Your cabinet is enabled for Superfast fibre however you're not able to order fibre just yet."  

8 July 2017 - OR replied:

"Thank you for getting in touch with us again.
 
Our website shows that message because there is no telephone line at your new build property yet.
 
Once you will get a line installed, you will be able to get fibre services with good speed.

We applied for a phone and broadband line from Zen who also confirmed the same status, that we were not able to apply for fibre yet, that they can only offer broadband."

However, we went ahead with the phone line and broadband application, since OR said we will be able to get fibre once a line is installed. Its 0151, a BT line.

Our landline was installed on 21 July 2017. When we checked our number on WCIGF page, it says we are connected to Cabinet 23 (instead of Cabinet 22), and it has the same status as when I checked using just the address.

26 July 2017

Replied to OR via email that my phone line is already up and running, and enquired as to why I was still not able to get fibre.

26 July 2017 - Reply from OR:

"We have sent this case to our second level support team to look into this matter.
 
We’ll try our best to respond within 28 working days, however, due to high work volume it might take a little longer than the given time.
 
We’ll get back to you as soon as we receive an update"

I check WCIGF almost daily, and on 8 August 2017, it says Cabinet 22 is “super fast accepting orders”, while Cabinet 23 had this status:

“Engineering Work:
Your area is enabled for Superfast Fibre, but you may not be able to order a service because our engineers are carrying out some maintenance on the cabinet that connects your home. We’re aiming to complete the work as soon as possible, so please check back for an update.”

8 August 2017

Replied to OR asking for status of my enquiry, and also asked for a clarification on why my landline was connected to 23, instead of 22.

10 August 2017 - OR Replied

"Thank you for writing back and sharing this information.
 
Our team is already dealing with case and there are some records which needs to be updated.
 
I’d request you to wait till the given timeframe and we will get back to you soon once we receive an update"

Also on 10 August 2017, the WCIGF check on my number, status reverted to:

“Your cabinet is enabled for Superfast fibre however you're not able to order fibre just yet.
This might be because the length of the line is too long to get Superfast speeds. We're actively looking at other options.”

I have a dismal 7mbps broadband speed, and the frustration is real.

If the OR engineer had correctly connected my phone line to Cabinet 22 as per their database, I would already be able to get fibre. Any tips/advice will be most welcomed.
Many, many thanks in advance, and my apologies again for a lengthy post.

It may well have been the database was wrong in the first case and that the ducting/routing always meant your line would be connected to 23.

There may have been capacity issues which meant you were connected to a different cab than originall planned.

In short, nothing is guaranteed until the line is connected.

Keep the pressue on Zen for them to get some answers.

If it's Stanley in Co. Durham then both cabs are fibre enabled and aren't too far apart.

A lot of people would absolutely love a dismal 7meg connection.

Thanks for replying.

Cabinet 23 is already serving the older houses just next to our new builds, including my immediate neighbour. And when they tried to apply they got this status:

"Your area is enabled for Superfast Fibre but demand is high on your cabinet right now.
This means you may not be able to order fibre today but we're working to increase capacity. Please check back for an update."

Zen replied that "Cabinet 23 is not fibre enabled" which is totally untrue. I have replied to their email and corrected them accordingly, but have yet to receive a reply. Any advice on how to "keep the pressure on Zen"?

Its the Stanley Exchange, Liverpool.

So it seems 23 is the correct cabinet and 22 was possibly an error, or something in the ground didn't match what the planners records showed.

It seems cabinet 23 is currently full to capacity and will be needing either, additional line cards, or, if it's totally full, a second cabinet planned in.

I wonder how long Openreach will take to get a second cabinet up. Any idea? Thanks.

Can be anything from 6 months to never.

Put pressure on th developer and if they're still building, start a campaign letting prospective buyers be aware that there's no superfast broadband available.

Posters on cars, lamp posts and in gardens should make it plenty visable.

You may even wish to visit the sales office when people are looking for houses and advise them personally.

Edited by lee111s (Mon 14-Aug-17 14:25:56)

Its not a capacity issue

What issue would it be? Thanks.

Addresses on cab Stanley Liverpool 23 report a capacity issue on the Openreach website.

Care to shed any light?

Openreach checker

Edited by lee111s (Mon 14-Aug-17 17:07:31)

I went through a rigmarole when a BT surveyor put the wrong cabinet identity in the database, when our line was being ordered.

The wrong identity did not stop the system from showing fibre availability, and it did not prevent us from ordering a fibre service.

However, it did stop the fibre service from ever being functional... the port would be allocated (on the night before each installation attempt) in the wrong DSLAM.

Conclusion: whatever is stopping you from ordering is not likely to be just a wrong cabinet identity, if indeed it is that at all.

Certainly the service areas for cabinets 22 and 23 run right next to each other, so you could indeed be on 23.

So ... what else could cause the problem?

Quite often, the report that the line might be too long for service comes about because some other piece of data in the database is wrong (the signal loss between the cabinet and the DP); without this data, the checker assumes that the line is too long.

Try using the BTW checker here: https://www.dslchecker.bt.com/
Use the telephone number checker, and use the address checker (put the postcode in alone, and it will offer you a choice of all addresses in the postcode).

Does the output agree on cab 23? Does it show speed estimates for VDSL? Does the output include a line for "VDSL Multicast" as "Available"?

From my experience, a missing VDSL estimate, but a "VDSL multicast" line, for somewhere that is easily within distance limits, is an indication that the DP signal-loss data is wrong.