Birmingham CMSPR - Cabinet 13 - Conspiracy Theory

You know, I think I was right to claim a conspiracy theory over my cabinet.

Yes, my cabinet, Cabinet 13 on the CMSPR Birmingham Exchange, is now the only cabinet in this exchange area to still be waiting for fibre to the cabinet. It is the closest to the Exchange, barely half a mile from two cabinets to the west and one cabinet to the east.

It was one of the first to have had its fibre twin installed and a new shell on the PCP at the start of July and was hopeful for a roll out by the end of September.

Engineers worked til about 9pm at night in the dark uncovering blockages and filling them in for 11 and 12 to the west about three weeks ago.

They've even got the cable to the manhole cover on the main road about 220 metres away - I looked in when they were doing 11 and 12 and it's all there ready to go. That was getting on for three weeks ago.

Latest thing now on my cabinet, they need to install two metres of trunking right next to the cabinet.

Er.

That's it? That's the hold up? So far, that cabinet has had about 10 metres trunking installed across a side road to join the PCP and FIbre Cab and now needs an additional two metres trunking.

Wow. World record.

Seven months to decide they need to install 12 metres of trunking? The latest one requiring two metres, what are OpenReach doing? Do they bother checking the trunkning in the immediate vicinity when laying a cab so that they can schedule similar works in the same vicinity? It's like they find a blockage, don't bother checking anything else, give up and raise with BT planners who spend five weeks drawing up plans then clearing that blockage. Wait another two weeks for the cablers to come and find another blockage, and then do that one! You seriously telling me that when they were looking at 11 and 12 and 14, that some bright spark never thought about checking the trunking at 13? It's in the vicinity, less than half a mile away, could be done at the same time? 11 and 12 were done at the same time (100m away from each other). 13? Nope.

You realise all that inefficiency costs us money?

BT can stuff off. I would like fibre, but waiting this length of time for 12 metres of trunking, I realise Im happy with my ADSL connection. Im not going to make a rash decision. Might order it some time in September if I get any offers through.

Simon

Edited by sjdean (Sat 15-Feb-14 11:44:16)

That sucks.

But living so close to the exchange surely you have pretty good ADSL?

Until this week I was on 1.5 mbps down since September. So it could be worse

sjdean

the business is deploying and dealing with hundreds of cabs each and every day give or take -- majority of those are now not in the commercial programme -- any problem on a cab can move it 7 - 8 months out in deployment (especially if it is on commercial build - or can even remove it altogther-- if the copper is not done the cab wont work -- cant do the copper until the cab is stood or the power and duct work is confirmed -- if the spine work was compllcated and expensive and could have rendered the cab uneconomic and this could have seen it removed from the commercial programme why would spend money on the conneciton if you have 5 elements to make your cab wortk woudl you spend money on element 5 if element 3 means that that price is then over spend and not viable and is removed- you would do them sequentially so you manage your costs rathet than spend money on a cab that may not get deployed

Edited by Fastman2 (Sat 15-Feb-14 13:47:15)

Sorry to hear it sjdean. This is taking so much longer. Unbelieved. Hopefully it might be ready by end of this month or next month.

But you're missing the point. The cab was stood, had power connected, they identified an alternate route to get the fibre to it, connected the copper, have connected everything else up around it that's barely 500 metres away, there is fibre to a manhole cover 220 metres away, yet again more delays. Seven months delays to install 12 metres of trunking.

They've done more work on that to other cabinets in a much much quicker time frame. The idea its unviable is laughable. This is got to be one of the more easier jobs to complete judging by how little work they've had to do. It's just taking them a stupidly long time to do it. They've not done the work in a consistent way, and they have not worked methodically by working on this cabinet for example while they were looking at the other three all of which in a five hundred metre radius. Planning seems totally off.

The works in progress but hasn't even been started. May be activated by the middle March. But frankly, I can't be bothered with it anymore. Im totally bored. If BT call, I'll tell them where to get off too.

Yeah, not bad ADSL wise. Always could do with more....

Oh yeah, one of the cabs, Cab 11 was hamstrung with a section whatever notice due to recent footpath works preventing digging up. BT negotiated and come up with a plan with the council and came back and did that one together with Cab 12. Cab 13, once again, ignored. For what? Massive trunking issues? Heavy road works? Wayleaves? No. 2 metres of trunking. It's about 500 metres from Cab 12. They couldn't have found the issue at the same time and done the work on the same day as 11 and 12?

Ridiculous.

You do realise that the planning officer in charge has seen your posts and stopped work on your cabinet don't you? Just to annoy you some more.

Im in the same position as you. so you're not alone.