"Plant Survey" before FTTC install date can be given?

I'm with Plusnet and about to move home.

My new home was built in approx 1950, but is in a Virgin Media area and has either never had a BT line or had one so many decades ago that BT have zero records of it.

It's in an FTTC area, but I don't really want to keep FTTC now I have 200mbit available to me, I'm in contract though so have to go through the motions.

I've attempted to schedule a home move but been told by PN that they need to schedule a "Plant Survey" before they can book a line install/FTTC install.

I'll assume they are not counting daffofils and this means there is no ducting, no poles, etc to my new house. My front garden is tarmac so I don't want them ripping it up.

How long is this likely to take, what is involved, and what are my odds of hitting Excess Construction Charges? (cab is across the road ~350m away if relevant). I'd quite like this to happen as they will let me out of contract!!

Line plant, e.g. cables,distribution points, poles etc. Appears there is no record of how to connect the premises to the network.
Highly unlikely to incur ECC's unless an isolated or difficult to serve property

Are you planning on also getting VM? If so, do you really need both lines? If not, then take the hit on cancelling the PlusNet line and paying out of the contract rather than getting them to install a line you don't want or need.

I also suspect that if they have to put in a new line, then they will insist on a new contract and at the end of that you would have the cease charges, so if they will not let you out for free, then taking the hit of an early end might be cheaper anyway.

Edited by philippercival (Thu 19-May-16 16:02:26)

True, contract will almost certainly be extended to 12 or 18 months so extending the time the unwanted line has to be paid for.

In reply to a post by nemeth782:

How long is this likely to take, what is involved, and what are my odds of hitting Excess Construction Charges? (cab is across the road ~350m away if relevant). I'd quite like this to happen as they will let me out of contract!!

When I placed a "house move" order with Plusnet, the property needed to be surveyed too. Within 2 days, the survey had been done, installation work had been booked in, and the speed estimate was appearing on the BTW checker.

The line existed in the property - sockets were in place - but the previous occupiers had obviously gone with VM for quite a while, so BT no longer trusted their details.

For me, quality of service was far more important than raw speed, so I actively wanted the BT line instead of VM. We were also tied into Plusnet, but that wasn't a primary consideration (though I can confirm that you'll end up with a new contract term after moving).

Unfortunately, the surveyor entered the wrong cab number into the database ... he put the cab that is outside the living room window, whereas the property is actually connected to the one 1 street away (less than 100m). Getting an FTTC service depends on this cab number being right, so it needed fixing. Less than 2 days to survey it and enter the number in the first place, more than 2 months to fix it.

Is there already a VM feed right to the house, as opposed to the pavement take-off point? I expect there is, but if not then they will need to bury the co-ax.

Are you aware that paying off any outstanding Plusnet contract period is at a lower rate than full price?

I haven't checked the Plusnet T & Cs re house moves, but I think it highly likely you would incur their full new line installation charge. If you choose not to have Plusnet there then paying off the contract I believe is inevitable.

Do any of the neighbouring houses have Openreach lines, or don't you know? Are there any telegraph poles around, or would OR lines be underground? If they are underground I would have thought there would a fair chance the house is already fed. Possibly to the socket the VM (f present) uses. The OR cable detached at that point of course.

Replying to my own post as loads of people asked the same things

Yes, I have a new 18m contract, but I'm not paying anything upfront for the move.

Yes, cancelling is an option, but thanks to referrals I pay less than £20 a month for it including line rental, and currently have 2 FTTC lines. I'm dropping the Talktalk FTTC line.

I want to keep an FTTC line in case VM suck, and for the 20mbit upload, but if I can get out for free I will just see how I manage with VM alone for a bit first.

I get a discount on VM through work so that's not too bad price wise either. I probably spend too much on broadband, but I also don't spend anything at all on a mobile phone, so it balances out

VM is already installed, no need for digging the garden. If BT insist on garden digging, I will have to terminate the contract.

Edited by nemeth782 (Thu 19-May-16 21:09:17)

If you handle things right you should be able to continue receiving referrals payments even if you leave Plusnet.

Several of us do. It involves changing your account to an "email only" one. Which amused me as my only email account with Plusnet was the one they set up for you when you join and I always ignored. And still do.

It's in an FTTC area, but I don't really want to keep FTTC now I have 200mbit available to me

So this isn't the case then as now you are wanting to keep it as a backup/second line?