Correcting potential inaccurate Openreach data

Hi all,

Firstly thanks in advanced for any help I may receive.

I recently posted over at the BT forums about the issue I am having with fibre and I was told people here may be able to help. (Original post here for those interested: https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Fibre-broadband/Predi...

In short:

- the property we have just moved into had previous tenants who had fibre
- we have had an engineer visit (10/09/2018) and state he thinks we should be able to get fibre (noting that we were incorrectly recorded as connected directly to the exchange rather than the cabinet)
- he rang someone to update the system (updating the record to reflect we are connected to cabinet 22 on exchange SCIENCE PARK (Cambridge))

Alas, as of today BT's DSL checker, Sam Knows and Openreach's website state that whilst our cabinet is fibre enabled, we cannot order it. The very useful map that thinkbroadband have put together:
https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/broadband-map#...

clearly shows that people in my area are getting 76Mb speeds (in fact even GFast).

As I'm sure people can appreciate, this is proving rather irritating.

A user on the BT forum suggested I fill out the Openreach enquiry form found here:
https://www.formwize.com/run/survey3.cfm?idx=505d040...
which I have done.

My question is - is there any way I can definitively find out why I seemingly cannot get fibre, and is there any way I can "force" an actual check on the line? It seems like this is an error with Openreach's database rather than the property's actual fibre (in)eligibility.

Any help would be much appreciated.

What do the address results from here say? Not the telephone number.

Sounds like a simple database issue.

The address results show that, (along with FTTPoD which my phone number results say I can order) that the area can also get:

VDSL Range A (Clean) 80 62.9 20 19 55.7 Waiting list Waiting list
VDSL Range B (Impacted) 79.3 55 20 17.7 40 Waiting list Waiting list


These do not appear when I use my phone number.

Does waiting list imply the cabinet is at capacity? It states waiting list for WBC FTTC Availability Date and WBC SOGEA Availability Date.

Thanks for the help.

Yep, looks like a database issue .....

and yes, looks like the cab is currently at max capacity for FTTC ports.

Which phone company is the phone number with? Sky/talktalk numbers will not work well on the wholesale checkers

https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/postcode-search will also give an idea of latest we know about postcode. It also includes a warning whether postcode is split across multiple Openreach cabinets.

If this is a database error then emailing me on Monday the appropriate details means I can prod Openreach.

Hi again all,

Really appreciate the help here thank you.

Zarjaz - OK that's a step in the right direction at least, better to be available but at capacity than not available at all!

MrSaffrom - The phone number is with BT (given the previous tenants had fibre with BT, and we were having no luck with other providers, we figures we'd stand a better chance of getting fibre if we went with them).

I have entered by postcode at the website you have suggested and cannot see a warning about split cabinets. The results say Ultrafast, Superfast and Fibre available). I would post my postcode here for others to verify but not sure if that breaks forum rules (as semi-personally identifiable information)?

I will email you Monday morning as you have suggested. Thank you ever so much for going out of your way to help, it's very much appreciated.

It's a database error with the phone number only.
ISP's wouldn't be able to upgrade you to fibre with your number.
If you placed a new order without keeping the number you could get fibre.

Alas, with a waiting list showing, there's nothing you can do till they add more capacity or someone cancels their service.

Most ISP's don't use the waiting list and the process is inefficient and not very automated so really not worth finding an ISP that uses it.

Best bet is to check everyday, with the address, for waiting list to change to available. Then get your order in.

Email Andrew (MrSaffron) in the meantime and the database issue with your number will get resolved promptly.

edit: to add, always use address to get a best indication of availability.

Edited by j0hn83 (Sun 16-Sep-18 12:30:17)

I'd cancel the line unless they offer a decent adsl to fttc path or if you can get decent 4g speeds......

Thanks again for the replies all.

MrSaffron - I have been waylaid with work this morning and totally forgot to email you, I have done just now.

j)hn83 - The odd thing is we didn't take over the old line, we had to be reconnected so I'm surprised we couldn't get fibre then (as it was based of address)?

Taras - Yes if the system doesn't update I am going to have to cancel rather than be locked into 18 months of ADSL with BT.

Plusnet i believe can migrate you from adsl to fibre mid contract. I'd give give them a call to confirm that.