Complicated FTTC Situation with OpenReach

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone with expertise on this matter would be able to assist.

I'm in the process of buying a house and OR (OpenReach) advises that FTTC is available.
This has did have previously FTTC, but had to get the line disconnected as it wasn't properly installed and water was leaking into the house.

This left the line in a limbo state where ISP's can't see anything, everyone advises the line shows as "active" and "inactive" at the same time and they can't provide a package as they can't confirm it's state nor the capacity of the line. All of them advise to get in touch with OR about said line. Contacting OR is difficult and even when you can get hold of them, it feel like they aren't reading what you write and simply do a copy/paste response of "we can't talk to you", So OR refuses to interact directly and ISP's can't help as they have no idea what's going with the OR infrastructure on the property. I can't get an engineer appointment to verify the state of the line to 1: Confirm it's active. 2: is it FTTC or Copper all the way to the exchange.

Apparently said cabinet is now also full, which makes point 2: even more important. As the existing line may still be connected to said cabinet meaning if it is full or not would be irrelevant, since the socket would be occupied by the cut cable that's currently hanging on the side of the property.

I do have enough know how to terminate the end of the currently hanging cable to a extra OR faceplate that I happen to have, obviously with approval from the seller. But what then, let's imagine the cable is still connected, what would I have to do make it so the other end (ISP's) could tell that this line is active now. I don't see anything on the OR faceplate that would give me the impression of "yeah, once connected they should be able to see the line".

Any ideas?

Apologies for grammar, English isn't my first nor second language.

The answer is, order a service from your provider of choice, then the provider deals with Openreach.

As advised on the initial post. NO provider is able to provide a service as they can't see nor advise the capacity of the line. If I could get a service from any ISP this wouldn't be a problem to begin with.

Edited by fiox (Wed 16-Oct-24 18:22:43)

In reply to a post by fiox:

As advised on the initial post. NO provider is able to provide a service as they can't see nor advise the capacity of the line. If I could get a service from any ISP this wouldn't be a problem to begin with.

And the answer given is correct: it is the gaining provider's responsibility to sort this out with Openreach.

It cannot possibly true that "NO provider" is able to do this, because I don't believe that you have tried all providers. Could you list the ones that you have tried?

You will probably get further with a provider that has good support staff who are able to sort out this sort of problem, rather than salespeople reading from scripts.

Aquiss and AAISP are my top two I would suggest, but there are others I've seen recommended (e.g. IDNet). Even if you have to pay a bit more for service in your first year, if they get you working it will be worth it - and then you can decide later whether to keep the good support in case you need it, or switch to a cheaper provider.

I completely agree with candlerb & Zarjez! but i would add one thing which you can do - go https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/... put the postcode in for the new property and show us the details (minus cab).

I didn't believe it either until I experienced this this week.

ISP's that I have contacted and were given by openreach's own broadband checker.

Sky,
V4 Consumer,
Zen,
EE,
BT,
Plusnet

Openreach's checker always says "it's all fine". It's the ISP's that are the problem and say then can't do it.
It's very frustrating, as the next door neighbour has FTTC as well just fine and shows up on the ISP's list.

BT
Sky Results - Sample
Open Reach

They just point fingers at each other when I call the ISP's. They won't even offer the ADSL2+ package.

Edited by fiox (Wed 16-Oct-24 19:56:53)

In reply to a post by fiox:

I didn't believe it either until I experienced this this week.

ISP's that I have contacted and were given by openreach's own broadband checker.

Sky,
V4 Consumer,
Zen,
EE,
BT,
Plusnet

Openreach's checker always says "it's all fine". It's the ISP's that are the problem and say then can't do it.
It's very frustrating, as the next door neighbour has FTTC as well just fine and shows up on the ISP's list.

BT

As you previously said and now proven that there is a waiting list for your cab. ie its full. But you can order sodadsl. You currently have 3 choices -
go with (so)adsl,
see what mobile speeds are available via https://bidb.uk/
thirdly starlink.

there is a fourth one and look at whats happening in the property's county for project gigabit and if the postcode is gigabit white.

In reply to a post by Taras:

But you can order sodadsl.

That's a name I think should be kept

In reply to a post by candlerb:

In reply to a post by Taras:

But you can order sodadsl.

That's a name I think should be kept

yikes ......... 😂😂😂🙈🤣 and given the actual pain of it when most of us where on adsl2+, in hindsight my left dinky finger may have had it right!

In reply to a post by Taras:

sodadsl

I'm actually dying right now!