[BT FTTP] Having a hell of time getting FTTP installed

Allow me to tell you my story.

I ordered FTTP from BT back on the 15th July 2020 after being able to wriggle out of my terrible service from Vodafone and opting to go for the faster guaranteed speeds now being offered in my area after the recent Fibre upgrade being deployed.

All seemed well with the order as it had already been explained to me that we would be waiting up to 6 weeks for an appointment for the install to be conducted. About 3 weeks into our waiting period. I receive a phonecall from an Openreach Engineer directly offering to come out early 1 week before my expected appointment date (which at this time was proposed to be the 17th August 2020). I, thought happy days, he said he was coming out to conduct a survey as I was in an upstairs an apartment, but hinted at being able to install Fibre that day.

The 10th August 2020 rolls round, the Openreach Engineer attends and tries to see if the copper wire can be pulled from the Apartment to the street. With no luck, he believes it's been taced inside the wall. He rings his boss who explains the proceedure to him. They'll have to trace the copper cable, lift the flags and run a wire up the wall from the tubing to my property. But will require permission from the Management company (or the Landlord as they keep incorrectly stating). The attending Engineer tells us it takes about a week to do that and they'll be out on my install date to complete the full install. I think happy days and clarify with him that my install date is the 17th August 2020. He says he can't see a problem with that.

Roll around 17th August 2020. The Openreach Engineer comes out and then does the exact same thing above. Tells me he needs to lift flags but according to his Handheld device can't see the permission to lift the flag to clip the cable to the wall. I phone the Management company to confirm if they have given permission. They tell me that no permission was requested for my property, but others in the area have. I inform the Engineer he cannot proceed as no permission was sought and if he was to go ahead. I would be liable for any damage. He tells me he will conduct a survey, identify were the cable is exactly and what flags need lifted and update 'the office' for the work need doing. He leaves a Yellow OR marking on the flags that need lifted and we part ways.

On the same day I phone BT to complain as Openreach didn't live up to their promises stating that I would have my Fibre install completed that day. I note to them I've had to move furniture twice, book 2 days off work (for the 10th August and 17th August) as I am working from home and was worried I would be without internet during the intall so wanted no stress from work during those days. BT tell me they've opened an internal complaint with Openreach and opened a complaint with me to keep me up to date. They tell me they will call me at the end of the week, 21st August 2020.

No one calls 21st August. I ring BT for an update. They tell me that the Planning team currently need to request permission from the Management Company and that can take a week for it to be processed. They tell me they will call me in a weeks time on the 28th August 2020. I highlight to BT that I was promised to be called but did not and I had to chase the information.

28th August 2020 rolls around, I received no phone call from BT, so once again I call them to get an update and this time get told a Survey must be conducted before the Planning team can request permission. I explain to the agent that two openreach engineers have been out to the property and both claimed to have conducted a survey. I highlight that even on the 10th August the Engineer was speaking direct to a manager about the process to follow and how they explained the next steps to me then. BT phone Openreach and to seek clarification. Openreach tell BT it can take a week to process so they will need to wait and call me back on the 4th September 2020 with an update.

Not content to wait for a call back on the 4th September. I call BT at 10am to speak to someone and seek an update on my Fibre install from Openreach. I get told the same information as above and request my call is escalated appropriately as I have received the same information 3 weeks in a row now and it appears no action is being taken by BT or Openreach. 1 hour later, after explaining all of the above. The BT agent on their Fibre team now fully understands that Openreach have technically completed the work they claim they have yet to do. So now escalates the internal complaint further which now means that Openreach supposedly have to take action immediately and have a reply by no later than Monday 7th September 2020.

During all this, BT moved us to Temporary FTTC at woeful connection speeds now impacting my ability to work from home as the speed is incredibly poor (due to my distance from the exchange) and also the low bandwidth offered from BT. I highlight this on my complaint on the 4th September.

So here I am 7+ weeks from my original order date and 3+ weeks from my install date still with BT Fibre. All I can say is this better be the best internet supply I have ever got from BT (whom I avoided like the plague before due to bad service). In fairness, BT have given me £30 credit to my account so my first month is free and they have agreed that if the install will take longer than 4+ weeks they'll organise a month of FTTC for free.

I apologise for the rant but I thought I would simply share my experience so far.

It's not at all unusual for wayleave to take weeks or more to be agreed and in some cases refused. Openreach however don't even appear to have got that far. What does intrigue me is that FTTP is being installed individually to a block of flats. This is most usually done where there is a central comms room or similar rather than running an individual fibre up a wall. If this a change in Openreach policy then there might be hope for those many including myself living in small blocks of flats, in my case a block of four, where there is no central comms room.

Incidentally I see no reason why FTTC via BT should be any slower than that from Vodaphone since they both use the same OR infrastructure between your flat and the head end exchange.

I'm in a Duplex with only another Duplex below me. So I am the 2nd and 3rd floor and no Comms room was designed in our Apartments.

I have spoken with my Management Company and since they've previously authorised Openreach to conduct work they have said to me that once they received it. They'll have no objections as they've already agreed a course of action with OR on how to clip the cable. As I understand it. They are to mask the cable behind the drain pipes and run it in the property from there.

In reply to a post by MCM:

FTTC via BT should be any slower than that from Vodaphone

The broadband service BT has moved us to is "Temporary" and therefore the slowest package they offer. It's been a real pain.

The Vodafone problems were a complete seperate matter and I have never been more disappointed in a ISP than I was with Vodafone on the FTTC service the offered. Was with Plusnet for years and had no problems. Only jumped ship from Plusnet because Vodafone offered a more attractive price and I didn't think anything would change in terms of quality since, as you say, it's the same infrastructure. However, despite Vodafone's claims of no problems. We were seeing lots of packet drops on Wifi and Lined connections to the Router. To be honest I was more [censored] off as their intital tech support had us change the DNS settings on the router and the guy claimed that would help with dropped packets. I got even more annoyed that when the poor connection literally killed my chat support connection whilst trying to resolve it.

As I mentioned it is unusual for Openreach to provide FTTP to MU premises other than via a central services point. I'm in a similar position to you with just the one flat above and our garages below and the provision of FTTP (or rather in my case FTTPoD) is currently a no no as it would require external cabling. Hopefully this policy is now changing.

I thought that BT (rather than Openreach) only provisioned two levels of FTTC 55/10 and 80/20 but now see they also have a Fibre Essential product at 40/10.

In reply to a post by Taaketa:

I'm in a Duplex with only another Duplex below me. So I am the 2nd and 3rd floor and no Comms room was designed in our Apartments.

I have spoken with my Management Company and since they've previously authorised Openreach to conduct work they have said to me that once they received it. They'll have no objections as they've already agreed a course of action with OR on how to clip the cable. As I understand it. They are to mask the cable behind the drain pipes and run it in the property from there.

As much you shouldn't "need" to do this, ask for a copy of the email/letter that the Management company has sent OR and copy one to BT.

Also keep a copy with you when they turn up.

Basically you shouldn't need to do this but it is what it is.

In reply to a post by Taras:

As much you shouldn't "need" to do this, ask for a copy of the email/letter that the Management company has sent OR and copy one to BT.

Also keep a copy with you when they turn up.

Basically you shouldn't need to do this but it is what it is.

Thanks for this. However, I mentioned earlier. The issue is OR haven't approached the Management Company with a request for Permission. That's what I found out from my conversation with the Management Company. They have received one for other properties but not mine. So what miffs me is it's clear OR know who to speak to and what arrangements need done for my Apartment already.

In reply to a post by Taaketa:

In reply to a post by Taras:

As much you shouldn't "need" to do this, ask for a copy of the email/letter that the Management company has sent OR and copy one to BT.

Also keep a copy with you when they turn up.

Basically you shouldn't need to do this but it is what it is.

Thanks for this. However, I mentioned earlier. The issue is OR haven't approached the Management Company with a request for Permission. That's what I found out from my conversation with the Management Company. They have received one for other properties but not mine. So what miffs me is it's clear OR know who to speak to and what arrangements need done for my Apartment already.

I think in this instance you need to follow the advice of the previous poster and get your own copy of the permission the management company is giving. At leat then you have your own and showing it to OR means they will do the work.

When I had mine installed they asked if I had the requisite permission, I confirmed yes and they went ahead without needing to see proof, I live in a rented first floor flat with local housing association.

In reply to a post by AyeUp:

I think in this instance you need to follow the advice of the previous poster and get your own copy of the permission the management company is giving. At leat then you have your own and showing it to OR means they will do the work.

When I had mine installed they asked if I had the requisite permission, I confirmed yes and they went ahead without needing to see proof, I live in a rented first floor flat with local housing association.

I am afraid, I will have to disagree with you here and I think it's terrible advice. Whilst I would be nice to read exactly what the Management Company has agreed. I already know in conversation with them for prior arrangements in my area what is agreed.

But if I was to get a copy I would be bypassing the Management Company and taking on any liablity of damage to the external of the building. As I'm an upstairs Apartment I would also be liable for any damage to my downstairs Neighbour with no proper agreeement in place. Meaning if I was to pursue Openreach I would need to take on any legal costs myself with no Insurance coverage from the Management Company.

Have you asked the management company to notify you when Openreach request permission? The fact Openreach have turned up a second time still without requesting permission implies something is going wrong.

In reply to a post by dect:

Have you asked the management company to notify you when Openreach request permission? The fact Openreach have turned up a second time still without requesting permission implies something is going wrong.

No. When they showed up on the 17th August that was the original scheduled date. The 10th August was organised directly by an Engineer who had free time in his schedule. The bottleneck exists in Openreach planning team who claim the Engineers didn't do their survey, when they have. As both who attended on 10th and 17th August but told me they were completing a survey to organise the installation.