Openreach New Line Lead Times

Hi All,

Tried ordering a new line via the disaster that is the BT Retail ordering system. After they sat on my order for 5 days and I eventually harassed them into getting it done I couldn't help but notice that my install date went from 17th December to 4th January to 15th January.

Are Openreach really that busy? The evidence from my local area, where another resident ordered a new line and is being installed in a couple of days despite placing initial order after me, says otherwise.

I looked at the rescheduling options and, despite the install date going back a fortnight in the space of 15 minutes between 2:15am and 2:30am on 3rd December, then a further fortnight between 3rd December and 8th December, it is at 17th January if ordered now. So a fortnight in 15 minutes in the middle of the night, another fortnight in 5 days, then 2 days in the space of 5 days.

I'm trying to nail down just who is failing here. Obviously BT Retail suck due to their inability to process an order promptly instead faffing around asking me to phone them to repeat the same details I wrote when ordering, are other people seeing these same frankly ridiculous lead times from their new line installs?

Thought we were past these stupidly long lead times but apparently not. Perhaps time that Openreach were forced to offer a dry loop rather than forcing everyone to take a full voice capable line rental. If Canada with their abysmally uncompetitive market can do it we really should be able to.

Just a line, or a line/broadband bundle?

Could be that once the order was taken by Openreach it was noted that one of the following was required. (I think you already have two or more pairs from other posts.)

1. New drop wire to premises ( If you already have two lines) but shouldn't be a major issue if overhead and the pole has spares. If ducted they will need to pull in a new cable so longer lead time. ( Christmas / New year tends to leap from 20th Dec to 4th Jan as you already have service so not a priority call)
2. There are no spares to the Pole / chamber which means a new cable to the chamber/pole from the Cab.
3. The pole has reached its limit for new wires and needs some moving to allow extra provision ( safety issue). This may mean a new pole which is unlikely to be available prior to Christmas.
4. More unlikely: New capacity is required to the Cab from the exchange. has happened where there is new build in an older area or changes to multiple occupation / business use.

None of these mitigate against BT Retail sitting on your order, that is incompetent

In reply to a post by Ignitionnet:

Are Openreach really that busy? The evidence from my local area, where another resident ordered a new line and is being installed in a couple of days despite placing initial order after me, says otherwise.

Depends on the area. Some areas are within a few days, some are within a few weeks.

Placed an order in Exeter on Friday, got Tuesday as the first install date. Then did another for Norwich, got the other side of Christmas.

Matt

East anglia region still recovering from the flood damage.

In reply to a post by Ribble:

East anglia region still recovering from the flood damage.

West Yorkshire recovering from flood damage, Ribble?

In reply to a post by kitcat:

Could be that once the order was taken by Openreach it was noted that one of the following was required. (I think you already have two or more pairs from other posts.)

1. New drop wire to premises ( If you already have two lines) but shouldn't be a major issue if overhead and the pole has spares. If ducted they will need to pull in a new cable so longer lead time. ( Christmas / New year tends to leap from 20th Dec to 4th Jan as you already have service so not a priority call)
2. There are no spares to the Pole / chamber which means a new cable to the chamber/pole from the Cab.
3. The pole has reached its limit for new wires and needs some moving to allow extra provision ( safety issue). This may mean a new pole which is unlikely to be available prior to Christmas.
4. More unlikely: New capacity is required to the Cab from the exchange. has happened where there is new build in an older area or changes to multiple occupation / business use.

None of these mitigate against BT Retail sitting on your order, that is incompetent

Hi Sir.

1) Nope !
2) Nope - unless they provisioned no spares.
3) It's all underground.
4) This was an issue but was addressed in November - I had a chat with the guys who were provisioning the new e-sides. This was after it ran out of d-sides which were also addressed.

That an initial appointment was offered for next week which then stretched out to middle of January kinda precludes the above. Surely this appointment would've come from Openreach, via BT Wholesale, unless BT Retail are making a guess at available appointment times?

Edited by deleted (Sun 15-Dec-13 23:33:48)

So you are talking about a bundle? Those often take longer if they do a SIM provide.

I don't know, but there is an MBORC covering Humber so I guess OR have moved people over there to recover.

Appears an MBORC for West Yorkshire was put in place on 9th December commencing from midnight on 10th December, though this was before this drama.

Humber's MBORC might explain it. Thank you.

BT Retail should pick on the Openreach appointments system an available date, this is subject to confirmation and the Mborc will have affected this.

yeah openreach/BT need slapping.

I ordered a migration on the 13th dec which has a date of 31 dec, no physical work required.

Whats going on?

Then I have my order last year which I did first week of dec which had a install date near the end of the 3rd week of jan. A complaint to the CEO of BT got that completed in december so slots are there but not used it seems.

A theory is they artificially delay orders so those who pay for faster installs have a reason to pay more.

Edited by Chrysalis (Sun 22-Dec-13 12:06:36)

A theory is they artificially delay orders so those who pay for faster installs have a reason to pay more.

ROTFL

you got a better theory instead of laughing?

or you think its competant to take 3 weeks to push a few buttons perhaps?

Maybe they have a change freeze over the Xmas period in order to reduce the workload to account for people on leave/sick? BT are unlikely to be as highly resourced at this time as they would normally be and will almost certainly be concentrating on problems (especially considering the storm that is forecast to hit today which is likely to take down a number of phone lines).

Post deleted by Chrysalis

Found out the issue.

There are no pairs available on a number of cabinets here. Hunslet 62, 82, 83, 90, 91 at very least alongside another cabinet near 83 all go to the same 'trunk' and that trunk is full, hence Openreach have had to deploy new copper trunk to get out here.

There are I'm sure more cabinets than those that are also out of copper, those are just 1,500+ premises to start with though 43, 40, 22, 60, 18, 25 and others may also be affected.

I was fortunate and received an e-side pair that was either freed up by a cease or fixing of a broken line, to service cabinet 90 for a while e-sides were rerouted from another cabinet but those are now used.

This shortage has affected cabinet 82 for nearly a year now.

Cunning combination of issues within Openreach in terms of capacity planning and developers telling them a load of excrement as far as numbers of units to be built go.

Edited by deleted (Mon 06-Jan-14 17:06:42)