If the phone isn't working, so far as I know they still do free diversion to a mobile number of your choice, and a couple of quid or so per day credit to cover outgoing mobile calls.

Interesting will have to look into that. Have been assigned a care agent after calling for status update, but also discovered next doors phone on same exchange is working fine. Yes phone has been dead since a week Sunday.

New target date of Friday. Care agent says it's affecting different people in different areas. Can't find any engineering works PEW's on the Zen list.

I spy with my little eye two BT vans, a cable drum and Highway maintenance van on the exchange side of my cabinet. At last progress.

Latest news is that Engineers need to do some 'ducting work'. Any BT bods know what this means ? Cant get a straight answer as to wether the new cable is in or not and just needs connecting or they have had problems and are still waiting to insert new cable.

Dig up the road/path as the underground piping that the cables are run in has collapsed probably.

Thanks for that. So looks like the new cable drum I saw on Thursday hasn't been used.

No sign of Engineers today - so another date has slipped.

In reply to a post by Banger:

Ok chased this up and the Indian man told me BT Engineers are working on replacing a cable near the exchange and this should be done by Monday and it's an area wide fault.

Took a few calls to get this information with only one BT guy returning my call out of 3 calls. BT.com says the fault is in the Network the BT automated fault telephone system says the fault is between exchange and my property and engineer may need property access.

About time BT get their systems to say the same thing, will see if it's fixed Monday.

Are you in Salford by any chance?
Edit: from your profile - I would guess not.
We are going though something that is very similar - and the time-scales you have mentioned are spot on.

BT say its effecting over 200 lines in our area.

Edited by deleted (Wed 24-Aug-11 13:17:06)

If they have a duct collapse they cannot pull a new cable through and will need to excavate the duct which in itself is not a massive task.

BUT ... if it is on a road then they need local authority agreement and that can take up to 13 weeks to obtain. Not BT being slow but the council being obstructive. I know this from experience - BT needed to install a pole right next to the kerb - no footpath and this would have required cones and traffic control (manual) for an hour at an off peak time - but the LA were demanding 3 months notice.