Going direct to Openreach

Hello everyone,

I'll try to make this post as simple as possible - I may give a lot of information later on! Sister has broadband + phone with Fuel Broadband (formerly Primus) for a few years now, no problems but wants to get a cheaper deal elsewhere - we've tried to sign up with many other ISPs but they all tell us there's no line at her house.

Fuel have now told us that the line is shown as actually being active at the house down the road, and that we need to contact Openreach to update the PAF database.

I was under the impression that we couldn't contact Openreach - that's something only an ISP can do.

Any advice, please?

If current provider knows things are wrong then they are ideally placed to resolve it, if you reported a fault highly likely that engineers would go to the wrong place for example.

Fuel may have used a full LLU connection from their wholesaler and thus telephone number look ups would often fail, is that what you are referring to?

If I've understood you correctly...

When I give the telephone number and address to sign up with other ISPs, they generally tell us there's "no BT line" - I have asked one or two to explain further, and they tell me it's not on the Openreach database - someone at SSE referred to their own "singularity database". More than one provider have told me that LLU lines should still be showing on their database / Openreach - so why isn't ours?

Edited by deleted (Tue 22-Sep-15 23:17:16)

More than one provider have told me that LLU lines should still be showing on their database / Openreach - so why isn't ours?

Probably because, as Fuel have told you, the number is recorded as being connected to a different address,

OK, that explains that one.

But as for my original question - who do I speak to at Openreach to get this sorted? Do Openreach deal with homeowners? I have already tried Openreach and they told me absolutely not.

Edited by deleted (Wed 23-Sep-15 08:04:16)

Your ISP deal with it as they have the contract with you

In reply to a post by chipperson:

OK, that explains that one.

But as for my original question - who do I speak to at Openreach to get this sorted? Do Openreach deal with homeowners? I have already tried Openreach and they told me absolutely not.

First of all I want to wish you good luck in resolving your issue with Openreach.
I have been trying for nearly three months to get Openreach to sort out my problem and there is still no light at the end of the tunnel. It is all very well saying your ISP will deal with it but their hands are tied and can only rely on Openreach being cooperative. I have in fact contacted Openreach directly and
this has made not one bit of difference. Apologies for not being more positive but as far as I am concerned until the BT monopoly is ended this is the sort of poor service level we can expect.

Firstly - BT is NOT a monopoly. They may be the major provider but there is nothing to stop Sky, TalkTalk or any of the others building their own network.

And do not blame BT for your not being permitted to speak directly to OR - that is enforced by OFCOM.

BT is a monopoly and you can speak to Openreach directly it just takes a little more effort.

I forgot to mention that Fuel stated Ofcom guidelines say it's my job to speak to Openreach!

I rang Ofcom today, and as expected, they told me it's the ISP's job.