Disappointed

I've been a Zen customer for many years, so when I recently moved house I thought I'd continue with them.

We checked the phone number for the existing occupants of our new house and found that it could get FTTC. This was an important part of our decision making.

We ordered phone line and FTTC with Zen, and they arranged to call us back on our completion date to progress the order. They never phoned. When I chased the following day, I was told it was because I hadn't paid (they never asked). This was sorted out.

Zen then activated my phone line and cancelled my FTTC order. The new number has been connected to a different exchange to the old number, and the new exchange has no fibre.

I phoned Zen customer services and they agreed to attempt to escalate to BT first thing today, and then they would call me back today. They never phoned.

Not a happy bunny at the moment - I'm looking at ASDL at 6Mb rather than Fibre at 32Mb. My next door neighbour can get FTTC. I can't because I've been routed to a different exchange that doesn't even support FTTC and has no date set.

Has anyone got any pointers as to how I can sort this out?

Check both your phone number and address at http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/

If the information returned is different it is possible the database has not been updated with the new number's location.

Did they install new line or re-activate the existing line?

Somw postcodes sit astride two exchange areas. Need an address to check, might just be a number port issue and databases will catch up if line only live for a day or two

Many thanks for that - very interesting, looks like I was wrong about the different exchange

http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/ shows that we're on the same exchange (and cabinet) as the next door neighbour, but ours shows:

FTTC Range A (Clean) 46.1 33.1 10 6.6 -- 18-Mar-15
FTTC Range B (Impacted) 39 22.4 10 4.8 -- 18-Mar-15

and his shows

FTTC Range A (Clean) 46.1 33.1 10 6.6 -- Available
FTTC Range B (Impacted) 39 22.4 10 4.8 -- Available

I presume this means we can have FTTC next month. The 18-Mar-15 date is about a month after our line was installed, why the delay? And why didn't Zen staff tell us this?

The line was a reactivation of an existing line (the previous number on which we'd already checked to have FTTC available), not a new install.

Tim.

I next door already has FTTC it could mean the cabinet is full waiting for new kit.

Also entirely possible the new number has just been updated to show your details in the last few days so Zen would have seen it as a different exchange and cabinet.

Thanks for helping.

It'd be nice if Zen had told me this rather than just cancelling my ordering and telling me I can't have FTTC.

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear of the issues you have experienced, can you please advise me of your account details via PM and ill ask a manager in our customer service team to contact you.

If available to a property that has it and not to a new customer on cabinet suggests cabinet may be at capacity with an expected more capacity date of in March.

In theory should have been communicated better from Zen

The date for FTTC availability has just moved out another month, so it's now saying mid April. My neighbour's line still says "Available". I asked Zen what this meant and they said:

"Regarding Fibre availability it will always depend where in the exchange you are
located, your neighbour could be in a completely different part of the exchange and
this is the part that BT are currently converting to Fibre."

Could someone please explain to me how things work at the exchange end? I always understood that exchanges were enabled or not.

Cheers,

Tim.

In reply to a post by sawyert:

The date for FTTC availability has just moved out another month, so it's now saying mid April. My neighbour's line still says "Available". I asked Zen what this meant and they said:

"Regarding Fibre availability it will always depend where in the exchange you are
located, your neighbour could be in a completely different part of the exchange and
this is the part that BT are currently converting to Fibre."

Could someone please explain to me how things work at the exchange end? I always understood that exchanges were enabled or not.

Cheers,

Tim.

That sounds like nonsense to me.

The actual problem is likely down to the cab you are connected to. You and your neighbour could be connected to two different cabs. Theirs upgraded, yours not. This is more likely in extremely dense residential areas, but not so much in regular housing estates.

Also single lines are not routed to different exchanges, its based on the green cab you are connected to. The entire cab connects to a single exchange. I suppose it would be possible for a cab to connect to two exchanges, but considering the extra ducts that this would require seems like a lot of extra money for BT to spend.

I wouldn't put much stock in the availability date, it tends to be pushed out regularly. The flat I used to live in was due to go live in 2012 according to that site. It is currently saying September 2015. When the date gets reached, it is just pushed out. The fibre cab has been there for a few years, I think its just not powered!

Just because the checker states that your next door neighbour can get FTTC, this may not be the case. There certainly appears to be some bad record keeping going on for your area. I would try and ascertain if anyone on your street (connected to your cab) actually has FTTC. Maybe convince your neighbour to place an order (if they don't already have it).

If you are sure that your cab is enabled, then BT OR need to update their records. Zen should be able to get BT to do that. The other option is - as has been mentioned - your cab is full, and you will be waiting eternally for BT to do something about it. Good luck!

Exchanges are either enabled or not. Zen clearly don't know what they're on about.

To be fair to Zen - you can have Exchanges that are FTTC but not all cabinets have been enabled...

It appears we know that but Zen do not. And they are an ISP after all. Perhaps their knowledgeable support staff are away or something.

Both mine and my neighbour's number come up as

Telephone Number 0113XXXXXXX on Exchange ARTHINGTON is served by Cabinet 2

So it's the same exchange, and the same cabinet.

Tim.

In reply to a post by sawyert:

Both mine and my neighbour's number come up as

Telephone Number 0113XXXXXXX on Exchange ARTHINGTON is served by Cabinet 2

So it's the same exchange, and the same cabinet.

Tim.

That's all very well and good, but have you spoken to your neighbours like I also suggested?

Also you're in the same neck of the woods as me. West Yorkshire have a ([censored]) map of superfast broadband coverage.

http://www.superfastwestyorkshire.co.uk/uploads/imag...

Depending on where you are in Arthington, it looks like your area may not actually be enabled yet.

Sounds like Openreach need to do a bit more work on the cabinet, not the exchange.