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SWL
Advocate

Still no broadband - Openreach issue?

Hi,

I am turning to this board as I don't know what to do anymore. I moved houses back at the start of December and took a new NOW Fibre broadband contract on the 3rd December (which NOW supposedly checked and the service was available at my new address with no engineer installation required). The connection date was meant to be 19th December. 

However a few days before the connection, I received a text saying that there has been a delay with my order. The same text kept coming every few days. I called numerous time to NOW and they told me Openreach needs to do work at the exchange box. They told me they can't do anything to accelerate the process. 

It is now over 2 months since I signed up and still no broadband (and just getting the same response from NOW). I live in an area where the mobile connection is really poor and need broadband for work.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do? I feel I am just at the mercy of when Openreach decides to do the work at the exchange box.

 Thanks, S

 

 

4 REPLIES 4
gavs82008
Legend 5
Legend 5

@SWL 

Unfortunately as we are just customers like you all we can do is to suggest to either keep pestering the broadband team or look at your options to switch provider. 
As you know NOW and many other providers are fully reliant on OpenReach, so it could very well be an issue no matter who you go with.

That being said, if you’re lucky like us and have FTTP where you can get up to 900mb then definitely jump on that bandwagon. As I’m with BT and got 300mb without any issues.

FYI that I do not work for NOW, just a NOW customer trying to help
chilli2
Elite

Put your details in here, and see what it says it may give you a clue as to what is going off:

 https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome

 

 

SWL
Advocate

@chilli2 

Thanks! I tried it and it's all gibberish to me.

This is what it said:

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG partial Direct In Ground.

FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

WLR is currently available at the exchange

SOADSL is not restricted at the exchange

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (VDSL or G.fast) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

For all SOADSL services,the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

Actual speeds experienced by end users and quoted by CPs will be lower due to a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.

In order to be eligible for handback, downstream speed should be less than Downstream Handback Threshold values.

If you decide to place an order for a WBC fibre product, an appointment may be required for an engineer to visit the end user's premises to supply the service

 

chilli2
Elite

@SWL 

 You will see a blue table on that page - heres a breakdown of what it roughly means:

Featured Products

VDSL: you will see two things here, clean and impacted obviously clean is a good line, impacted is a not so good line , you will also see downstream rate and upstream rate - dont worry about the rest ( handback threshold etc)

 The Downstream rate ( imnpacted) will be your rough download speed - somewhere between the high and low value ( but it could be at the low end or slightly lower as a worse case theroetical scenario)

 The same for upstream, where this is your roughly expected upload speed.

 

Skipping down to the bottom:

FTTP is available and a new ONT can be ordered

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

 That means that the location can get full ( ie real) fibre, the ONT is a little white box that has a fibre optic cable going into it and an ethernet cable coming out to a router the ordering bit is something that an ISP would do if you sign up to FTTP .

 FTTP is something that Now do not supply, however as your exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme this means you are free to choose either an FTTP provider or a copper based provider such as Now .

 FTTP is vastly superior to anything that Now offer, however it also costs more , if your VDSL ( which is what Now sell as super or fab fibre)  speeds are acceptable then why pay more for something that while is technically superior is more expensive than something else that will work fine.

 Another issue here is that while the exchange is not in a fibre priority programme at some point it, like my exchange will be and you will be unable to order a better priced product, instead being forced onto full fibre.

 The rest of it doesn't really matter to you, or me as consumers, the key parts are your download and upload speeds on VDSL, if there is a waiting list, or the cabinet is full ( if it doesn't say then dont worry)  if FTTP is available and if it is a priority exchange or not.

 

So key is the download speed, and from there seeing if its worth saving money with Now or paying more for full FTTP