17-04-2023 11:28 - edited 17-04-2023 11:31
Hi,
We've recently moved into a new home, yesterday I ordered Now broadband and our go live date is 02/05/23. Unfortunately on my order, it states that an engineer is not required. I'm a bit surprised by this as I am unable to locate a phone/master socket within the house. I'm assuming since it's believed that an engineer is not required - a phone line must already be installed. I've looked all over the house for the socket - including weird places such as kitchen cupboards LOL.
I did however find this junction box in the hallway, picture attached in link below, would anyone know what this is?
Any help or information would be much appreciated.
17-04-2023 13:53
Give the broadband team a call for a peace of mind.
https://help.nowtv.com/get-in-touch/now-broadband-calls/switching-to-now-broadband-or-moving-home
NOW Broadband Members can call us 8am–8pm, 7 days a week.
17-04-2023 15:06
Looking at your picture, and the fact the box is labelled BT, the thick wire is probably the incoming phone line and the thin wire should run to your master socket. Possibly the previous occupants didn't use the BT phone line and removed it.
Now will need to arrange an Openreach engineer to reinstall it.
Is it possible you are in a full fibre area? That may explain why it has been removed.
17-04-2023 16:50
Good point re the FTTP as our home is a new build and it has only been fitted with FTTP. So I couldn’t get NOW broadband if I wanted to.
17-04-2023 17:14
Thanks for your reply 🙂
Definitely not in a full fibre area - the house is pretty much in the sticks in a Welsh village 😄
17-04-2023 21:28 - edited 17-04-2023 21:29
I think that’s a really old BT installation that predates Master Sockets, and the thick wire is indeed the incoming phone line, but the outgoing (lower) one will go to a wall socket, or may even have been a wire that ran to the handset, from the days when BT supplied and wired those, and we customers had ‘no business to be messing about’ about with the setup.
If so, then most certainly an engineer will be required, to fit a modern Master Socket, as part of your installation.
17-04-2023 22:10
18-04-2023 9:36
After some digging:-
British Telecom took over from the PO in 1981. The telephone socket was introduced that year.
It became BT in 1991, and introduced the ‘Piper’ logo then.
The Piper logo was dropped 12 years later, in 2003.
So this junction box is 30-42 years old, but the expectation would be that the lower cable leads, or led, to a British telephone socket:-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_telephone_socket
Unless, as you said, this has been taken out, though that would involve some action on the BT side of the socket, which might not be popular with them.
17-04-2023 18:53
you will be surprised what areas have FTTP, and likewise equally surprised at the areas that dont
Put your details in here and see what it says
https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome
As well as giving speed guestimates in the table it will also state if FTTP is available, and/or only available in the text at the bottom
for example
Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential OH Feed with no anticipated issues.
FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.
As a fibre priority exchange, FTTP has priority over other products if available at the address
------------------------------------
Single dwelling OH feed, means house connected via a pole and wire
FTTP available means just that, the ONT is ordered by the ISP ( so you dont need to worry about that)
Fibre priority means you will most likly be able to order an ADSL/VDSL/FTTC connection as they only accept full fibre (FTTP)
17-04-2023 21:32
Followed the link - states "FTTP not available" 😞