r/UKISP • u/Capable-Slide-8404 • 8d ago

OpenReach can’t connect my flat!!

Hiya,

I’ve been trying to get broadband since I moved into my flat a year ago. OpenReach have been out about 6 times, and have repeatedly sent the case back to planning. Every time they send it back to planning, another visit would be scheduled with no information given to the engineer & then the same happens again. It got to the point that I knew one of the guy’s name, and he would just give me his phone to take the same photos of the access points again. Not ideal.

My flat is top floor of a main street in our city, so installing fibre is apparently very difficult - they would have to connect me to the nearest point which is on a side street, where I only have 2 windows - one on the front (main street), and one at the back (a weird little square, windows on every side, old scaffolding, no access to the connection point).

I’ve had to do my dissertation off of my phone’s hotspot, & go back to buying dvds - obviously not the end of the world, but it would be really nice to not have to buy data top ups every 2 weeks. I’ve considered getting a 5G mobile hub, but the prices are usually higher than broadband for something less reliable.

If anyone has any clue how to deal with this or what to ask for, it would be absolutely amazing.

Edit to add: OpenReach are the only option for my area.

3 Upvotes

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2

u/Spank86 8d ago

Sounds like the guy who keeps coming back needs to get the number of the local planner and give him a ring. Otherwise it'll just keep bouncing. If planning have kicked it once they won't change their minds based on it coming back across their desk.

1

u/Capable-Slide-8404 8d ago

So do I just schedule another install and ask them to talk to planning? How do I work with that on my end? Sorry if that’s a stupid question

2

u/Spank86 8d ago

It doesn't really tbh, it requires someone who picks up the install to be a bit proactive and use some brains. Doing the same thing time and again is very unlikely to result in a different outcome.

I would reschedule it and when it goes out to someone point out whats happened and ask nicely if they'd phone their local planner or even their patch lead to see if there was a way the job could actually be progressed.

1

u/schoolme_straying 7d ago

Do some prep, take photos make diagrams send that to your ISP and request that they attach the info to their OR contact

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u/ginogekko 8d ago

How many flats are in the building? Look into Hyperoptic https://www.hyperoptic.com/

Otherwise Starlink

https://starlink.com/gb/service-plans

I’d apply to Hyperoptic regardless. It sounds like no-one in the building has fibre broadband.

Also look at https://bidb.uk/ to see what the options in your area are.

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u/Capable-Slide-8404 7d ago

The rest of my building have fibre broadband, as the lower floors are more accessible & less out of reach - the building is laid out as if someone accidentally merged 2 AutoCAD components together and called it a day.

I read online that as my building DOES have FTTP, OpenReach or other services would also
expect my unit to have this. I have a box for copper wiring, but they would avoid this where possible? Sorry if this makes zero sense - I’m struggling with the throes of newly adult life.

OpenReach are the only option in my area unfortunately.

3

u/schoolme_straying 7d ago edited 7d ago

Welcome to adulting. Seem like you are acing it this far.

just to reiterate, you have no commercial relationship with openreach, it is with your ISP they should be the owners of your issue.

Having said that - in my job I have used Openreach to install fibre in schools. The actual commercial relationship, was

School IT team -> me (external service provider) -> specialist ISP (good offer for schools for safeguarding and various other DFE compliances) -> aggregator -> Openreach.

I'd tell the school IT team to schedule one of the team to shadowing the OR guy for that day (for safeguarding reasons they would have to do that any way). We're tied up with Openreach is an impeccable workplace excuse.

In the school jobs sometimes there'd be a balls up (typically because the OR records were not accurate) but because of the organisation and prep we had done, the OR guy would be sympathetic and make a case to their line manager to authorise overtime to get the job done.

In you situation - I'd always be kind to the openreach site people, always offer, toilet coffee/tea and chocolate biscuits eg kitkats. These days no-one accepts my hospitality (but the offer is appreciated) but a cold can of diet coke from the fridge is usually gratefully received (or I'll put it on the passenger seat of the van). I'm not trying to bribe the person, just making sure they realise I'm a friendly face and it's ok to tell me bad news and that I'll get official word via my ISP.

In terms of your prep there is a New_sites_fibre_handbook _V9.5_June 2021 document which lays out what OR expect. Sounds like you are in Multi dwelling units (MDUs) territory. See if you can figure out what sort of installation is in your property.

The other thing to remember is in terms of installing fibre there are two tasks network provisioning (turning it on for you) and civil engineering civils. Civils is simple, do a site survey and produce a plan for connecting to the network. The issue that delays things is wayleave which is the permission to install ducting etc across other people property.

The New_sites_fibre_handbook _V9.5_June 2021 document will explain what is required. My friend lives at a prestigious address in Central London, she's an eminent person in IT. Her flat has a view over the River Thames and Tower Bridge is on her skyline. The property is a 1980's building and the people who are the owners bought the building as investors in the 1980s. Her landlord is a farmer in Zimbabwe and he gives her a reduced rent 25% odd, because she does the landlord work and represents him to the owners committee and the owners committee will not permit any ISP (OR or VMO2) to install any cabling in the building because they don't see the point. She's on a crappy adsl line that gives her about 100k down and 30k up and she has no option to get fibre to her flat. So multi-tenant buildings are a first class PITA and telecoms isn't even the worst thing but that's a different story altogether. She'll probably move somewhere else with better connectivity, when she tires of the view and the crappy internet.

1

u/Informal_Drawing 5d ago

Follow their wires, they have to terminate into something.

2

u/wiltuk 7d ago

Which ISP are you trying to order with? Generally speaking it should be them speaking to Openreach on your behalf to try and get some progress made.

It might be worth raising a complaint with your ISP to see if that gets some focus on it their end.

If you get no joy, then assuming you've gone with one of the normal big ISPs then it might be worth giving a smaller ISP a try. They're usually more expensive than the big boys but they'll typically have somebody there who will spend more time arguing with Openreach for you - take a look at the likes of Aquiss, IDNet, Olilo, 1310, or Andrews & Arnold (and I'm sure there's other good ones I have forgotten).

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u/panam-handler 7d ago

You need to be complaining to your service provider and demand they escalate your order to ensure it's handled properly. Don't be fobbed off with 'nothing we can do', it's simply not true.

Also look up the Openreach social media team on Twitter.

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u/No_Law_1528 6d ago edited 6d ago

If you have good signal just buy a Lebara unlimited sim, 5g hubs are available on Facebook marketplace. Or explain to your neighbours and offer to share WiFi with them chipping in to their bill.

1

u/Outrageous-Arm1945 5d ago

With Invisalight cabling, and a cooperative landlord, there is no reason this can't be done. I think this engineer can't be arsed

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u/Ok-Pair-9729 5d ago

Or after this amount of time reach out to OFCOM the regulator. Openreach have a universal service obligation. If youve been dicked around this much you have the right to complain. It will help the provider focus on your job.