I live in a retirement village where OpenReach installed fibre to our building, but the signal is apparently faulty, so extension into the building, although already in place, doesn’t work (due to no signal). I’m told nobody can “lean on” OpenReach, who have long since moved on… Is there a way to put pressure on them ?.
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Welcome @JPatStarsmead - how frustrating, and it seems very unfair. We’ll see if we can dig up any tips or advice for you. Anybody else had luck with Openreach themselves or found another way around a fault like this?
We did a little digging in to this for you @JPatStarsmead - not perfect but hopefully practical:
First, as Openreach isn’t a customer-facing business it doesn’t respond to enquiries about faults. Only your chosen provider can escalate the issue to Openreach.
Secondly where you say ‘the signal is apparently faulty’* it suggests it could be a Wi-Fi related issue and you might be able to improve the signal from your own end. Start by seeing if you can get a decent Wi-Fi signal anywhere at all and run speed tests; make sure to document the results (if any!). If it’s a bigger issue than just Wi-Fi signal your provider will be the one to fix it.
As you mention you’re in a retirement village it might also be worth speaking to your neighbours - if you’re using different providers and you have similar issues, make sure you all escalate it similarly through your own providers, so that it’s clear it’s not just one property. We’ve got a list of broadband provider customer service details that might help!
Thanks for that response…
It is most frustrating to be unable to press OpenReach directly and I wonder if pressure can be brought through OffComm !
I have spoken to the engineers who have installed the signal distribution system within our building,… which is a separate company from the contractors who installed the fibre underground which feeds the signal to the building. When the internal engineers had finished making the internal installation they found that there was no useable signal coming through the fibre but, as the underground fibre installation is not their responsibility, they were unable to help.
We already have (very slow) internet speed, through a system which is now about ten years old but, as more people start using High Definition TV’s and viewing over the internet, the impact on available data rates is becoming untenable.
Residents of this so-called “luxury retirement community are constantly presented with the management company’s excuse that they have no influence over OpenReach although, since we all use the same provider (contracted by our village’s management company) it seems logical that the management provider should be able to press the company with which they have the contract to supply a workable feed for us all.
Speaking on behalf of about one hundred different residents here, I can say that we would be grateful for any further advice you can provide.
I have an EE/BT account and they link to Openreach
To contact them, I text 66033 and they always ring me back within a reasonable time
When I had an intractable broadband problem I just kept on at them until they sent an ace engineer who said I am not leaving until I fix it and he did but it took some time
I take the Guardian and you might try their consumer affairs section
If they get a number of complaints they will take anybody on
Good luck
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Thanks Howard…
JP