We’re in the process of buying a house and trying to find out if it’s fibre-enabled – and if so, to go ahead and order it ahead of time.

All online postcode checkers show only normal broadband, yet regional “Superfast” roll out team say the cabinet was fibre-enabled end of last year. ISP can’t confirm until they have current owners’ phone number. Current owners won’t give this out as they fear we’ll place an order for fibre and it’ll cut off their phone/broadband before moving day. They also say ISPs don’t need the number (which I disbelieve).

ISP say the only way to get round this is for us to order a new line/number … but we still need current number to check/order.

Is this the case? Ta

tell current owners it’s a deal breaker for you if you can’t get their number to check. You’ll get the number.

Tis a bit unrealistic to say it’s a deal breaker though, regardless of how sh1t the current ADSL speed is (semi-rural).

All I want is confirmation of fibre capability and to place an order with 15 day lead time.

It would be for me, I work at home and need a fast connection.

http://www.192.com/ you know the name and the address.

I work from home too, and have done everything I can (over the last few months) to see when fibre is being enabled. But due to the exact location of the house, the postcode is not enough to go on. Although I want to believe the regional “Superfast” team, I can’t until I receive confirmation from my ISP.

Yes it is.
Just gone through this…it’s a pain in the rear.
Even though you can give them the postcode they can’t tell you whch broadband you can order..It’s so frustrating. Our property was unoccupied so couldn’t ask the residents.
It’s a bit poor that your sellers can’t/won’t tell you though.
wwaswas + 1…

Are you going to do a working line takeover? Assuming you’re not moving on the same exchange that you’re currently on, then you’ll need to do that or place an order for a new number/line.

Place the order and then, if it doesn’t come back with FTTC availability, cancel the order.

If WLT, then you’ll need their number to be able to do this anyway….

(And if you want to lay their fears at rest, if you do have their number and want to move to a new ISP, then any order you do place against their number will* result in an advice of transfer to them (“sorry you’re leaving” letter) and they’ll be able to cancel the order.)

*actually that’s a maybe. But if you’re able to place a fibre order then the service they’re on will be LLU MPF, which follows the AoT process right now.

Er, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. When my neighbour moved in numpty Sky engineers took over my BT line. When I phoned BT to complain, they claimed to have called to ask me, and when I didn’t answer assumed it was OK. Sky wouldn’t deal with me because (any guesses ?) I wasn’t their client, event though I had a live Sky phone line in my house. This took many many weeks to unravel. And they attempted to charge me for it.

You are relying on competence from a bunch of people with a long and detailed track record of a variety of incompetent practices. And that is just at my house.

Have spoken with BT and they say the current line is indeed connected to fibre, and this is the case in at least 9 out of 10 checks they run.

They also confirmed that the owners will receive a “request to take over the line from a new customer/company” letter during the order phase, supposedly preventing their line from being disconnected early. All well and good of course, but like hels says, that isn’t a 100% guarantee.

When my neighbour moved in numpty Sky engineers took over my BT line.

Those engineers being, of course, BT Openreach engineers….

They also confirmed that the owners will receive a “request to take over the line from a new customer/company” letter during the order phase, supposedly preventing their line from being disconnected early. All well and good of course, but like hels says, that isn’t a 100% guarantee.

The challenge is that the process goes something* like:

-Speak to your new ISP and say you’d like to sign up with them.
-ISP inputs that request into its systems.
-ISP systems interface with BT Openreach systems.
-BT Openreach systems interface with losing ISP systems.
-This creates a MAC, which then works its way back into BT Openreach systems for verification against the original request.
-Order is then confirmed with BT Openreach to make the changes to the subscriber line (new ISP, WLT etc.)

It’s amazing it ever goes right, let alone as often as it does!

*Very roughly. I am far from expert on this.

Exactly OMITN, we’ve all heard stories of it going completely **** up.

Looks like we can’t place the order for fibre until the date of moving in as that’s when the new number seems likely to go live. Any earlier and it’ll mean the vendors risk being cut off. Not going to go with BT even though they reckon they can have fibre in place on the same day. Bit of a PITA and I still don’t know 100% if fibre is even ready.

Ordered a new number with BT on Tue. Was given a 10 digit SIM code. Ran it past Zen who said it doesn’t comply with their system as it’s mistakenly part of a 17 digit code. Went back to BT who kindly put me through to Indian tech support … who said all their SIM codes are 17 digits and that Zen needed to use the last 10 digits as reference. Informed Zen who said once again this was BS and I needed to cancel my BT line/order then re-order and ask for a 10 digit code. Back to BT I went. They now say all their SIM codes are 10 digits and that the one they gave me should work. Anyway, I cancelled the order and have to wait until Mon as it takes 24hrs.

Anyone know the the real score here? I can see myself batting SIM codes between BT and Zen without getting anywhere.

Ta

call Zen whilst you still have BT on the line and get the code verified before you hang up on BT?

Zen can’t verify it as their system flags it as being part of a 17 digit code that BT have logged.