BT

[Taff]

Has anyone had a recent installation of a BT LINE , I require 1 pole to be installed then the line can be attached to the house. BT openreach have told me to get back in touch to arrange a survey when nearly ready to install. I’m trying to budget so the electrics/water, sewerage are priced however I cannot get a price for BT. I have heard something about part of the cost may be covered by BT. anyone had a recent install?

[recoveringbuilder]

Ours was installed just over a year ago and they had to put in a new pole, we only paid the standard installation fee iirc it was £60, I read somewhere that they get an allowance from somewhere or other for installations to new build properties.

[ProDave]

I was told by the OR surveyor, that £3000 was allocated to each new connection, and the customer would only be charged of the cost exceeds that.

 

So I suspect you will only have to pay the modest new connection charge.

[Taff]

That’s great, budget is streeeeeetccchheeedd already 

[Barryscotland]

Wev'e just been in touch with them and they told us that if theres an overhead cable near its free otherwise I need to pay open reach £330 to do  a survey to find out what the cost of getting a phone line to us would be. All phone cables are underground in our area so need to pay for the survey and see what they say.

[Thorfun]

2 hours ago, Barryscotland said:

Wev'e just been in touch with them and they told us that if theres an overhead cable near its free otherwise I need to pay open reach £330 to do  a survey to find out what the cost of getting a phone line to us would be. All phone cables are underground in our area so need to pay for the survey and see what they say.

be careful here, it might be different for underground connection but when I first approached OpenReach I was told I needed a survey for £336 inc VAT which I paid and they sent their sub-contractors out (Kellys in our part of the UK) who did the survey and then OR gave us the quote. When I eventually went back to them the quote had expired and they said "Oh, this department doesn't do new connections any more you need to speak to the New Sites team to get a new quote". No offer of refund for the wasted survey and it was £336 down the drain. This was from the Infrastructure Solutions team at OR:

 

"Thank you for your enquiry, the query below would be dealt with by our new sites team.

 

Please contact them on: 0800 783 2023 option 2 then option 1.

 

Email address: nsrecep@openreach.co.uk

                

Or register your new site on the link below.

https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/fibre-for-developers/registering-your-site/#module6"

 

the New Sites team were very helpful and sent a surveyor round who said we 'could' go underground but they'll charge for the digging, road closure etc or we could just get a pole put on our boundary for free. I don't think it takes a genius to know which we chose!

 

so I would suggest, if you haven't already, contacting the new sites team or simply registering on the website. iirc, when I contacted the team they said you need to register on the website first.

 

good luck and I hope you don't get stung for the £336 survey fee as well!

 

p.s. I hope it's ok to post those contact details mods? if not please delete as appropriate and accept my apologies in advance.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Thorfun

[Bitpipe]

We got a survey from an OR guy for free - wanted to know cost of underground to boundary (where our duct started) from pole vs overhead wire, which would have been std connection cost. No subs came out, just the OR guy.

 

The way we arranged that was to put in a request for a new line (just signed up via BT on the web) and when OR came out to action, I collared the team and explained what we wanted. He went off to do quote which was sent to us a few days later. As it was silly (he did advise DIY) we just cancelled the contract and did not pay a penny.

 

We paid a contractor to lay duct to the pole and pulled through our own multi circuit gel filled cable (BT approved, bought via TLC) and left it coiled at the foot of the pole. 

 

Then went back on BT.com, ordered a new connection and when OR turned up they were more than happy to shin up the pole to attach the cable and then installed the master socket at our end where the cable came into the plant room.

[Temp]

+1

 

Pretty much same as us.

 

Nearest pole to us was other side of neighbours driveway on a country road. My builder had a word with them and just went ahead and dug a trench 20 yards down the road, put in a duct and cable and had it all refilled before anyone could say "permit?" We left enough of a coil to reach the top with some to spare.

 

Had a bit more trouble getting it connected but that was only because their computer said they had already done it.