Hi, this is another plea on behalf of my son, it's a question outside my expertise and I find it all so confusing (as do he and his girlfriend) that my head is spinning so any help would be much appreciated.   My son and his girlfriend have just moved into their first home (rented) on a six month tenancy and, while hoping they can stay there longer, there are no guarantees.  There are phone sockets in the property but neither the letting agent nor the landlord has any idea as to whether the landline is still connected, who it might be with or what the phone number might be.  Basically, their priority is to have a broadband connection (no cable available) so this would have to be through a landline.  They rang BT who said the line was not live and that they (BT) would charge £127+ to connect it!  Virgin would lay a fibre optic cable (but would the landlord be happy with the garden being excavated when there are even restrictions over picture hooks on the wall?) and, again, have a long contract and seemed quite expensive. BT's attitude seems absolutely outrageous particularly as it involves a minimum 12 month contract which my son might have to break after six months not through his own fault (he cannot be the only one is this position so how much are BT & other providers making out of this sort of unreasonable charge?)   His girlfriend is with o2 for mobile and was quite happy to go with o2 broadband but of course they need a landline.  o2 suggested they use Google to find a landline provider & suggested the Post Office but they charge £110!  Primus charge £69. Some of the providers say there may not be a charge if the line is in place but surely they must charge if you don't then take their service & Primus dont seem to provide broadband.

Basically, can anyone suggest a provider of a phone line who won't charge the earth or tie them into a lengthy contract?   They don't want to use BT broadband as it has download limits so if they go with BT for the line and another provider for the boradband that will be two contracts.  Their priority is to keep costs to a minimum, landline calls are not a priority, indeed they may not even want them, just a way of getting broadband.

Thanks everyone.

Barbara,

This happens to be one of the area's I am very good with.  Just to give you a few pointers and help you out:

You sadly need a landline if you want non-cable (Virgin) broadband, which requires a minimum 12 month contract.  If there is no line installed at the property, or it has never been connected most providers charge to set up/activate a line.  O2 do their own Home Phone service at £9.50 per month with installation/activation at £85.  As one of the occupants has an O2 Mobile they get a discount from O2 for the Broadband and they get free Customer Services calls from the home line or the O2 Mobile.

Perhaps you could help my by visiting here and putting in his new postcode and then letting me know the exhange code (it's a small code of just letters), I don't need his exact location just that code.

I can then give more recommendations.  Also this link details O2's charges, it's on page 40.

If you'd prefer to send me a personal message with the info, feel free..

I hope this helps.  

Barbara wrote on Aug 13^th, 2010 at 8:06pm:

It is feasible that the line is still connected to the exchange and they are airing on the side of caution by advising that there will be a charge. The charge is for physically connecting the wires to the exchange. What is the position if it is connected, but to a LLU provider they don't wish to subscribe to? I do fear that a charge may ensue; can someone clarify?

The reason for lines getting disconnected is because there are not telephone wires coming from the exchange to the local area (a number of streets), an unused line may get disconnected in order re-connect another line which is to be brought back into service.

If your son's has been disconnected, then that's because someone else's was disconnected and your son's pair was used to re-connect that other line. It's like robbing Peter to pay Paul and in each instance, an engineer must come out and do some work, which is why there is a charge. Furthermore, this perhaps helps explain the 12 month contracts as they don't want to have an engineer to re-connect it, then for the subscriber to cancel the service after a month or so.

As a campaigner for fair telecoms, I think this is totally crazy! Many are now paying these charges, or to look at it another way, some are not having a landline as a result and consequently the cost of telephoning them on a mobile is higher.


Barbara wrote on Aug 13^th, 2010 at 8:06pm:

I believe (perhaps someone can clarify) that Virgin Media don't charge for being connected to its cable network, thus the cost of the engineer installing the fibre has to be recouped through normal service charges and consequently there is probably a minimum term contract.


Barbara wrote on Aug 13^th, 2010 at 8:06pm:

BT is not a charity, thus it stands to reason that it will endeavour to recoup its costs.

In answer to your question, any work is done by Openreach (part of BT) as it owns the street wiring. It charges BT Retail (the part of BT that sells lines and calls to subscribers) or the other provider for doing so. Its charges are published on its price list.

If I understand it correctly, this page says that the current charge for a new line is now £55.74 exc VAT, having dropped just over £30 in the last year. Perhaps this will help spark a reduction in the amounts that telephone providers charge end subscribers.


Barbara wrote on Aug 13^th, 2010 at 8:06pm:

Primus seems nearer the mark with respect to the price Openreach charges. However, does Primus always charge this, even where Openreach does not levy this charge because the line is still connected to the exchange?

Barbara wrote on Aug 14^th, 2010 at 3:49pm:
Outgoing calls will be barred even if there is a dial-tone.  If there is a dial-tone then there is obviously a line and it is connected.

However, I agree with Dave in that it's likely that it has been disconnected to free up a space so that someone else can have a line.

Dave wrote on Aug 14^th, 2010 at 12:01am:
That is true and there is a minimum term contract of 12 months.

Quote:

I agree it's fair for BT to charge for reconnection but there was a time when reconnection was free because my mum who was with BT then moved to Virgin and many, many years later moved back to BT (as Virgin are really expensive for their calls) and she wasn't charged because it was classed as a re-connection.  The BT guy still had to come out because line in the exchange had been used by someone else and on top of that Virgin had cut BT's line just before it entered mums house.

A reconnection where the engineer just needs to plug the pair of wires into a suitable spot in the local exchange shouldn't be as high as what BT want especially when even with no line at all that would require a BT engineer to lay and fit new cable costs the same!

Barbara, never personally used them know a friend how does, and he's not happy with their Customer Services, or Billing Support...

If you or your son is after more info on the Broadband may I recommend http://www.thinkbroadband.com/

Hope this helps.



PS I have replied to you PM

I haven't personally used TalkTalk but have heard bad things about their customer support.

Some possibilties:-

Primus (via Homephone choices) for line rental and inclusive evening & weekend calls for £8.99 per month.

O2 Home broadband for £7.50 per month (assuming registered with someone who is with o2).  Plus if you sign up via Quidco or Topcashback you could possibly get £50 referral fee.

This comes to £16.49 per month.   However, o2 are currently doing 3 months free broadband and if you take into account the referral fee of £50 then that means a monthly reduction of £6.04 per month (over life of mininum term of 12 months).

This effectively means it could cost £10.45 per month.

I have only mentioned o2 because they do have a good customer feedback and customer service and more importingly for your son, do currently still have unlimited/uncapped.

The suggestions made by bbb_uk regarding QuidCo / Top Cashback are worth while....

I go on a Broadband forum on a regualr basis, and they are recommended for O2 Deals

Mind you, if you live in the sticks and  you want to get a broadband connection quickly, perhaps this is the best way to get it.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303335/Lord-Mandelson-oiled-Whitehall-w...