EE Give Conflicting Comments When Order 1.6gbs Service

[infinitywaiter]

We all just want EE to cut all the bull rubbish and just let everybody order or upgrade to it and forget the commercial aspect that this is for new customers only and EE only being interesting in getting new accounts and therefore more profit.

As many others have found out ordering EE 1.6gbs is a pain in the backside!

Just in the past few days we have tried twice to upgrade from BT Full Fibre 900 to EE Busiest Home Bundle 1.6gbs, and on both phone calls we have been told completely different information by the operators on the end of the line.

On the first call we were adamantly told by the operator that we could not get the 1.6gbs service, and yet they still tried to push us onto EE and pay the £70 monthly charge for the 1.6gbs service despite only wanting to put us on the EE Full Fibre Gigabit service, which is just EE equivalent to BT Fibre 900.

On our second call we were told we could have it, however we would need to move over from BT broadband to EE broadband first onto the EE Full Fibre Gigabit service, as according to this operator it is only available to existing EE customers.

Of course the above is both complete rubbish, it is available for all even if you are not a new customer, and you don't already need to be on a EE broadband package to get this new one. 

We can definitely get it, order through our existing EE account as we have EE Mobile, as a new broadband customer and progress through the order etc.

There is no way that we are completing the order as a new customer as we'll then be stung with cancellation charges from BT for exiting our broadband contract early.

Our BT broadband contract isn't up until late this year, so hopefully by then EE will have pulled their fingers out of their backsides and let this be available to all.

With BT projected to release their new Smart Hub 4 with WiFi 7 in the late Summer, then maybe everybody should just wait it out and then get EE broadband with the new EE Smart Hub Plus with WiFi 7 too!

If nobody ordered this 1.6gbs service until later this year and just waited for a new hub to be released, then EE would definitely want to open it up to all as they would not want to lose out on new customers and any additional monies coming in.

[Gfaefife]

Beware unless you use your own third party router you only get speeds up to 1gbps so if you want to order eero 7 plus from amazon, or an other alternative 1gbps is all you will get Smart hub plus has 1 2.5gbps input from the fibre but only lets you connect on the 4 ethernet plugs at 1gbps.......    I would wait on the new BT hub

[LucasM]

I'm meant to be on that exact 1.6gbps package, yet I'm still getting BTs 900mbps package speeds. It doesn't give you over 1gbps at all, I'm going to call up soon.

[infinitywaiter]

Yes am well aware of that thanks, it is something that has been well talked about since last year since BT first released the EE hub details, with the hub only having 1gb LAN ports whilst the new ONT gives you a 2.5gb WAN port, however we need to have a landline so we need to keep the hub for Digital Voice, once that requirement is gone then we can swap out to a third party router and simply use mobiles as way cheaper.

Despite the new hub coming out late this year with WiFi 7, there has only been images of the new hub released to the general public for you all to see, so unless somebody in BT/EE sneaks info out illegally, there is no confirmation as of yet that the new hub won't still be using 1gb LAN ports.

[infinitywaiter]

When did you sign up to the 1.6gb service?

Openreach had 1.2gb and 1.8gb packages in pilot testing in 2023 and upto February 2024.

EE were the only provider that were advertising this to the general public as their 1.6gbs service since about October 2023 and many people rushed to get it. (Other providers will be advertising from April, so now basically.)

However, as it was in pilot testing stage still, many found out after they had signed up and activated etc, that they were paying for the 1.6gb service and were only able to be put onto Gigabit package as EE couldn't upgrade them to the 1.6gbs yet.

Regardless of if you are one of these or you have been told you'll be upgraded at a later date for example, then you should keep pestering EE about getting upgraded to your proper package, otherwise they will be in no rush to upgrade you whilst they carry on taking the higher price for a lesser service.

What is annoying too, is that you keep reading more new comments in forum posts where people have got onto it easily with no hassle at all.

Like here, where the forum user says that EE claimed that they needed to upgrade to a higher package to avoid any cancellation fee, of which again is incorrect as if you move from BT to EE through them directly, then any fee is waived, this has been mentioned many times in this EE forum by EE Mods themselves.

Moving from BT to EE Mid Contract

That’s what I did and I didn’t pay the fee - but I was told I have to take a higher package to avoid the fee. I was on 900mb with BT and gone to 1.6gb on new EE

[infinitywaiter]

An update to this is that we tried again and where told that we couldn't as it would be too difficult for us to be ported over from BT to EE, apparently EE sales operators are now more highly trained and skilled than engineers and can tell us that!

So three times of trying to move over and all being told different things, EE are not doing a great job at making people actually want to move from BT to EE before they are all pushed later on.

Guaranteed we could phone up everyday this week and try to move from BT to EE, and each time we would be told something different!

And yet still, others in the exact same position have got the move done and dusted with no issues at all...

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Broadband-Landline/Upgrade-EE-900Mbps-to-EE-1-6Gbps/m-p/1372963#M91313

.... I was on the BT 900 / 110 package for three years before I rang EE and ordered the 1.6Gb package and was accepted with no problems or delays....

[GosforthUK]

@infinitywaiter not sure, if anything recently changed (give up on hinting them on updates), but 1.6 Gbps package on EE is NOT compatible with DV phone, therefore, if You switch from BT FTTP with DV phone to EE 1.6 Gbps package, your DV phone service will be terminated, and not ported at all!

however, I went via route of BT under contract customer, to port self to EE 1.6 Gbps, with which I lost:

- DV phone (still under contract)

- BT TV (EE TV) still under contract

- all Halo3+ perks (Extender WiFi disks, and 4G backup) - still under contract

and my BT Broadband was well, under contract. And never paid a penny of early terminating fees, even, technically speaking, paying much less now, whilst not have all previous services.

My BT Mobile was ported mid contract (SIMO) to EE Mobile also without any early termination fees...

It's technically new customer contract, but BT honouring, as moving to EE is not breach of contract.

[infinitywaiter]

With regards to BT Digital Voice, if you move to EE you shouldn't lose it, you should simply be transferred over to EE Digital Home Phone.

https://ee.co.uk/broadband/digital-home-phone

EE Digital Home Phone is the EE equivalent of BT Digital Voice, it is basically the exact same thing.

We've been on BT Digital Voice since 2019 when trials for it where first started, and as EE Digital Home Phone uses the exact same service and equipment, there is no issue with porting anything from BT to EE if we wanted to move across.

It just peeves us off even more when you again see others in the same position with BT Digital Voice, who have had no issues moving over, like here from last year, many more available but this is easier one to use here for quickness.

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Broadband-Landline/Digital-voice/td-p/1326873

The only actual issue with BT Digital Voice to EE Digital Home Phone is the ordering process, where due to still ongoing issues, you can't simply order the phone service at the same time as broadband, you have to do it after ordering broadband.

Home phone service not available
Due to a technical issue you can't add home phone service to the broadband package you chose.
If you want home phone, order it separately afterwards. It will cost the same.

We had already moved from BT Mobile as wanted new phones and are already on EE Mobile for contract and sim only, we only have BT Family Sims left now on BT as they were cheaper than EE sim only deals.

One reason for moving is to get the unlimited data for all EE sims when you have EE broadband.

Yes, well aware we'll lose out moving across from BT to EE like double data and multiple discounts, however moving to EE and getting unlimited data and still getting discounts too, is worth the move.

Not worried about losing Halo3+ and Complete Wifi as not needed anyway.

We were also on the trials for both BT Whole Home Wifi Premium and BT Whole Home Wifi 6 discs, so we are covered around the house already for Wifi6 with our WHWP/WHWifi 6 network.

Yes you could say that only the WHWifi6 disc is actually using Wifi6 as standard, however WHWP does use Wifi6 between each disc whilst giving out Wifi5 to use, so technically it is all sort of using Wifi6 to a certain degree.

Plus, with the 1.6gbs service you’ll get Smart Wifi Plus anyway, so you don't lose out really.

The only thing you don't get really is the Hybrid Connect which EE will only give out to users who take the full works package, now known as the Gigabit one.

Finally, if done directly with BT/EE, then moving from BT to EE will always be free, there shouldn't be any cancellation fee etc.

We're very tempted to do it as new customer through our existing EE account as new customer, as that works fine for ordering.

However, I'm holding back from that so far, so that I'm not stung and lumbered with issues regarding BT cancellation fees if they kick up a fuss about us moving whilst still in contract.

We know it should and would be honoured by BT, however given the multiple posts on both BT and EE forums from members where some have been charged and some haven't etc, I'm not risking it just yet to end up with a final bill from BT that they won't honour.

Our contract isn't up until near the end of 2024 anyway, I think October or November without checking again.

So, if we left it until end of contract, EE by then will most likely say yes, gladly move over and would be giving us the new Smart Hub 4 or Smart Hub Plus - whatever you want to call it! - which will be out late summer and using Wifi7, although still rocking just the 1gb LAN ports sadly, but that is still TBC!

[GosforthUK]

@infinitywaiter I just spent minutes yesterday on the phone with EE, and answer was:

No, You can't have phone service with 1.6 Gbps package, nor as part of move from BT (I loose it already back in December), not as separate ad-on, because this package is still not compatible with ordering service for DV phone...

No, you still can't add EE TV onto your 1.6 Gbps package, it's still not ready...

what SHOULD be possible, and what really IS possible with 1.6 Gbps are still diametrally different worlds..

[infinitywaiter]

Tried again and this time we were told that we could do it, although we would need to pay a cancellation fee.

Obviously this has been discussed multiple times on this forum and the BT Community Forum, with everybody, including the BT and EE Mods themselves, stating clearly that there should be no fee if moving between BT and EE.

We mentioned this to the EE Operator and he told us that it is being pushed mainly towards new customers only, again which everybody already knows.

Although the EE Operator today was good as no sales push to go to EE regardless anyway, he obviously could not go above his own managers and refund any cancellation fee as a credit etc.

He has put in a complaint about this on our behalf and told us that everyone should be doing it, the more that people complain directly to EE about it, then the more they will listen.

All we can do is simply try again another day and see if we get moved.

Or we go into an EE Store and get written proof from them that there is no cancellation fee for moving from BT to EE.

Or, we just bite the bullet and order through our EE account and then post here to the EE Mods, who hopefully will get that fee credited or removed etc.

Life is never easy! And yes what you could be getting and what you should be getting, are currently two completely different things.