How long is acceptable to fix a loss of service ?

[Cedrik]

I am experiencing a loss of my fttp broadband service due to inept contractors cutting off my connection when installing their own cables. I have been without fttp for 9 days now.

My case has been sent to the EE customer assist team and they tell me it's being 'sent for review' to Openreach (3 times now) and I've now been informed that 'potentially' I may have the service back early next week (2 weeks) on from when it was cut off !

Very frustrating, particularly as I work from home.

[Mustrum]

@Cedrik    working from home on a residential service without an alternative backup service often leads to frustration.

However you may wish to have a read of the Automatic Compensation Help Page. Just make sure you keep on top of the fault reporting and check on a regular basis the status of the fault.

https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/fix-problem/automatic-compensation 

[Cedrik]

Hi thanks for the reply, I will be looking at compensation when the connection is fixed.

However, my current concern is the length of time to get back online. If broadband is really considered as a 'utility', they should have sorted it out in days !

I am checking the status of the fault, but (as I said), the response I get is that Openreach are still reviewing it...

[Mustrum]

The standard time for a fix is within 3 days - however more complex faults can take longer.

Openreach are the ones who supply the fibre and lines to properties, so EE report an issue to them and hope for a quick fix.

Given the time so far though, it must be more than a simple fix - are others in the area having issues?

Are you able to get more details from EE? Even if you don't understand the jargon from Openreach, the Care Team, or people on here should be able to help understand the problem.

Have they offered to increase your data allowance, or provided a temporary mobile broadband solution?

HTH

[Cedrik]

Hi, thanks again

The Openreach engineer who came out was unable to fix it as he couldn't get the fibre through the existing ducting on our lawn, so it was deemed necesarry to call out 'a dig  team' (A55)

The ducting is only about 20 foot long to the property and an inch (or so) below the surface of a lawn - I know as I was able to pull it out of the ground very easily ! There are no accessibility issues. Our property was the only one affected in the street, the contractors had kinked just our cable when installing their cabling.

Yes, they have given me temporary unlimited 4G data alowance, which is something, but it's very low speeds. I was used to the 500 meg speeds !

The frustration is that I don't even have a date when the work may take place. I know it's Openreach's 'area', but I could be better informed.

[XRaySpeX]

Domestic BB comes with no Service Level Agreements (SLAs). So there can't be any expectation of an acceptable time. It's as long as a piece of string as long as the ISP takes reasonable steps to fix it.

[Cedrik]

Of course there is an expectation of an acceptable time to reconnect a Broadband service. If you were in my position you would want status updates, not proverbials.

EE's 'piece of string' is 30 days then you can cancel the contract.

[Cedrik]

Well, I'm back online after 16 days of loss of service !

EE were pretty helpful, but Openreach really slowed things down, with all their reviews etc. Survived on 4G mobile broadband, thanks to EE for giving me temporary unlimited data on my plan.

[Mustrum]

Good to hear and thanks for letting us know. Hope it stays that way now.

Anything you can share about the actual fix?

[Cedrik]

It seemed strightforward, but there were issues with the original duct work that delayed the fix. Openreach engineers told me that contractors installing their own cables (Voneus, in this case) can cause difficult to fix issues when they mess up (as happened in my case)