New Broadband & TV Customer Questions

[DavidC112]

Hi all

I will be moving from temporary (living with family) accommodation to a new (to me) apartment in just over 2 weeks. I have selected the broadband and TV packages (Full Fibre 500 Essentials & Big sport TV with Now TV add-on) that I want and am happy with the pricing of these. One problem I have is finding out a definitive list of TV channels available for any of the TV packages but I suppose this could be due to the need for add-ons. Can anybody point me to a list of TV channels which I will be able to view with this package.

I would also need to have my broadband up and running on the day that I move in but am unsure how this can be accomplished. I have thought about ordering the  package and having the equipment delivered to the local EE store but wondered if my contract would start at the moment of ordering or at the start of service. Also (although I am not a technophobe) I am concerned that my particular skill set may not be enough to get the services up and running and I am unsure if there will be a need for an engineer to call or indeed for some work to be done outside to bring appropriate cabling etc to the property. Being an apartment, I may need to get permission from the management company if there is any outside work that needs done. 

I have looked at the BT Broadband availability checker and pasted a screenshot of the results, however I do not know how to interpret these.

[XRaySpeX]

You were unlikely to unless a previous resident had FTTP installed.

It's unlike the usual telephone sockets.

[DavidC112]

I had a phone conversation with a helpful EE customer advisor and have now arranged the broadband and TV service that I need and the equipment is to be delivered to my temporary address a couple of days before I move to my new apartment. An engineer visit is booked in a couple of days after the move-in date. The only problem is that the property management company for the apartment have asked that they receive a "way leave" form from in order to authorise any work (including any groundwork) that is required. The person I spoke with was unsure about this and eventually towards the end of our conversation explained that I would need to phone 150 to sort this out. Unfortunately I will not have a landline and am unsure which way to proceed as I believe that the 150 number would just connect me to another customer advisor and am unsure if they would be able to help. 

The management property management company were certain that EE (or any other provider) would know what a way leave form is and be able to easily comply with this request, however this has not so far been my experience.

I am now unsure if I should contact EE again to arrange this or perhaps it is the responsibility of Openreach who are the installer?

Can anyone advise me on the best way to get the way leave completed and returned to the management company?

Thanks in advance.

[Mustrum]

@DavidC112   according to the BTw chart you posted, the property is a single dwelling with an underground feed.

Has it recently been converted to flats?

If so the landlords should have registered the change with the Post Office which will then get recognised with the BTw checker. 

The managment company wanting a wayleave will have added further delays as Openreach will need to come out and survey the building.

[DavidC112]

 @Mustrum 

The property was built in 2015 but before that I am fairly certain that the land was not developed and was probably fields so I am not sure why the BT chart shows it that way.

Part of the problem for me is that I do not know who to contact to arrange the wayleave as the EE customer advisor did not seem to understand what it is which came as a surprise to me as the property management company told me that it should be easy to get as companies like EE Virgin Media etc. would routinely deal with this sort of requirement and as far as they were concerned it was a formality.

Do you think I should go back to EE customer services as they are who my contract is with, or try to get in touch with Openreach as they are the installer?

[Mustrum]

@DavidC112   you will need to contact EE. who will need to ask Openreach for the wayleave.

But you did not answer the question, does the building contain a number of flats?

If so are you able to see the different apartments on the BTW checker, or just a single building number?

Seems unusual if the building has been there for nearly 10 years, unless Virgin Media got there first and they installed their lines and that is what others are using?

[DavidC112]

@Mustrum 

Sorry about that. 

This part of the development has 2 small blocks, each with 4 apartments configured as 2 upstairs and 2 downstairs. There are other properties within the development which are a mix of house designs and some apartments built over a number of years.

My apartment is at the front downstairs of the right block and there is a green cabinet at the back of the other block which I presume could be for broadband and TV connections meaning it is probably around 25m away.

The previous owner has confirmed that they were with BT.

I input my post code and apartment number into the BTW checker and the result was as posted earlier.

[Mustrum]

@DavidC112   ah OK, things becoming clearer. The cabinets are likley for the older copper based broadband the previous occupent had, and no doubt other apartments, maybe also other suppliers.

Howeve.r your exchange area is now an FTTP priority area, which means new orders will be FTTP. Openreach should just follow the path of the existing copper line, so unsure why a wayleave would be needed. But without seeing where and how your line is routed into your apartment it is difficult to say. 

It might be worth a chat with any other residents who already have fibre to see if they had any issues. But for now I would just point out it is a like for like replacement of the existing copper wire. 

PS that is unless you want the ONT to be in a different place to the existing BT/Openreach socket.

[DavidC112]

@Mustrum 

Each individual property owner pays a service charge to the management company who are responsible for and maintain the communal areas including both grassy and paved/tarmacked areas and the external walls and rooves. Insuring the building structure is also included in the service charge.

The path for the cable will probably need to go from the cabinet across from the back of the other block and along the back of my block and then down the side of the property and enter the property at near the end of the building where I believe it enters the property. If this is indeed the necessary path then it is all hard surfaces. The terms of the lease for these properties indicates that permission/agreement for this type of work is required from the property management company and in order to grant this permission they require a wayleave to be completed. However, having said that, the customer adviser I spoke with seemed to think that it was just a formality and I think they understood that FTTP was probably going to be something that they have to deal with going forward.

Unfortunately I do not currently live near to the apartment nor do I know any of the other residents to discuss the issue with.

[Mustrum]

@DavidC112    The BTW table shows the feed is UG - underground - so there will be trunking already available that carries the existing BT line, so the fibre will remain hidden and use the same hidden underground method to deliver your new service. 

Hence as previous reply, unless you want the service in a different place to the current service there should be no need to change anything - the fibre will just replace the copper.

[DavidC112]

@Mustrum 

Thanks for the replies.

I have now watched some Openreach FTTP videos sent to me via email and if I understand correctly, the new fibre cable can be fed into the existing ducting, connected through the existing outside junction box and through the wall to a new ONT and there will probably be no need for any groundwork. However because there could sill possibly be the need for some groundwork if things do not go to plan, then I will probably still need Openreach or EE to provide a wayleave for the management company, just in case.