Fibre 150 and VoIP

[Sleesey]

Hi 

we need to switch to fibre as working from home is just not happening on snail broadband. However, we also need to be able to use VoIP and keep our landline number - we have really poor mobile phone reception, so not having VoIP is not an option when we switch to fibre. @talktalk 150 suggests that we can’t use VoIP though. Can anyone help - I’d rather not spend hours with the chat bot!

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Not sure an ORDI would do anything, but Because of the open complaint ill have to leave this to the complaints team. 

Keep us updated. 

[ferguson]

@Arne-TalkTalk 

I wonder if in light of the latest comments this may perhaps be an ORDI issue? 

[Sleesey]

It’s been in place for years, so I’m not asking for it immediately that it’s arrived - everyone else n my street has had fibre for years. When open reach confirmed in 2021 that it was available it was off the back of myself and a neighbour contacting them, as everyone else on our street had switched to fibre. We were the only two houses that couldn’t. Hence open reach looked into it and updated our records in 2021. My Neighbours switched soon afterwards, I am now the only house without fibre. So I’m still struggling to see why this is taking so long and is so frustrating 

[Sleesey]

This isn’t a generic letter. This was as a result of me contacting Open Reach three years ago - there was an error for mine and my neighbors house. All other houses on the street have fibre, open reach corrected it and updated our records. My neighbour who was in the same position has moved to fibre - I’m on only house on the street who doesn’t yet have it.

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Sleesey, both Openreach and CityFibre send out letters when installing Fibre in the street.

They are generic and not specific to the ISPs that may provide your service.

Often there is only one company that can use the infrastructure to start with, and it is not Talktalk yet in your area.

There have always been issues of limitations on capacity at any one time when looking at ISPs, so a neighbour might get provision from a rival company long before you can get it with your current ISP. 

Usually, once it's available, the primary provider in the area bombards you with offers. In my street it is Vodafone (who have the first deal with City Fibre in my street). So you will know it's available via Talktalk when it happens. 

The market situation for Full Fibre is still in its infancy. Think how long we only had BT for before the copper lines were made available so that companies like Talktalk could spring up! It took a long time for other companies to follow, using the Openreach infrastructure. Telecoms have moved on in leaps and bounds since those days, but the overall upgrading of the system is a mammoth project. 

This will come, but perhaps not as fast as expectations caused by all the hype.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

The infrastructure may be in place, that doesn't mean we can provide it immediately.   

[ferguson]

I know in my case Openreach wrote to me saying "Fibre is coming" about 2 years before it finally arrived. 

[Sleesey]

Does it take 3 years? Open reach confirmed fibre to my property in 2021. 

[ferguson]

@Sleesey 

I do not doubt that Openreach have Full Fibre available in your area. However, it can take time until individual ISPs such as TalkTalk gain access to that and are in a position to offer it on to retail customers such as yourself. 

[Sleesey]

Hi 

But you’re not sorry and your message just compounds all of the frustrations that I have had with Talk Talk! 
if anyone would bother to listen to me, I have confirmation from Open Reach that I can have fibre to my property, I have it in writing, in an email from them. I have offered to share this and indeed included it within my complaint - which was closed without anyone informing me of the outcome. So at least you’ve got one thing right in reopening it! 
I also spent over an hour taking with an agent through your chat bot - who also confirmed I can have fibre and told me they had ensured my records were updated to reflect this. So screen shot of conversation. 
I honestly give up 

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi Sleesey

Your complaint has been re-opened, just so you are aware our ordering system and fibre checker shows that fibre is  not available at your address, until that changes and our ordering system is updated we will not be able to place an order for that service. 

Sorry.

[Sleesey]

Thank you. I spent over an hour with a chat bit and then a human over chat today looking into this. Apparently my complaint was resolved - which is news to me as I have had not contact, no apology and no explanation! What I have managed to do is get a note on my account to update that I can get fibre- but I need to call to make the switch. Dwelling on whether I should stay or not. Thank you for all your help though and taking the time to support others. 

[KeithFrench]

I'll re-escalate it for you now @Sleesey 

[Sleesey]

Thanks Keith Ive heard nothing - I’ve also heard nothing in relation to the complaint I raised. Just so frustrating. I urgently need to move to fibre, looks like I will have to move to a different provider as Talk Talk are just so unresponsive. Such a shame as up until now I have always had a great service and defended their reputation. 

[KeithFrench]

I have asked one of TalkTalk's support to pick your thread up and investigate it for you.

They aim to respond within 48 hours (Monday - Friday) excluding Bank Holidays, but if more urgent you can always try the Service Centre on 0345 172 0088. The posts are responded to in time/date order, oldest first.

To save yourself time, please make sure that your community profile includes your first & last names, broadband phone number & if possible an alternative contact number. This can be done by clicking on your Avatar picture then click on "My Settings" followed by:-

Personal Profile > Personal Information

Otherwise, TalkTalk will not be able to tie up your forum username to your broadband account. Only you & TalkTalk have visibility of your details.

[Sleesey]

Hi - so a little update as I posted the original question. I had an engineer out to check the line as slow broad band was even slower than normal. Was advised I needed to move some electric wires close to my telephone line into the house - not to improve service, but so they would actually look at things. Talk talk engineer agreed though that full fibre is really the only option and that I should switch.

Got electric line sorted yesterday, phoned talk talk this morning to try and start switch to full fibre broad band. They are telling me I can’t have fibre to my property - despite me having a confirmation email from open reach in 2021 confirming it was available. 32 minutes of painful music while the rep tried to look into it more, but who constantly told me open reach fibre at my property was showing on their system as not available. They then went off to try and speak to someone else and promptly cut me off. Beyond furious. 

about to look for a new provider after probably nearly 20 years with talk talk, loyalty obviously gets you no where these days 

[martswain]

@Chris-TalkTalk I am currently on Fibre 35 (FTTC)

The question regarding calls is not as clear as it could be on the upgrades and offers page

Options
Selecting the first two takes me to data-only full fibre packages.

The bottom two take me to a page that shows the usual upgrades for FTTC customers, add TV or call packages, no full fibre with VoIP option at all.

Will have to call and see what is available later this year, I daren't call now in case there is any misunderstanding and they place an order which cannot be completed as I'll be away for a while.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi martswain,

I actually thought that VoIP is available for all customers upgrading to Full Fibre on Openreach but could be wrong. The 'I require a landline' option is for customer who actually require a physical landline (rather than VoIP) because they have a care alarm or medical device that needs a telephone line to function, or multiple telephone extension sockets that they want to continue to use.

If you are thinking of upgrading it's definitely worth speaking to sales to see what they can offer.

Chris

[martswain]

@Sleesey apologies for the slight threat hijack, please let us know how you get on.

@Gliwmaeden2 sorry, but you're missing my main point, any customer who is not on this forum and doesn't know better will just go elsewhere if they need a phone service if not offered via the upgrade page.

There is a massive ad on my account offering 900 Mbps full fibre data only but if I go via the Offers and Upgrades page and select the radio button saying I require a landline I get redirected to the usual FTTC offers of inclusive calls, TV etc

Clicking on the full fibre offers there is a warning that there is no phone service available.

@Chris-TalkTalk perhaps you could clarify the company position on this and why, according to @Gliwmaeden2 I may be able to get VoIP by calling customer services even though it is not available via my account.

I cannot test the phone option now as I will be going away for a while.

[Gliwmaeden2]

It's still the case that VOIP is not mentioned but is available if you speak directly to Talktalk, not just clicking through My Account. 

Openreach has no deal here with Talktalk for full fibre, despite supplying the local copper line.

It's a totally different ballgame when it comes to Full Fibre, nothing to do with the old copper agreements.