Full Fibre Cable. Trench dug by Openreach

[chris3232]

A few days ago a full fibre optic cable was laid across my front lawn by Openreach contractors in readiness for TalkTalk Full Fibre service.  The Trench was filled in before I could check how deep the cable had been laid. 

When I did check it was actually 45mm below the surface. The top of the cable is just touching the roots of the grass. This is too shallow and I know this cable will be damaged/disturbed at some time in the future. The ground is all soft clay although it's quite dry at the moment with no obstacles.

A search on the internet found this: 

1. Underground Duct or Digging:

• If an existing underground duct is available, Openreach will use it to pull the fiber cable from the street cabinet to the property. 

• If no duct is available, they may need to dig a trench to bury the fiber cable. 

• The trench should be at least 250mm deep and as straight as possible, with no more than one pre-formed 90° bend. 

[chris3232]

Thank you 

[Mandisa-TT]

Thank you, I have updated your complaint.

[chris3232]

Details added

[Mandisa-TT]

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[Mandisa-TT]

I completely understand and I do apologize for the hassle, however, it is our Full Fibre Team that will be able to assist you with your query, on the details that we have provided on the previous message.

[chris3232]

Hi, There is a live complaint in place with TalkTalk. I have been assured by the person from complaints department yesterday that the complaint details are up to date. If that is the case then I am now awaiting an action by TalkTalk. I now expect that TalkTalk will contact Openreach on my behalf as my  representative and simply ask them to dig the trench to the correct depth . In the meantime I have raised a case directly  with  Openreach as my concerns had not been related to them by TalkTalk. Both companies  have separately promised a call back in a few days.

TBH I don’t have the time or energy  to spend many hours battling through the various TalkTalk help desks, scattered to the far corners of this world, simply to find out if the current status is accurately reflected in the complaint.

[Philile-TT]

Hi there @chris3232 I am sorry to hear that this has happened, we aim to provide all our customers with the best customer services, since this is a full fibre matter, I hereby humbly ask that you contact the full fibre team on the number 03451720074 to speak more about your complaint also, you will be transferred to a complaints department.

Opening Hours: 

VOICE - Mon-Fri: 9am-7pm; Sat: 9am-6pm; Sun: closed

[chris3232]

The following text entries were added by me to another post in error. This should have been added here >

I have had various help desks, involving long waits often taking half a day of my time . I was passed from helpdesk to helpdesk.  Each person puts me on hold while they read the ever-longer log of the call. My actual underlying issues havent changed since I first ordered a switch from copper to Fast Fibre on 18th January 2025. Today, 15May 2025, I am still no neared getting Full Fibre installed. I currently have a second formal complaint open with Talktalk, which has exceeded the 100 day CISAS trigger.  Like a fool I closed the first complaint on a promise that never materialised!

Re CISAS:  The trouble is  it's going to take a good deal of work trawling through 5 months of transcripts, emails, photographs whatsapp messages, etc in order to prepare the case for CISAS. But then I have nothing else to do while I wait 90 minutes for the complaints dept to call me today in the allotted window.  

 ----------------------------------------------------

Update: Complaints department (Philippines) did call within the time slot. They wanted to close the complaint!!! I refused. The person was not even aware of the update that a Talktalk helpdesk person had agreed to add to the complaint, a day or so earlier stating that there was a problem with the trench dug across my front garden. The trench should be 120mm deep. The trench dug by Openreach is 3-4 mm  How do you deal with a customer service desk that is supposed to communicate with Openreach on behalf of their customer when they are unable to actually communicate with Openreach effectively OR their customer?  Do TalkTalk actually understand what the words 'Customer service' actually mean?.  I don't thinks so. 

We also discussed the fact that the contract (with its 2 year inflation protection) starts at order time NOT go-live date) so my 24 month contract now has 20 months left to run, even if go-live were to be today, which it patently won't be. To me this is a breach of contract; we briefly discussed compensation and cancelation, but at the moment I want to see how big a hole Talktalk are going dig themselves into with this debacle.

Next: I have been promised a call back from a UK person in 2-3 days.  

This ridiculous story has felt like a David and Goliath situation. In facts two Goliaths, who seem to be an unhappy relationship with each other (TalkTalk and OpenReach) I'll update again when something actually happen.

[chris3232]

Update. I found a way of raising a complaint directly with Openreach. I have added photographs to the case.  I see I have been awarded the status of chatterbox which fits! 

[Philile-TT]

Hi @chris3232 please check the other thread you created. 

[chris3232]

David Strassen: Good to know I am not a lone voice

[Philile-TT]

Hi @davidstrassen please start your thread for assistance.

[davidstrassen]

Openreach dug a trench in front of my house for the cable to reach the house from the patch. After over 4 weeks still waiting for them to finish the job and fill the hole. Keep calling talktalk but all the chaps in India say is that an engineer will come on install day and fill the hole, lay the cable and activate the service. they refuse to accept that there is an issue. Here I as with 6 days to fibre go live with a hole in my drive, no cable from the service hole and no external connection box. Talktalk keep telling me that all is ok. Not sure who is worse, talk talk or open reach. Worse thing is that an independent inspector called 3 weeks ago and said "oh look. A hole that we should have filled in". Try and contact openreach and you also get India. Got a guy yesterday whose command of the english language was poor. Had to ask him 3 times to try and rearrange the words into a sentence to try and make something that made sense.