Archived on 6/5/2022

Fibre Connection, Perry Vale, Forest Hill Industrial Estate

Peter_Campbell
26 Nov '18

Hi all

I wonder if anyone around the Perry Vale, Forest Hill Station area have had any luck in getting set up with a Fibre Connection?

My company operates from a unit in Forest Hill Industrial Estate which is next to the Royal Mail sorting office by the train station and we’ve been holding out for years with BT saying that the local exchange should be connected within next few months…

Anyone got any input on this?

Many thanks

anon51837532
26 Nov '18

Peter

Have tried to persuade BT to make connections to the fibre optic network on separate addresses on Perry Vale with no success.

One business customer the other private.- got no explanation from either BT uinits why the connections could not be made. It is known that there is a fibre optic spine that runs along Perry Vale.

Private. customer stuck with the BT ADSL offering.

Business customer after three year wait elected to go with Virgin.

Neither instances could be deemed satisfactory as the typically circa 80mbps speeds were not deliverable in either case.

It remains without a satisfactory explanation…

KatM
26 Nov '18

I’m not sure if this helps but we live on Como Road off Perry Vale and had BT fibre installed just over a week ago. It took a couple of weeks for them to set it up in full - I think they may have done something at the exchange but I’m not sure - and came back the following week to run the new cables in from the telephone pole.

Foresthillnick
27 Nov '18

Got FTTP in Cranston Road but sadly the industrial estate can only get standard BB according to the BT checker.

Peter_Campbell
27 Nov '18

Just checked Virgin and they too have said they cannot install here… It’s an absolute nightmare and at this point am almost considering a leased line…

Peter_Campbell
27 Nov '18

Thanks for this Kat, I’m going to push BT yet again and use this for leverage!

Paul_R
27 Nov '18

Lack of fibre is a cause of some annoyance at City Walk as well. Is it worth getting a petition going or something?

anon51837532
27 Nov '18

There is a second issue with regard to City Walk.

BT Openreach seemingly are unable to make FTTP connections to multi-occupancy buildings. City Walk is one of these. Even if you are in a four-in-a-block arrangement BT may still decline to make an FTTP connection…

Not that BT will formally explain this deficiency of course. I only discovered this as a person I know had the installer turn up at a multi-occupancy block by pre-arranged appointment who then declared the installation was not possible and walked off.

The second issue of course that it is on Perry Vale.

So two strikes.

For Peter I am certain that at your entrance to your site both Virgin and BT cables are on the west side of Perry Vale.

Not to rub it in, but BT have just doubled my FTTP speed on Perry Hill from Forest Hill exchange to 148mbps and reduced my monthly charges by just under £6.

So these problems should not be insurmountable - but I have struck out at zero for two since the FTTP roll-out for Perry Vale

Write to the Chairman of BT and the CEO’s of BT and BT Openreach perhaps ?

Peter_Campbell
27 Nov '18

I’ve just filed a complaint with OpenReach though don’t have much hope of a positive response…

I just had a look through my email archives and found one from October 2017 where they told me that the lines should be connected up by the end of the month!!

A year to this date!

anon51837532
27 Nov '18

Over that period of three years the business client was getting emails and letter drops at least once a quarter saying the same thing.

Never happened.

Real left hand and right hand issue within BT.

NorthernMatt
27 Nov '18

Doesn’t Virgn Media offer businesses broadband?

Peter_Campbell
27 Nov '18

Yes they do, nothing available for SE23 2LX though…

Peter_Campbell
28 Nov '18

Just got a reply from Openreach following my complaint:

"Sorry to hear about the issue you have raised regarding Superfast Broadband to your property.

I’ve checked with the Fibre Enquiries Team and they have confirmed that work is still ongoing, however the forecast date for completion is now March 2019.

Unfortunately dates can change and are not guaranteed.

I appreciate that this is disappointing news and can only apologise for the inconvenience this has caused."

I’ve waited so long thus far, March 2019 isn’t even that long away… Hopefully they will remain true to their word this time!!

anon51837532
28 Nov '18

Bad news I’m afraid.

This is the stock response of a type I have witnessed for three years, with a 4 to 6 month window being dangled in front of the potential customer.

Try the Chairman/CEO route and ask for certainty. To be told it is never coming or will take another two to three years is better than the open-ended prospect being offered in this reply.