Workmen do some infrastructure upgrade on the street - Phoneline Kaput. Service?????

[KingstonHackdof]

Good PM - Really?

This morning some 3rd party cons started work outside replacing a box in the street. 

No notification to my knowledge hence I courteously queried as the work was adjacent to water meter points. Plenty of smelly fumes from their drilling (power engine/device)

This afternoon I wanted to make a call and my phone line has an echoee, crackle like background but no dial tone.

Well done Virgin Media. Usually quality of service!

I'm hacked off enough recently as I got a new upgrade box pushed onto me but nobody checked that I had a HDMI point on my TV. It is SCART only.  It is 16yrs old mind.  But, hassle and inconvenience.

When I did the online test an hour ago, the system reported my phone service is fine. Is this another great upgrade except it means an old phone won't work?????? Yes, the base/hand set is from over 20 years ago. 

Does VM have a right to force me to BUY a new phone - if that is the issue? Send me a replacement handset!  Note my username please. 

[KingstonHackdof]

Can you advise where you have reliance on BT Open Reach equipment in the circuitry.
Between your boundary box in the pavement installed on Saturday and the telephone point in my house?
Several years ago a fault developed on the phone system that meant OpenReach had to be called in.
They did some work on the point in the house and I assume something was done in the junction Box and all has been fine until yesterday. 

I'm concerned I could end up being charged because of VM doing some work then point finger at Open Reach eqpt and I'm piggy in the middle. 
The technician discovers that the fault or problem relates to any system that we are not responsible for

News from places like Swadlincote shows on a bigger scale how cable-laying can mess up services. A single phoneline is rather different I accept but landline usage is falling away greatly. We've also had all the controversy about the digital switchover on landlines rendering many alarm systems defunct. 

[Carley_S]

Hi @KingstonHackdof

The technician should advise what the issue is and what caused it. Of course, if the issue is caused by BT Open reach's cables then there is no charge to the customer for the appointment. Please keep us updated with how the appointment goes and what the tech advises. 

[KingstonHackdof]

The techie turned up and the fact the old line was bust didn't come into the equation. All the time spent moving stuff to provide easy access to the old BT point was wasted time. All nugatory effort.  

He used the visit to make me move my phone base unit upstairs and linked it in to the VM Broadband Hub. He got some configuration changes done centrally and was then on his way as the phone service worked. No fault at all with Daniel but there is a wider issue for Virgin Media to explain. 

Why did a 3rd party doing some upgrade work in the street break my phone connection?  I've learnt from neighbours that the whole work with new cables etc, down to the substation/junction box, on Saturday was driven by a single phoneline service. For someone else or mine? New customer's service paramount so stuff impact on existing ones or simply a terrible management of the technology rollout if it really was for me?

What consultation was made with me about this need to put one's phone hub into the Broadband Hub?

I've really got better things to do with my time than having so much taken away since Saturday cos of Virgin Media. Especially the lack of responses on this forum on Saturday meaning I kept checking repeatedly for hours whether there was any update/response!

What is all the hours of my time worth? 

[Vikki_M]

Hi @KingstonHackdof

Thank you for the update.

We apologise for the fault with the phone line. This wouldn't have been intentional and we always aim to resolve any fault regardless of the cause at our earliest opportunity.

With regards to the work the engineer has done, the traditional copper-wire landline technology is being replaced by digital, meaning people across the UK will need an internet connection in order to place a phone call.

This is the same for all phone providers in the UK and a government requirement. All UK phone line customers will be switched to digital over the next few years and many have already.

The engineer likely did this for you as he had the opportunity and it would save you needing a further visit in the future. 

I am happy to send you a private message if you would like to raise a complaint and I can advise further for you. 

Please pop back to me when you can. 

[KingstonHackdof]

Thanks Vikki - I already raised a formal complaint but just wanted to complete what I was asked to do, namely report on this forum how things went.
I am slightly techie/business and aware of the copper abolition but there have been serious issues with elderly peoples' personal alarm systems becoming ineffective.
I've worked on enough big projects too to know things go wrong but is my house the first to have this upgrade?
Like I put, Daniel was not at fault at all, just feel my time can be better spent and a bit of comms to potentially affected clients would help. Your upgrade project mgt could ensure clients are warned and organise a handful of visits when this sort of thing goes on. It's been very unexpected and stressful as a consequence.

I'm sure you or any VM client would feel similar in my shoes after this ordeal.

Not helped by the tv Box upgrade backfiring cos of my old technology. I just happen to be environmentally conscious and like to get full life out of stuff. The TV is > 16yrs, landline phone units are >20yrs old and the mobile 19. Perhaps it is time for me to have a tech refresh 🙂

[Vikki_M]

Hi @KingstonHackdof

I don't have the details of the work that was being done on that day, however the switch over is a process we are doing by area and we do contact our customers well in advance so they can arrange with us for the switch to take please. 

The work in your area shouldn't have caused your land line to fault, this wouldn't have been intentional.

To clarify, even if the work was to do with the digital switch over, your service shouldn't have been affected.

If this was planned maintenance that was likely to cause an interruption in service for customers in the area, this would have been updated on our service page and we send written notice in advance also. 

I am happy to take ownership of the complaint for you if you would like?

Please let me know and If so I will send you a private message. 

[KingstonHackdof]

Thanks Vikki - Complaint reference: C-2305221160 -