Can you help me please?

ericthefish · 05-08-2005, 18:38

Hi all,

Is there anyone out there who can help me find out who my telephone supplier is?

To explain...I've recently moved into a flat and wanted to get NTL broadband. I've no need for a telephone (and can't afford it at the moment anyway), so contacted NTL as I didn't need to have a phone line. Excellent, problem solved, or so I though. When I called to subscribe, NTL told me that there are a few flats that couldn't get broadband either side of me, as the cable dosen't reach them between the two boxes. They said that in this situation, I needed a BT phone line. That's where the problem began and two weeks later, I'm still no further forward.

I've a BT connection box and a socket witha large 'T' logo on it (apparently it's a BT logo from the eighties - just found out). The problem is that BT insist that they don't supply the line for the flat and indeed, that they never have. Contractors use BT boxes in some houses, even though it's not for a BT line I was told.

I contacted BT and as they've been in the past, their attitude and assistance, was a joke. Anyway, to cut a long story short...I don't know who the previously supplier was, as BT are adamant that it wasn't them. So how do you find out who it was then?

When I moved into the flat, I was given a number to call, to find out who my gas and electricity supplier was. Easy and made sense. Not so, with your telephone supplier (according to those charmers at BT of course). Apparently there isn't a number you can call to find this information...so how do you do it then?...this is farcical. Surely they must be wrong and that there indeed is a number I can call. If there isn't, then there's thousands of people in the same situation as myself. Logic tells me that there must be one. Please, please, please help me with this, it's driving me crazy, especially as I can't get the use of my computer at home.

Thanking you in anticipation,

Eric (ericthefish)

Roy MM · 05-08-2005, 18:50

to cable forum Eric.

Try this:- http://www.telecomsadvice.org.uk/ict_directory/?cat=49

ericthefish · 05-08-2005, 18:54

Thanks for the welcome Roy, much appreciated!

ETF

quadplay · 05-08-2005, 18:59

If you plug a phone into the socket, do you get a dialtone? If so, try dialling 150 or 151 and see who you get through to! If not, it's possible that although the box was installed, it's never been connected - in which case, BT will have to install a brand new line - for which they'll charge (ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£75, I think...)

ian@huth · 06-08-2005, 10:44

As jimbo said, many builders and developers have for some years installed telephone points as standard when building or refurbishing properties. These are usually wired from the master socket to the outside world with a loop of wire left for ultimate connection to the suppliers network when the resident decides he wants service. More often than not the wiring at the master socket is not connected to it but left coiled for the telecoms engineer to connect. I would take the face plate off of the master socket to see if it is actually connected or not.

The landlord, management company or builder of the flat should know if the flats were pre-wired for telecoms and if so where the main access point for them is. You could also knock on a few neighbouring doors to see what telecom, TV and broadband services they might have.

ericthefish · 06-08-2005, 17:17

Cheers Jimbo and Ian,

I've asked a couple of my new neighbours who it is that supplies their connection and they're BT and NTL, through a BT line.

I haven't tried a phone in the socket, as I assumed it would be dead, but I'm going to give that a go as soon as I get in later.

Thank very much for your help guys!

Have a great weekend.

Eric (ericthefish)