We are desperate. We have been waiting for Sky and Openreach to install broadband at our Sussex home, and are starting to despair about whether it will ever happen.
The property is a recent conversion of an agricultural building, and while there is broadband to the neighbouring properties, there is none to our building.
We placed the order with Sky in June, which, in turn, asked Openreach to carry out the work but it keeps getting delayed, to our huge frustration.
We calculate we have accrued more than £2,000 in costs for having to travel to work, or other locations, because we are unable to work from home.
After many unexplained and egregious delays, Sky informed us by text on 22 February that our order could not, once again, be completed.
I fear we may never get broadband, even though all our neighbours have it, and the nearest telegraph pole is only 10 metres or so away.
I feel I’m caught in a nightmare from which there’s no escape.
SM, Sussex
Anyone buying or converting a property that previously didn’t have utilities connected, needs to factor in delays such as this when planning to move in, because stories such as this are not uncommon.
The contractor, Openreach, which manages the broadband network on behalf of telecoms companies such as Sky, BT and TalkTalk, often faces capacity and wiring problems, or needs to get permission to close roads and so on, to install the wiring.
That said, nine months is a crazy amount of time to be left waiting.
Happily, after I contacted Openreach, things moved pretty quickly, and within a few days your home was finally connected to the system, and you have broadband.
Openreach says the wait was mostly because of the delays in getting roadworks approved, “as civil engineering was required to sort connectivity”. You will be entitled to compensation – thought to be about £700 – but this will be handled by your supplier, Sky.
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