UFB Installation troubles

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › UFB Installation troubles

mroarsome

37 posts

Geek

Topic # 112163 28-Nov-2012 12:50

We have just purchased a house in Churton Park and moved in over the weekend. Prior to moving in, I scheduled an UFB installation for the Monday just gone well in advance and was told Chorus would scope out the neighbourhood prior. I stayed home on the installation Monday and to my excitement 3 Chorus vans pulled up at around 9am with 3 workers eager to get started. However, after about 5 minutes they knocked on the door and said there was some bad news. As my section had been subdivided, the green fibre box was located at the end of the driveway on the wrong side - they would need to dig up my or the neighbours driveway to get it into the house! They came up with a plan to intercept the fibre running along the front of my house but would require escalation to the 'build team'.

Anyway, nothing has happened since then - only 2 days I know, but when i say nothing I mean nothing - no update, no contact. Not to sound like a whining teenager, but I do a lot of freelance work in the evenings and my partner works a lot from home as well and having no internet for even 3 days is painful! Just curious to hear if any one else has been in a similar situation? I wonder if its worth getting ADSL on in the interim? How long does it typically take to get an DSL connection put in these days?

LennonNZ

2337 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 373

Trusted

Reply # 724155 28-Nov-2012 12:52

And what has your ISP said?

mroarsome

37 posts

Geek

Reply # 724157 28-Nov-2012 12:57

They (Snap) have been as helpful as they can, but have told me that Chorus will be in direct contact with me (no time frame when that will be). I don't have a contact for Chorus - just been told during a phone call its been assigned and escalated to the 'build team'...

Try Wrike: fast, easy, and efficient project collaboration software

wongtop

537 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 37

Reply # 724195 28-Nov-2012 14:05

Why not buy 12GB of mobile broadband data on 2degrees to tide you over until they get you sorted. Probably cheaper / faster than a temporary ADSL install, unless Snap are willing to waive some fees for a temporary install until you can get fibre sorted.

mroarsome

37 posts

Geek

Reply # 724200 28-Nov-2012 14:12

Yeah I looked into that already - oddly we do not have 3G coverage where we live, even 2G is crap with only 2 bars on my phone and constant dropped calls!

I looked into getting a booster but for $200 + installation cost on a 2 storey house I think I will pass.

In saying that I have only looked at 2degrees/Vodafone - so will look into Telecom's coverage...

mroarsome

37 posts

Geek

Reply # 724541 29-Nov-2012 09:50

I grabbed a Telecom XT $59 T-stick with 2GB data included yesterday. Seems to do the job for the interim and it gets pretty good service compared to Vodafone/2 Degrees - not exactly fibre speeds, but will do for now...

Still no contact from Chorus, have tried their 0800 number about 10 or so times now asking more and more questions and no one seems to be able to help me. Called snap and they have no other information either. I have no idea what to do...

I would suggest to anyone else looking at getting UFB to first get a no contract ADSL connection in place and then try to implement UFB that way you have a fall back. If I had known there was zero accountability from both Snap and Chorus I would of never have gone down this road. What a joke....

sbiddle

26202 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5799

Moderator

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 724552 29-Nov-2012 10:18

You aren't a Chorus customer so aren't going to have much luck contacting them directly. Your relationship is with your ISP so they should always be your point of contact.

As for the timeframe to get DSL installed? That can be as quick as the same day, it depends entirely on the situation and whether wiring is required.

Shared driveways require the permission of all involved before any work can occur. Cable also can't cross other properties to get to yours.

mroarsome

37 posts

Geek

Reply # 724561 29-Nov-2012 10:28

I guess the problem for me is that Chorus could turn up this afternoon, or they could turn up in a week or even a month - I just don't know. Neither Snap or I have any idea what is going on with Chorus. Snap just keep telling me that Chorus will be in direct contact with me and not them. I would ideally just like a concrete date on when they are coming back to complete the installation. It would be a bit counter-productive to organise an ADSL connection if they are coming back today or tomorrow. But I have no idea who can give me this information... Snap certainly can not.

I've given my partner the appropriate details to make some calls, she has a lot more 'energy' than me so hopefully she can get to the right people!

petercad

88 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 11

Reply # 724819 29-Nov-2012 18:50

I'm in the same situation, both physically and with UFB installation
Snap is the ISP in my case too, just playing a waiting game now, been a week with the usual "Chorus will get in touch" email, will be chasing it if no news by Wednesday next week
Have received the FritzBox though, if that's any indication that something may happen.....

InstallerUFB

808 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 206

Subscriber

Reply # 724890 29-Nov-2012 21:16

mroarsome:<snip>. As my section had been subdivided, the green fibre box was located at the end of the driveway on the wrong side - they would need to dig up my or the neighbours driveway to get it into the house! They came up with a plan to intercept the fibre running along the front of my house but would require escalation to the 'build team'. <snip>

Ok here is a basic run down as to what happens (time lines are general timeings and are not specific to your job)

The crew that came to make your connection would have been an installation team, they are only contracted (and therefored payed) to make alterations to the conduits from the Pedistal (Green Box) to your house, inside your property but not to make alterations to the network structure outside of the boundary.

What they would have done, when they found out that the pedistal was not in a position that they could have connected you from, was to have your install job put on hold and provided information back to chorus of the issues

The team that handle these issues @ chorus would have requested a design quote from the local network contractor (may be the same company but not the same people as the install team)

This request would be handled on the priority set by chorus along with all the other minor design jobs in your area. 14days

design approval or rejection would then be done by chorus 7days

if approved - Build quote created and submitted 40days

Build Quote approval or rejection - Chorus 14days

if approved - resourse (human and material) would be scheduled for the job / permits / locates requested and gained (council and other utility providers) / build job done / reinstament etc . 140days

(During this time you RSP will likely to only be informed that your installation request could not be completed and is on hold for network build )

on competion your instll request wiill be taken off hold (in association with your RSP) then the install job will be sent out to the installation team to come back and connect up to the new pedistal

- in saying all this someone from the build team could turn up tomorrow to do the work and your installation job could be on again next week

mattgreen

127 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 5

Reply # 724953 29-Nov-2012 23:25

Wow if it could be that long I'd personally be asking Snap about getting a temporary ADSL/VDSL connection livened up. The Fritz!Box will work for that and they can RQ it once the UFB install is done.

mroarsome

37 posts

Geek

Reply # 725001 30-Nov-2012 08:38

That's a crazy amount of time, I could build my new house all over again on another section in the same time! No wonder the uptake of UFB is so low!

That's exactly what I have done. Snap should be setting up a temp ADSL connection for the interim either today or by Monday.

Noodles

459 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 83

Reply # 725025 30-Nov-2012 09:28

You may not want to hear this but our street went live on UFB in May 2012. Our installation order went into Snap in July, we just got UFB yesterday. I would look into getting a temporary connection until you can get UFB.

It's quite an involved install process, we had Chrous visit our office about 10 times over ~2 weeks to complete the install. That probably included 2 days where the techs were splicing fibre on the street and another 2 when they were pulling it into the building.

Speaking to the tech from Chorus (outsourced to CableNet) they're busy right up to Christmas and apparently ISPs aren't putting through any new orders.

InstallerUFB

808 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 206

Subscriber

Reply # 725307 30-Nov-2012 20:31

mroarsome: That's a crazy amount of time, I could build my new house all over again on another section in the same time! No wonder the uptake of UFB is so low!

As I said the timelines I gave are only general and not specific to UFB but to all minor works on all networks (both copper & fibre)

I would say the low uptake of UFB at this early stage in the project (we are only about halfway through yr 2 of 10 ) network build has more to do with the priorities set by CFH along with the small number of RSP (ISPs) offerings that are generaly available rather the retrofitting/modifiying the communial infrastructer to meet individual installs

mroarsome

37 posts

Geek

Reply # 725311 30-Nov-2012 21:00

InstallerUFB:

As I said the timelines I gave are only general and not specific to UFB but to all minor works on all networks (both copper & fibre)

I would say the low uptake of UFB at this early stage in the project (we are only about halfway through yr 2 of 10 ) network build has more to do with the priorities set by CFH along with the small number of RSP (ISPs) offerings that are generaly available rather the retrofitting/modifiying the communial infrastructer to meet individual installs

Sorry, I just realised I ungratefully didn't actually thank you for your very informative information previously - I do appreciate it so thank you! I have little understanding of the UFB installation process and certainly didn't realise there were potentially two separate contractors involved. For me, the communication seems a little lacking during the whole process.

To date, other than your forum post neither Snap nor myself have heard from Chorus, if the expectation was set that it would take 14 days for them to get in contact then that would be fine, but the technician on site told me verbally the 'build team' would be in contact within 2-3days which obviously is not true.

And to clarify, the underlining reason behind my issue is that the pedestal (greenbox) is in the worst position in regard to any house around it! It is surrounded by concrete and retaining walls... I suspect that it was put in prior to the houses and driveways on the street being built!

DarthKermit

Talk DIrtY to me
4205 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2245

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 725318 30-Nov-2012 21:15

After reading the above hassles that some people have had with installation, I think that (if and when I want to go ahead with an UFB installation), I would do as much of the donkey work my self as possible.

EG, dig a trench across our front lawn, go under the path and out to the fibre pillar. That should help the situation.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?