Chorus forgetting they've installed Fibre?

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CamH

564 posts

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#171349 14-Apr-2015 21:54

This is a strange issue and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced similar. In our day-to-day business we sell UFB for our managed IT / VoIP services. A core client is a landlord of an office building divided into 23 units.

Back in May last year, Chorus began the Fibre build in the building following the long and arduous consents and design process. It took around five months for the build to complete with the service company having to re-do the build over and over again because of poor communication between Chorus / Downer (I believe?) and the service company. In the end however, we ended up with a nice looking build, with two FATs (one for each level) and Fibre coiled up above each tenancy and a pre-spliced / labelled setup so the technician simply had to put an ONT on the wall for each tenant.

In November we finally had two connections livened. The technicians struggled to find the FATs and get the connections live, but it did happen eventually. Since then, we've managed to get a further two connections installed, however Chorus has now completely forgotten that they've put Fibre in this building. Despite providing pictures of FATs, Council / DP Lot Numbers, ASIDs for live connections etc, they simply claim that this building just can't get Fibre and none of this now exists - there wasn't a build here.

Has anyone else experienced this? The service company installing the equipment into the building estimated it at close to $20,000. Surely you can't just lose information about something you've spent $20,000 on?

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BigPipe

#1283305 14-Apr-2015 22:09

We've seen this at least once. (unlikely to be the same building since we only do residential fibre)

Got there in the end after quite a bit of back and forth with Chorus, but yes quite annoying for the customer (and makes us look stupid)

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BarTender

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#1283306 14-Apr-2015 22:13

Live ASIDs and the serial numbers off the back of the ONTs. Then have a long protracted conversation with the provisioning teams about it.

MDUs are worse. But the new Chorus Portal has improved things greatly.

InstallerUFB

840 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1283356 14-Apr-2015 23:03

This may have happened due to resent change over in the databases that handle the fibre allocations and records in the Chorus UFB world - from the old records system designed to handle copper records buit up from the old manual circuit record books from the 60/70s (but in an electronic form), which wasnt not realy suitable to handle the way the new fibre network works, and the relativly new Graphical base tool which can handle the compex fibre records both in a graphical layout format and as a back end database for allocation etc,

Your MDU may have been put into the old system, when the network was buit, so that customers waiting could be hooked up - but the records may not have been fully built into the new one yet which has taken over the allocation and recording roll.

ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#1283358 14-Apr-2015 23:09

Surely logic would dictate if a fibre install is not found in the new system, that the old system be checked to confirm? Particularly if it is known that migration may be incomplete?

sbiddle

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Biddle Corp

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#1283397 15-Apr-2015 07:13

ubergeeknz: Surely logic would dictate if a fibre install is not found in the new system, that the old system be checked to confirm? Particularly if it is known that migration may be incomplete?

Surely you've realised by now nothing works logically in the telco world?

CamH

564 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1284408 15-Apr-2015 08:13

InstallerUFB: This may have happened due to resent change over in the databases that handle the fibre allocations and records in the Chorus UFB world - from the old records system designed to handle copper records buit up from the old manual circuit record books from the 60/70s (but in an electronic form), which wasnt not realy suitable to handle the way the new fibre network works, and the relativly new Graphical base tool which can handle the compex fibre records both in a graphical layout format and as a back end database for allocation etc,

Your MDU may have been put into the old system, when the network was buit, so that customers waiting could be hooked up - but the records may not have been fully built into the new one yet which has taken over the allocation and recording roll.

I don't think this building has ever been put into any system - Chorus, even when scoping requires that we show them where the FATs are - there aren't, and weren't any records of them.

It's a bit of a shame, they won't even come out and check to verify that it exists, so we're left with having to run CAT6 everywhere, using second ONTs on existing connections, livening second ports etc to get the service to customers. A bit of a waste of the install that Chorus spent so long and so much money on.

ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#1284635 15-Apr-2015 12:14

sbiddle:
ubergeeknz: Surely logic would dictate if a fibre install is not found in the new system, that the old system be checked to confirm? Particularly if it is known that migration may be incomplete?

Surely you've realised by now nothing works logically in the telco world?

Touche.

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Zeon

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#1284654 15-Apr-2015 12:31

Some ideas:

Claim a fault on one of the existing circuits and wait for Chorus to tell you its impossible for it to exist... even though it exists...
Order a new install and wait for them to come and replace everything that is there

Seriously, if you are sending them photos, information this has been done etc. and they still can't accept it maybe just rip it out and say you aren't damaging anything as it doesn't exist.. I can appreciate there may be problems with systems but if the humans there aren't smart enough to get that their system is wrong then maybe wasting money and doing a nice blog article about it could help encourage them to deal with things logically.

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Aredwood

3885 posts

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#1285131 15-Apr-2015 21:15

Presumably Chorus is billing someone for the use of these connections. So is it possible to trace back some details through the billing system?

DarkShadow

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#1285143 15-Apr-2015 21:39

What happens if you look up the already connected places on Chorus Portal? Do they show up?

CamH

564 posts

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#1285207 15-Apr-2015 22:45

DarkShadow: What happens if you look up the already connected places on Chorus Portal? Do they show up?

The existing orders show up and are fine, however when it comes to ordering new connections, we select a unit number, it only shows copper available. An order is put through manually and rejected due to Fibre service not being available. Then it's just a back and forward discussion about how Fibre does or does not exist in the building, and ends with them providing a SAM ID to put a new order in under.

This SAM ID is the one for the main building and so whenever we submit on this, we get a service already present, and therefore rejected. Once they send out a Chorus tech who said the order had been put through as a second ONT and therefore couldn't install.

Zeon

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#1285210 15-Apr-2015 22:48

CamH:
DarkShadow: What happens if you look up the already connected places on Chorus Portal? Do they show up?

The existing orders show up and are fine, however when it comes to ordering new connections, we select a unit number, it only shows copper available. An order is put through manually and rejected due to Fibre service not being available. Then it's just a back and forward discussion about how Fibre does or does not exist in the building, and ends with them providing a SAM ID to put a new order in under.

This SAM ID is the one for the main building and so whenever we submit on this, we get a service already present, and therefore rejected. Once they send out a Chorus tech who said the order had been put through as a second ONT and therefore couldn't install.

Seriously WTF? Is there no process or people who can sort this out at Chorus?

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Jase2985

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#1285288 16-Apr-2015 07:51

all it would take it someone poping out having a quick look and realising they have made a mistake, would take 30 mins tops

CamH

564 posts

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#1285345 16-Apr-2015 09:29

Jase2985: all it would take it someone poping out having a quick look and realising they have made a mistake, would take 30 mins tops

You would think so, but instead, they seem to prefer the method of having the order go back to Complex Design and then processing it 3 months later when they finally realise....

chevrolux

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#1285752 16-Apr-2015 17:27

Jase2985: all it would take it someone poping out having a quick look and realising they have made a mistake, would take 30 mins tops

You have assumed at least one person at Chorus has some common sense. This is just not the case.

We get this often too. Multi-tenant office blocks which have all been cabled out with Fibre suddenly 'don't have fibre' according to Chorus.

ICMS has always been known as 'I See a Mess' and I can only assume the new tracings system will be just as bad because at the end of the day if you put sh1t in you get sh1t out.

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