Any alternatives to Chorus? Cannot get VDSL or fibre connected/repaired

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Any alternatives to Chorus? Cannot get VDSL or fibre connected/repaired

brickman14nz

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#295601 9-Apr-2022 09:32

I have recently moved house in Auckland and have spent 3 months trying to get Chorus to 1. connect up fibre or 2. reconnect a damaged copper cable that was broken when a storm took out the power pole outside my house.

Orcon/Slingshot have advised VDSL as a fallback saying Chorus can take up to a year to connect a 10m fibre cable but even this seems not possible.

I call them every day to report network damage and every day the ticket is closed as 'resolved' with technician notes despite the fact that no one ever comes to the address. I work from home and look out over the cable and power pole but cannot get anyone at Chorus to care!

Chorus appear to have an absolute service monopoly but do not seem to care about providing the 'service' part... their call centre staff also appear to have no concerns about the tickets being fiction and there appears to be no quality assurance over their network of subcontracted subcontractors.

Can anyone suggest an alterative internet option? I'm using Vodafone 4G at present but it's slow.

Any advice gratefully received! I be more than happy to pay any passing Chorus tech cash to get this resolved

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#2898913 9-Apr-2022 09:39

Have you considered any of the local WISP companies or, failing that, Starlink?

brickman14nz

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#2898917 9-Apr-2022 09:51

I did look at Wireless Nation but figured their 4G was going to be the same speed as Vodafone 4G so not a lot of upside, unless I'm wrong on that?

A mate living rural did suggest Starlink but indicated a $1500 set-up cost and I just can't warrant spending that when I live in urban Auckland and he's south of the Bombays.

I'd happily pay a Chorus tech to turn up and do the simple cabling repair but - noting Covid - they just seem to be mythical creatures randomly closing tickets with fictional site notes...

Ge0rge

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#2898922 9-Apr-2022 10:01

I guess without knowing a whole lot more information, it's very hard to say why Chorus aren't coming to the party - @Wheelbarrow01 maybe able to help but no guarantees.

I'd also argue that, if you are working from home and require a better connection than 4g, $1500 for Starlink is not that much to pay. Just because you are urban doesn't necessarily mean that fibre is available to your address. As an example, I'm just outside of an urban area by about 400m. There is fibre running past my gate, less than 3m away, however if I want to connect to it I'm looking at $mid-five figures...

Not trying to justify any particular behaviour by any company, but it could be a case of not simply hooking the fibre up. I would also be very surprised if any crowd would consider connecting copper up - considering they are actively drawing those systems down.

raytaylor

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#2899186 9-Apr-2022 20:38

Order a new VDSL connection with "connection and wiring". A technician will come to the house and confirm it is connected. They cant close the ticket until its connected.

Recently had one where the house didnt have an active phone line for several years and they had to get the cable locators out to find the cable, which went down the hill at the back of the property to another street, and repair it.

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RunningMan

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#2899188 9-Apr-2022 21:23

brickman14nz:[snip]

I call them every day to report network damage and every day the ticket is closed as 'resolved' with technician notes despite the fact that no one ever comes to the address.

Who is the them you are calling? Chorus or your ISP? You need to order a connection, not report network damage. Why can't you order fibre?

cyril7

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#2899237 9-Apr-2022 21:37

So, did you in this residents have an active fibre connection running, if yes then it has to be, must be, restored, and this is handled by your ISP.

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nztim

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#2899241 9-Apr-2022 21:42

Pinging @wheelbarrow01 can you get this blokes copper cable fixed?

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Jase2985

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#2899388 10-Apr-2022 12:10

nztim: Pinging @wheelbarrow01 can you get this blokes copper cable fixed?

or get fiber installed

Kiwifruta

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#2899408 10-Apr-2022 13:30

BTW Starlink is $1,165 for the set up and $159/month for the service.
https://www.starlink.com/

Calling Chorus everyday won’t help because their system only allows one open ticket at a time per service. Subsequent orders are rejected until the existing ticket is completed.

quickymart

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#2899522 10-Apr-2022 15:33

And calling Chorus is pointless - they can't progress the order or see what's going on with any copper orders.

I'd be on the phone to Orcon/Slingshot giving them a good rark-up to get this sorted for you, that's what you're paying them for.

Where is this in Auckland? Which area? What's happening with your fibre order?

In the interim, Ray is right - order a new connection + wiring and this will require a tech to visit and get everything connected up for you. Logging Network Damage tickets won't get you reconnected, and also you can't just "pay a Chorus tech cash" to get this resolved, they are not allowed to do that.

brickman14nz

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#2899536 10-Apr-2022 16:34

Thanks all for the feedback and ideas - I'm in Manukau and there was a working copper phone line before the tornado took out the power pole last year.

I've never managed to get anyone to reattach the dangling cable from the house to the network <10m away and whilst my neighbours on both sides have fibre - Chorus actually market 'fibre for free' in our area - I can't get Chorus to connect that up either. 3 months of trying so far but I'm told the average wait is 9 months and I can literally see the box outside.

Orcon/Slingshot have lodged multiple requests into Chorus for both fibre and VDSL connections and I'm trying a pincer movement calling both the ISP and the network owner daily to get someone out - surely it can't be that hard!

Despite promises by Orcon and Chorus for the last 72 hours, no sign of anyone to connect me and a call to Chorus just now promised someone would 'be here by 5pm today' (yeah right).

I would happily pay for an engineer to turn up and do the job, it would likely take less than an hour to resolve. Is there any way to identify an authorised subcontractor and call them direct?

I think a grand on Starlink sounds like a plan B worth investigating now just to bypass this cabling chaos.

Handle9

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#2899543 10-Apr-2022 16:54

Tell your ISP that you wish to make a formal complaint about the (lack of) service provided. Tell them that this is in preparation for a complaint to the TDR and request a reference number.

If you have done this already, and it's been 6 weeks, then you can make a complaint to the TDR.

Realistically this won't resolve your issue but it will escalate it and put it on the radar of more senior management of your ISP and likely chorus.

While it's not your ISP causing this issue it's their problem to manage with Chorus. You can not and should not be in the middle of their contractual and service mess.

RunningMan

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#2899544 10-Apr-2022 16:55

Perhaps one that @ChorusNZ could comment on. If a tordano took out a power pole and Chorus use that pole as well, they may be at the mercy of the lines company or similar awaiting for replacement.

quickymart

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#2899545 10-Apr-2022 17:01

brickman14nz:

I would happily pay for an engineer to turn up and do the job, it would likely take less than an hour to resolve. Is there any way to identify an authorised subcontractor and call them direct?

No, they won't be able to assist you. As Handle9 says this is up to your provider to manage and sort out.

For more information as to why the techs won't do a "cashie", please see here: https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=293319&page_no=2#2850583

What's the status of your fibre order?

brickman14nz

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#2899548 10-Apr-2022 17:25

Thanks again for replies, I've spoken to Orcon just now and they're firmly of the opinion the cut copper cable is a Chorus network fix and there's nothing they can do on their side.

They have completed the VDSL order and are ready to run a test to confirm but obviously there's no cable between the modem in the house and the network in the street!

I have pictures to share showing the box on the house and power pole 5m away but can't post them. I'll just keep trying to get Chorus to send a tech and reinstate the line.

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