ISP Home Wiring Confusion Affects Some UK BT Superfast Broadband Installs

BTOpenreach has apologised after some of its engineers were left unable to perform the Home Wiring Solution as part of their superfast broadband (FTTC and FTTP) installations because ISPs had incorrectly assumed that they no longer needed to give specific authorisation for it.

The Home Wiring Solution, which allows a BT engineer to shift the NTE socket or install a data extension kit (e.g. moving the phone sockets/wires nearer to your TV), was originally an optional module until May 2011 when Openreach announced that it would be included within the price of a standard GEA-FTTC and or GEA-FTTP connection (here).

It’s believed that this change caused several unnamed ISPs to assume that they didn’t need to authorise the Home Wiring Solution on related service orders which, much to the customers’ potential annoyance, meant that BT’s engineers weren’t allowed to perform the necessary work. See.. even some ISPs don’t always read the small print 🙂 .

In reality the GEA contract specified that ISPs still needed to give the authorisation in order to “ensure that our engineers comply with the criteria you have completed in your orders and make a note of the work that they undertook within the order,” said Openreach.

Openreach said that they “apologise for any confusion” and reminded ISPs to include the correct authorisation, while Engineers have been similarly briefed about the situation; a system design change is also being explored. It’s not known how many installs might have been affected.