New build house - need landline connection

puppycats

We're in a new build house, we have the eircom cable and ducting done and brought up to our gate as advised by eircom.

We have contacted eircom to try to get the landline connected. After many, many months of trying to get to speak to the right person in eircom an engineer came out to look at the junction box, which is out on the road. He told me the box was damaged and needed repairs done to it before he could connect our line. I don't know if these repairs were ever done.

Having heard nothing back for another few months eventually eircom customer service informed us that there are no landlines left on our road and that the only phoneline they could provide us with is basically a mobile phone with a landline number that can't be used for connecting to broadband.

Can this actually be true in this day and age? You've 'run out' of phone lines?

We were also told that for broadband we would first have to get a landline connection, sign up to a 6 month contract, the landline would then be tested to see if it was suitable for broadband, and if it wasn't we would be stuck with the landline for the full 6 months.

I honestly can't believe any of what I have been told by eircom over the phone. Can you please tell me what to do now? We need a landline for a braodband connection. Our nearest exchange is in Arklow, Co.Wicklow, but we are actually north Wexford (about a 10 minute drive from the exchange in Arklow)

I would really appreciate any help you can give me on this matter.

eircom: Ant

puppycats wrote: »

We're in a new build house, we have the eircom cable and ducting done and brought up to our gate as advised by eircom.

We have contacted eircom to try to get the landline connected. After many, many months of trying to get to speak to the right person in eircom an engineer came out to look at the junction box, which is out on the road. He told me the box was damaged and needed repairs done to it before he could connect our line. I don't know if these repairs were ever done.

Having heard nothing back for another few months eventually eircom customer service informed us that there are no landlines left on our road and that the only phoneline they could provide us with is basically a mobile phone with a landline number that can't be used for connecting to broadband.

Can this actually be true in this day and age? You've 'run out' of phone lines?

We were also told that for broadband we would first have to get a landline connection, sign up to a 6 month contract, the landline would then be tested to see if it was suitable for broadband, and if it wasn't we would be stuck with the landline for the full 6 months.

I honestly can't believe any of what I have been told by eircom over the phone. Can you please tell me what to do now? We need a landline for a braodband connection. Our nearest exchange is in Arklow, Co.Wicklow, but we are actually north Wexford (about a 10 minute drive from the exchange in Arklow)

I would really appreciate any help you can give me on this matter.

Thanks puppycats,

I appreciate your situation and that you do require a fixed phoneline in order to get decent broadband. It does sound like your residence is in a location, that is not be widely covered by Adsl fixed line broadband.

Local engineers will obviously know the lay out and be able to advise you further on the feasibility of broadband in your area.

My advice would be to free call 1901 or Broadband Sales on 1800 503303 and request a new phoneline. If a new phoneline build is possible, then engineers will be assigned to implement this. A new phoneline activation will come under a fixed contract and it would be quite normal for telephone providers to request this in view of the commitment involved. The installation itself would be free of charge however.

If you are not aware already, there is no guarantee whatsoever that Adsl fixed broadband can be ever provided, even in an densely urban area. This goes for whether the premises is next door to the telephone exchange. With this in mind, a phoneline will invariably need tested by our eircom engineers before it does pre-qualify for Adsl fixed line broadband.

One way you can normally tell if this is the case is to ask your neighbours if they have or can avail of fixed line broadband. This is a good way of judging whether your own premises may qualify for fixed line broadband. As advised above there is no cast iron guarantee that fixed broadband can ever be provided, until the actual phone line it is completely tested..

You mention you were advised by Customer Care that there were no phonelines left or available in your area. They may have meant there are 'no spares'. Sometimes exchange ports in the local exchange may be referred to as 'spares'/ This does not mean there is no actual telephone cable and they may have meant that your local exchange would not be fully compatible with your location in relation to with Adsl fixed line broadband.

From the description, you are most likely reside in an 'amber' or 'Extended reach' region. In general it is sometimes difficult to provide Adsl fixed phoneline broadband, or faster speeds, to a premises that is 2.5KM or more from the local exchange. This goes for all fixed phoneline Adsl and is not a reflection on your location, but is a limitation of the actual Adsl technology. In most cases, telephone providers will provide rate adaptive type broadband. This means that the broadband provider will try their best to provide the optimum speed available. In most cases, to be fair, eircom will always try to do this; where often others may not even attempt to.

Therefore, as advised above, please call our Service Team and request a phoneline while there is a promotion on for a new build, activation and installation. The service Team may have to re-appraise your situation and may need to call you back to confirm feasibility of this. I apologise for any delay in the implementation so far.

Let me know if I can help you further.

Best wishes,
Ant