Broadband if you shout loud enough.

PlainMan

I live in a remote part of Wicklow more than 3 KM from a recently upgraded exchange. I have been told on several occasions by Eircom that my line fails the suitability test as do all my neighbours bar one. This one neighbour told me just yesterday that he had written to complain to Tony O Reilly (chairman Eircom) copying the Minister for Communications demanding that Eircom provide a broadband service. Within 2 days his line miracously passed the suitability test and his adsl modem was delivered today with installation planned next week.

Are all the EIRCOM excuses just rubbish to keep us out of their hair or have they some way to bend those laws of physics if you are prepared to shout loudly enough about it.

formatman

what exchange in Wicklow was it out of couriosity?

PlainMan

Exchange is Rathdrum.

PlainMan

Comments: Dear Customer Care,

I note that despite the recent upgrading of the Rathdrum exchange to support ADSL my telephone line continues to fail for broadband suitability. I run an internet software business from home and broadband is essential. I registered interest in broadband on the Eircom site many times in the past. A neighbour (farther from the
exchange) has passed the suitability test and expects broadband to be installed within days. So it is clearly not a technical issue and only relates to Eircoms willingness to fulfill its obligations. I want and need broadband service and will not accept anything less.

Your urgent attention required.

Regards,

PlainMan

Thank you for contacting eircom customer care management with your email dated 23/6/05.
I'm terribly sorry that you were unable to avail of the eircom Broadband service but unfortunately I am unable to provide you with any further details regarding this other than the possible reasons stated above.
eircom is making every effort to roll out the broadband service to as many customers as possible but unfortunately this is not feasible in all cases. Once again I apologise on behalf of eircom that you were unable to avail of the broadband service.




Kind Regards,
Simon
eircom Customer Care Management
ccm@eircom.ie

PlainMan

Dear Simon,

I quote from your reply "..other than the possible reasons stated above".

Please note that there are no reasons given in your email for Eircom's failure to provide me with a Broadband service. The fact that there are no physical differences between my neighbour's phone line (given), both equidistant from the exchange, both using ISDN (therefore not pair-gained), both new houses implies that there is in fact no reason.

I cannot and will not accept to be fobbed off when my business and livelihood depend on having an always on internet service.

De Rebel

Plainman

I suggest you read this article and go that route. Apparantly it works!

If the eircom call centre droids won't sort it on this basis, contact McRedmond directly and ask him to put his money where his mouth is. PM me if you need his e-mail address.

PlainMan

Cc David McRedmond (Commercial Director)

I refer you to the AMBER programme and quote from a recent Interview given by David McRedmond.

“From 27 May, any Eircom customer who is linked to a broadband-enabled exchange will be guaranteed a service so long as they place an order. The two exceptions will be customers who live too far from the exchange to receive broadband – the current limit for DSL coverage is 4.5km from an exchange – and those whose lines have been split to carry other operators.

Speaking to siliconrepublic.com, David McRedmond, commercial director of Eircom, said the initiative would allow the percentage of broadband-ready lines to be increased from 78pc to 90pc. “We’re calling it the amber programme. Currently customers are given either a green light – yes they can receive broadband or a red light to say no they can’t. Now we’re saying to them that they’ll qualify on the basis of a firm order.”

This morning I attempted to place a ‘firm order’ for Broadband Home Plus. I failed to complete the order because your site said

“There are no PSTN lines associated with this account number. Please select another account number or call 1800 503 503.”

I do of course have an ISDN connection not a PSTN line. Do your line tests still fail automatically on ISDN lines as they used to?

By the way – 1800 503 503 responds as an invalid number.

I await your instructions,

---

Let's see what happens next.

Mr_Man

I went this route last year with both email and normal mail and did not even get the courtesy of an acknowledgement from McRedmond or his office. I then went up the ladder and contact Dr Phil, who at least tried to do something, but in the end I got nowhere.

Maybe the new more caring, sharing, McRedmond will deign to answer your communication, and miracle of miracles even get you broadband.....

M.

PlainMan

Got a letter in the post purporting to be from Eircom.. I say purporting because it was on plain paper (no logo, no originating information), hand-written address, not dated, no indication showing who it was from and no mention of any specifics of my request. The letter also speaks conspicously of Eircom in the third person. Why? Do they not want to put on record that Eircom has refused to provide me with a broadband connection?

The contents of the letter provide all the same information as before but this time on paper...wow. I guess they hope that I will take it more seriously! Not a chance.

juliuspret

Would it be possible for you to scan and upload it...for records?

WillieFlynn

You could try doing what some one I know did in Dublin when his line failed about two years ago.

He rang Eircoms customer service few times a day for over two weeks......... It got to the point that when one day he was a little late calling, he was asked "what happened? your late calling, we were expecting your call at ten".

To stop the calls they installed (free of chatge) a new phone line to his house, so that he could get broadband. Gave him the business broadband product for the price of the home one.

zuma

An annoying but effective guerrilla campaign!!!

PlainMan

Dear Liam,

I received a letter in the post in recent days purporting to respond to my Eircom Broadband Query. I guess that this was some (automatic) response to enquiries to try and fob off the customer. Or is it more sinister?

Firstly the letter is on plain paper, undated and showing no markings of origin. It is signed with a scrawl but no indication of the senders name or position in the company. It contains what would appear to be standard text with no reference to my specific enquiries. It refers to Eircom in the third person and therefore I can only assume that the letter is not in fact from Eircom and that I should ignore it.

So my previous email still stands. Mr David McRedmond has promised me, on the airwaves and in press releases, broadband if I place an order. But because I have an ISDN line your system, and telephone sales facility refuses to allow me to place an order.

I can only conclude that Eircom is deliberately frustrating my attempts to switch from ISDN to broadband because it will result in a drop in income for Eircom when I no longer require ISDN.

If I do not receive a satisfactory response then I will be forced to complain to COMREG on this basis.

[END]

PlainMan

Following this last exchange with Eircom sent on 6/7/2005 I placed an order to have my ISDN Line converted to a POTS. I will loose my main business number but at least now they cannot retain my ISDN income.

PlainMan

So after three weeks of hounding...and threatening. My line now passes. Don't know for sure why it now passes when it didn't before. Maybe something in the advice I got from Boards.ie members might help someone else.

My advice::: don't accept NO for an answer.

Now that my line passes I am off to ABE to get broadband installed.

tigher61

I have to say i am quite amused by some of the ways people have gone to to get broadband. Just to let PlainMan know that there was no way that you line would qualify for broadband if it was ISDN, but i'm glad to hear that you got it. Also, this might help anyone that is trying to get broadband, but cannot qualify because there line is shared. Now bare with me , if you request a phone line from ericom that is going to be used as fax, they cannot share the line because of the bandwidth that fax needs. So, in theory that line could be upgraded to broadband. Would work, no ?

SkepticOne

A fax line can be shared unfortunately.

Sponge Bob

and isdn can be upgraded to bb too