All case studies reflect the views of the individual and business featured in the case study only.
Private Equity Recruitment (PER) is a small business employing 30 people in central London. In 2015 the business was in the process of moving offices and ordered a new service from BT with an estimated installation time of six weeks. Speaking to BT to confirm the installation date a couple of weeks after signing the order, PER found there had been no application for a wayleave (a written agreement between Openreach and the landlord granting access to install, maintain or repair equipment) for their new office. BT said it could take months before they had a working phone line system, assuming Openreach started immediately.
When PER contacted Openreach to find out when they would start, PER then found they had to pay over £1200 before any progress could be made as Openreach had now discovered they needed to run a cable from a BT box in the basement of the building to PER’s floor. They were told there was no alternative to paying immediately as Openreach said they would not start the wayleave process until after they had been paid.
There was then a lengthy delay after Openreach were paid due to Openreach’s difficulty with work schedules and the internal processes involved in requesting a wayleave document. The delay meant that PER’s staff were forced to work from home or use 4G dongles and mobile phones in the office.
A recurring complication for PER was the continued change in delivery dates from BT Openreach. This caused difficulties for the business as they were initially told in April that the installation would take place in under six weeks. However, even after PER escalated the complaint to the BT Chairman’s office in June, it still took until the end of August before the system was installed. PER believes this service and the impact it has on businesses like theirs is an issue which should be dealt with by Ofcom.
PER were not the only ones in their new office block to be faced with delays. For PER, and other businesses, this causes financial issues as they attempt to deal with consequences of a provider that is out of their control.
PER is supporting Fix Britain’s Internet and joining the campaign. Other businesses wishing to make their voice heard by Ofcom can do so by visiting www.fixbritainsinternet.co.uk