Tuesday 25 October 2016

Onlincolnshire BDUK Project - Nocton

Timeline

2014
 
March 2014
  • Metheringham Exchange is to be upgraded to fibre.
June 2014
  • Date of Metheringham Exchange upgrade delayed.
July 2014
  • A new fibre cabinet (Metheringham Cabinet 3), has been installed at junction of Lincoln Rd, Dunston and Sleaford Rd, B1188. It is now live and will serve 528 premises.
  • Metheringham Exchange is now fibre enabled and accepting orders.
October 2014
  • The upgrade to fibre for Nocton is to be included in Phase 2 of the Lincolnshire BDUK Project.

2015

May 2015
  • A new fibre cabinet for Nocton (Metheringham Cabinet 12) has been installed at junction of Potterhanworth Rd and Manor Court. This serves a minority of properties (62), primarily on Nocton Park.
  • A further survey has now been requested by Onlincolnshire, with a view to BT locating a second fibre cabinet (DSLAM), to pick up the copper feeds from an old metal cabinet (Pillar 3/2 - next to the Post Office), which delivers service to the majority of properties (210) in Nocton.
  • A Change Control will be used to instruct BT to carry out this extra installation work, subject to satisfactory costing.
  • The planning and costings for this Change Control are due by the end of September 2015.
October 2015
  • The work to install an additional DSLAM has been agreed and is now likely to take place in Q1 2016.
November 2015
  • Metheringham Cabinet 12 has been completed.

2016

March 2016
  • Onlincolnshire visited Nocton and confirmed that the second DSLAM has not yet been installed, despite assurances from BT.
  • We now discover there has been a misunderstanding within BT over cabinet numbers - the one they thought was for Nocton, was actually a fibre cabinet (Metheringham Cabinet 16) located in Dunston, a neighbouring village.
  • Due to this misunderstanding, BT are going to fast-track the additional DSLAM.
  • This fibre cabinet will be designated Metheringham Cabinet 17.
  • The documentation for the civil engineering work will also be fast-tracked with Highways.
  • The target date for the completion of the new DSLAM is now 31st March 2016.
  • Despite the provision of a second DSLAM for Nocton, there are a few legacy lines that do not connect via Pillar 3/2, but are connected direct to Metheringham Cabinet 3.
  • Metheringham Cabinet 3 is located too far away from Nocton to provide any extra speed for consumers, over their current copper connection.
  • Therefore, OnLincolnshire are endeavouring to get these lines re-routed to the second DSLAM, but BT is quoting 'Equivalence Rules' that apparently make this impossible due to an OFCOM agreement.
April 2016
  • BT have now discovered there is insufficient space to erect the second DSLAM where Pillar 3/2 is located, therefore it will require an alternative location.
  • The traffic management date for the engineering work has therefore been delayed slightly.
  • All trenching work to install trunking for the copper connection to new DSLAM cabinet has now been completed.
  • New DSLAM (Metheringham Cabinet 17) is now in place and powered.
  • The estimated completion date is revised to early May.
May 2016
  • The new Metheringham Cabinet 17 is stood and powered, but BT now discover the existing Pillar 3/2 needs a new shell.
  • This requires another site meeting to determine if re-location is required.
  • Confirmation received from BT Legal that 'Equivalence Rules' definitely do not apply to the BDUK Project, only to consumer requests post-build.
  • BT determine that Pillar 3/2 does need a new shell, but in addition it needs to be located elsewhere.
  • Pillar 3/2 will be made redundant and a new shell will be erected.
  • This will require yet more civil engineering.
  • BT High Level Complaints have also confirmed that 'Equivalence Rules' do not apply and it is within the remit of the Lincolnshire BDUK Project to ensure this work is undertaken.
  • Onlincolnshire seeks further clarification from BT, regarding the extra work to route the legacy lines to the new DSLAM (Metheringham Cabinet 17), instead of Metheringham Cabinet 3.
June 2016
  • The replacement shell for Pillar 3/2 has now been erected in the alternative location and awaits connection by BT.
  • Work is required to shift all copper pairs from Pillar 3/2 to the replacement shell.
  • OnLincolnshire have decided to issue a formal contractual Change Request (22) to BT, to move the remaining legacy lines from Metheringham Cabinet 3 to the new Metheringham Cabinet 17.
July 2016
  • Discussions are ongoing between Onlincolnshire and BT over costs of implementing the Change Request 22.
  • The new DSLAM Cabinet 17 is stood and powered.
  • BT advise Onlincolnshire that Cabinet 17 will be commissioned within the next two weeks.
  • Agreement has now been reached in principle, about the costs of the Change Request 22 work.
  • The new Cabinet 17 still needs external fibre provision and the Exchange to be completed.
August 2016
  • The Change Request 22 relating to the legacy line work is still to be signed off.
  • BT have still not returned the relevant paperwork; it is expected within the next 10 days.
  • There is also an ongoing situation with the commissioning of Cabinet 17.
  • Pillar 3/2 still requires the circuits moving from the old cast iron shell outside the Post Office, to the new shell on the other side of the road.
  • The civil engineering work is complete on this.
  • The cabling and jointing activity should start by the end of this week.
  • The fibre route has not been proven yet, although the DSLAM is stood and powered.
  • The estimated completion date for Cabinet 17 is revised to mid-September.
  • Telec Utilities commence work on connecting the copper cable between Pillar 3/2 and the new Cabinet 17.
  • The contractors work all weekend to disconnect Pillar 3/2 and re-route all lines through to the new cabinet.
  • Unfortunately, many problems arise with consumer lines after the contractors have finished the work and have left the site.
September 2016
  • BT Openreach take over the work to rectify the many problems left over from the conversion work by Telec Utilities.
  • BT management attend site to discuss problems encountered.
  • Work commences to link the new replacement cabinet for Pillar 3/2, to the new Cabinet 17.
  • Onlincolnshire report 'Ready for service, all engineering works and commissioning complete', but there is a delay issuing the updates to wholesale computer records.
  • Full service expected to be available at the end of next week.
  • The Change Request 22 relating to the legacy line work is still not signed off.
  • The wholesale computer records are still with commissioners to finalise.
  • Despite Cabinet 17 appearing on screens of ISPs, they are still not able to take orders.
  • An update then states commissioning complete, service availability imminent.
October 2016
  • Problems with the wholesale computer records still remain though.
  • Consumers are still unable to take up fibre services.
  • The Change Request 22 relating to the legacy line work is still not signed off.
  • The cause of delay to the Change Request 22 is with BT Group, not Openreach or OnLincolnshire.
  • Formal complaint submitted to Chairman of BT.

4 comments:

  1. Excellent bullet points Geoff............on the Openreach website Cab 17 is shown as "activated and accepting orders". Wrong. The release to ISPs has still not happened therefore they cannot accept fibre orders (25th October)

    Incidentally once ISPs can accept orders I am told it takes a minimum of two weeks to process and connect your fibre order.

    Hopefully the Chairmans Case will filter down quickly for the legacy sign off.

    Mick Middleton

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Mick. I've still not had the courtesy of a reply from either Eaton Fallows or Sir Michael's team regarding my latest correspondence.

    ReplyDelete
  3. They do Geoff have a dedicated team just dealing with Chairmans complaints. Normally it will be filtered down quickly and hopefully acted on. A minimum courtesy reply to say they are dealing with it would certainly help and its rather annoying that you have not yet received this.

    Imagine starting at the top and passing it down to the person at the bottom to take the flak. I believe Senior Management are clearly at fault and need to finally sort this mess out now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've just emailed a reminder to Eaton Fallows regarding my outstanding request for further clarification. I'm quite eager to see what sort of a response I receive. Regards.

    ReplyDelete

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