A homeowner has criticised Openreach after the company initially confirmed full fibre broadband availability, only to later label the connection 'uneconomical' due to underground blockages.
The reader, identified as JN, received an email from their internet provider stating that full fibre broadband was now available for their property. This was corroborated by Openreach's online 'fibre checker' tool. However, a month later, Openreach declared the connection uneconomical because of blockages in the conduits beneath the road.
JN found themselves unable to switch providers, as other ISPs would only quote for full fibre, given that Openreach's system indicated the property was connectable. After raising the issue, Openreach miraculously found a solution.
An Openreach spokesperson said: 'We've taken a detailed look at what's needed to connect JN's home and found a way to get it done.' They added that the online checker is only an indicator, not a guarantee, and that unexpected problems sometimes arise during final connections, though such cases are rare.
