Internet based Business Mover left with no broadband

[TRP]

I have [Had!] a thriving business and have been happily using BT for our business broadband for over a year. We recently used the business mover service as our lease expired on the office and we moved to a new address.  Our business is cloud based and all our software, filing systems, and phones are web based.  We also recently launched a new social networking side that uses social media sites.  We are now in our fourth week in the new office and still have no access to the internet, no access to our voip phones for customers to contact us and absolutely no solution to this problem from BT.  We have been told the problem is at the local exchange as it has run out of capacity for broadband??  They have a date in mid August when work on the exchange will take place but no news, despite daily updates, as to when I will be online again.  I am absolutely at my wits end, losing money by the second and at a complete loss as to how BT can let their local exchange run out of capacity?  I need someone to give me a solution, even if this is a short term one to allow us to get online?? Has anyone else experienced such a problem and how was this resolved??  

[clinton]

Depending on the coverage in your area, you could use 3G mobile broadband, you would need to get a 3G USB dongle and a 3G capable router. TP-LINK TL-MR3420 and the Billion BiPAC 6200NXL are two examples of 3G capable routers.

While it won't be as good as broadband, and I'm not sure about setting up the VOIP to work, it could give you some on-site access to the internet.

[firionicable]

I am not really sure, but I think BT offers DSL which is much better than broadband connection since it is coming directly from a line subscription.

[MHC]

You move your business to new premises without checking that service was available?  

Why did you not check that before hand?   

Who is at fault?    BT or YOU?   

[Flaggers]

I had a similar problem, when moving to a more rural area I had checked prior to moving and it was to be 6 months before the local exchange was upgraded and all the ADSL postcode checker would confirm was a 1.5meg download speed.  This would not have satisfied 80 internal staff members youtube needs.

To cover the business internet use for this time, we took out a WIMAX 3meg SDSL connection from another comms company, all they had to do was install a mast and dish/aerial on our roof.

Sure it was more costly at £120 per month, but kept us going until BT upgraded the exchange then we went for Infinity.

[DaveA]

Hi TRP,

Exchange capacity is not an easy thing to change.  Exchanges only have a certain amount of physical space in which to put equipment, and any increase in capacity (in particular with smaller exchanges) could involve an actual extension to the building in which it is housed.

Plus some exchanges share space with other premises, so increasing the space available may be next to impossible. At that stage it would require a new building, which may cost even more and require even more time to plan and do.

And MHC makes a very fair point.

Dave

[phoebe1]

I can offer an even worse scenario of the horrendous treatment BT Business Broadband dish out to their customers.

We have had a broadband connection for well over seven years - albeit we knew it was capped at half a meg (yes, don't laugh). We pay through the nose for this pathetic service as our business is reliant on it.

Over the last couple of weeks, it became ever flakier. An engineer finally came out on Monday morning and we have been informed that it is highly unlikely we will be able to have our service re-connected. Why???? Well, there is a long line issue, hence it being capped at half a meg, BUT seemingly 15/20 new houses have been built a few miles away and the line has apparently been re-routed to connect them.

To add insult to injury, the engineer also managed to disconnect our outside telephone bell, so we also now cannot hear the telephone ringing when we are working outside.

Oh, and yes, we signed a two year contract just a couple of months ago.

The fact BT is likely to singlehandedly put us out of business and we are losing money hand over fist seems to be totally beyond BT's comprehension. After all, the kids living in the smart new houses must be able to use their X-Boxes etc, mustn't they????????

And yes, I am worse than angry about this!