On Sun, 24 Aug 2003 09:42:19 GMT, Simon Avery wrote:

Fault was overhead cable damage on wire that was supposed to be
replaced last March, but they only did half of it. Engineer switched
me to the last working copper pair in the bundle - next time it goes
I'm out for ages, ...

Don't forget the compenstation, but be aware that if you take the free
divert offer you effectively remove that.

It does seems like a good time to get "Total Care", 24/7 fault
repairs, someone working on it inside 4hrs. When I spoke to the last
engineer I saw fixing the ISDN here I asked if the "someone working on
it inside 4hrs" meant that if the fault was underground that would be
reported and you'd just join the queue, all be it at the top to be
fixed in normal working hours. The answer was no, they would call some
out to work on it any time of the day/night, 365 days a year.

Cost? Around =A311.64/qtr inc VAT.

http://www.serviceview.bt.com/list/c...nce.boo/0201.h
tm

... and I have a sneaky suspicion they'll simply refuse me isdn
access rather than replace the cable, since a few pops and whistles
on analogue is neither here nor there.

Assuming you are within range of the exchange for ISDN (approx 6km as
the cable flies) I think they would have a damn good try at providing
it.

Here's a question; Why do mobile phone charges cost more than
landline? Surely landlines require much larger initial investment,
but running costs must be fairly similar?

Short/medium termisium profit margins and the licence system. You have
to make a profit within the licence period incase you don't get the
licenec next time.

There are an awful lot of base stations and the don't come cheap, even
compared to digging a trench and putting in a cable. Also remember
that apart from new build most of the country was wired up donkeys
years ago and when they put in a cable they put in substantial over
capacity. Ordinary drop wires where 1 pair (the really old figure of 8
stuff), 3 pair now and I've heard of 6 pair being laid underground as
standard to new single domestic properties.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail