Replacing Telstra Lead In Cable

BensonP on 18/08/2018 - 16:38

Hi guys,

Looking for some advice.

About 2 weeks ago I moved into a new property and was excited to find out I could get cable internet. I purchased an unlimited plan from Telstra.

The speeds were fantastic, when it wasn't dropping out.
I kept having dropout issues for a week, and then all of a sudden, no cable. I was stuck on the mobile backup.

After a call to Telstra, a technician has come out and told me my lead in cable needs replacing and I'd have to foot the cost.

The problem is the cable is underground and he couldn't give me an idea of price but 'it could cost thousands', by the time they dig it up.

I always thought the homeowner was only responsible of the internal cabling, from the Telstra box onwards?

What options do I have here?

I have another technician coming out Monday, to confirm/give me a proper quote on replacement.

TL;DR, Telstra Lead in cable is faulty. Who pays? What are my options?

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Comments

  • dcep on 18/08/2018 - 17:01
    +2

    time for adsl2+ while waiting for nbn to fix your lead in cable for free

    • BensonP on 18/08/2018 - 17:06
      +1

      This is actually what the technician said!

  • Melb69 on 18/08/2018 - 17:02
    +4

    If the cable actually needs to be replaced it should be a simple job. You tie the new cable to the old and pull the new one through the conduit at the other end. This seems to be a common excuse for not getting connected. Where are you located?

    https://ozb.me/o/1f7V?u=em Check out this post. The guys I linked last time might be able to help. Not afflicated.

    • BensonP on 18/08/2018 - 17:09

      Thanks man, but I'm in Melbourne.

      The cable technician left the box open, so I gave the cable a good tug. It didn't move at all. I might stick a bottle of cable lube down there and see if it helps haha

    • whooah1979 on 18/08/2018 - 17:31
      +3

      You tie the new cable to the old and pull the new one through the conduit at the other end.

      A physical pull through is only part of the work. Op needs to cut and terminate at the tap. This requires tools and permission from the asset owner.

      • gth on 19/08/2018 - 11:09

        The asset owner probably doesn't care if it's not working. Just need to make sure he cuts the right cable…. ;)

  • follow on 18/08/2018 - 17:04

    When is your NBN connection date?

    • BensonP on 18/08/2018 - 17:07

      I'm not due until Jun-Dec 2019.

      • follow on 18/08/2018 - 17:10

        Is your pit plastic or asbestos?

        • BensonP on 18/08/2018 - 17:15

          No idea, unfortunately. Can you tell by the lid?

          What's the relevance of asbestos?

        • follow on 18/08/2018 - 17:19

          @BensonP: yeah if you see black around the lid it's plastic, I'm pretty sure.
          They might be reluctant to tap in an asbestos pit to put the new line in.

          Do you have any obstructions from the box to the pit?

  • JimmyF on 18/08/2018 - 17:13
    +3

    I always thought the homeowner was only responsible of the internal cabling, from the Telstra box onwards?

    That doesn't seem right. Telstra own the cable up to the connection point for CABLE. So if its wonky, they need to do it.

    Most likely won't want to, as NBN will be owning this shortly, so don't want to pay the $$$$

    • gamblor80 on 19/08/2018 - 15:22

      telstra may own the cable (or NBNco at this point, asset transfers occur much earlier than the RFS date), but they have no obligation to pay for any work required on the property

      • JimmyF on 19/08/2018 - 17:41

        leadin cable is not on the property, its getting the CABLE to the property.

        In cable/foxtel, they have always owned up to the point inside in the past.

        Regardless, the OP needs a new leadin, so Telstra issue to pay.

  • thatonethere on 18/08/2018 - 17:28

    Pretty sure the carrier is responsible for the leadin to the building entry point. I would get a second opinion that it is your cost to repair (unless you broke it).

  • whooah1979 on 18/08/2018 - 17:36

    I kept having dropout issues for a week, and then all of a sudden, no cable.

    This sounds like there has been work done either on the network or pit. Your lead-in at the tap may have been disconnected, bent or cut at the pit.

  • TheBilly on 18/08/2018 - 21:09

    I work in construction and if you have a telstra cable running through your construction site that people were unaware of, somebody somewhere is going to have a nervous breakdown. Not only can you not touch it without permission, you have to pay Telstra to move it. You also cannot shop around or negotiate. Their price is it, no negotiation. If they said it costs $200k thats what it costs - if you don't have the money. You have to somehow otherwise it is not moving and you are not building. I dont know how this would work on a residential home level, but Id doubt if it were any different.

  • Memster on 19/08/2018 - 11:02
    +1

    I think you may be responsible for the lead in conduit pipe on your property. If that is damaged or blocked then you will most likely have to pay for the digging and repair to the pipe. Although the lead in cable is the responsibility of the carrier.

    • gamblor80 on 19/08/2018 - 15:23

      on the money, it would be impractical for providers to be responsible for trenching/conduit/fixing etc

      • kiitos on 19/08/2018 - 20:14

        When NBN comes to that property, would the broken conduit/cake be fixed at NBN's expense? Or still the homeowner?

        • whooah1979 on 20/08/2018 - 05:52

          Nbn has already marked this property as having a lead-in. They shouldn’t come back to this property.

        • kiitos on 20/08/2018 - 08:44

          @whooah1979:

          Don't they have to come back to install an nbn box of some sort? And then find it doesn't work, and then fix it? Or would they lump op with the cost?

        • whooah1979 on 20/08/2018 - 09:21

          @kiitos:

          There is already a Madison box on the side of your property. Must likely under or close to the lv meter.

        • follow on 20/08/2018 - 09:41

          @whooah1979: they'll bring the Arris modem.

  • gth on 19/08/2018 - 11:12

    Alternate quotes are possible, provided they get the relevant permissions from Telstra to do the work.

  • kaos on 19/08/2018 - 12:42

    my cable internet was down for 2 weeks over Christmas (thanks Telstra!) and magically came back on a couple of hours into the first working day of the new year.

    I mention this because it turns out that my cable is not tagged properly in the pit, and it looks like someone just disconnected it for fun.

    Worth investigating

  • BigDaddyG on 19/08/2018 - 17:19

    Is the mobile back-up not faster? My 4g is 160mbs and nbb is 20mbs if there were issues with the cable I'd just let telstra deal with it at their own pace and receive faster internet via 4g when they realise what it's costing them they will change the cable pretty quickly and free.

    • follow on 19/08/2018 - 19:04
      +1

      6mbps max

  • Felixrising on 19/08/2018 - 19:53

    Telstra are totally *incompetent when it comes to this kind of stuff. As others mentioned, best get ADSL2+ and wait for NBN to fix it.

    *I know because we're in a Telstra "smart" community (basically a telstra monopoly) and it took 4 months, numerous technicians and two different case managers to finally get a connection from the pit and us running at adsl1 speeds.

  • davidtrad on 20/08/2018 - 06:48
    +1

    Hey Op,

    The USO is still enforcible on Telstra at this present time, and the TIO can compell Telstra to resolve the problem, the only time you are responsible and they are not, is when the cable was damanged by either you, or a contractor representing you, or if there was construction on or near the cable or ducts entering your premises.

    8 times out of 10 Telstra will always try and pass on the cost to you as the land owner or subscriber.

    When you are building a brand new home, it is the builders responsibility to provider the lead-in access to the premises (Not the cable itself), typically the sparky does this and the builder incorporates these charges into the house price anyway, but that is only for new builds, after that, they assume responsability for the lead-in.

    After the contractor comes out for a second time, I would take what they give you in writing (Yes make sure 100% it is in writing) and then lodge a TIO request for assistance in enforcing the USO, just because the NBN is taking over the asset, it does not remove the responsability of the USO at this present time, onlyw hen the asset has been fully handed over which is not until 2019 in your case, so the USO is still enforcibile.

    Good luck and I hope you get it resolve :)

    Cheers,
    David.

    • kiitos on 20/08/2018 - 08:42

      Does the USO apply to internet access? I thought it was only phone calls.

      My nbn internet access, due next year, will be via cable. The previous owners of our house had Foxtel, but the cable and conduit were broken when they replaced the side fence. We have never had a cable service, so it's still as is.

      Whose responsibility would it be to fix this prior to getting NBN?

      • whooah1979 on 20/08/2018 - 10:35

        Does the USO apply to internet access?

        It applies to sts.

    • whooah1979 on 20/08/2018 - 10:19

      The USO is still enforcible on Telstra

      The uso applies to sts.

  • unrealshots on 20/08/2018 - 09:46

    We had the feed in replaced at our current house at no cost to us, and we've just finished a build, and it's been done there at no cost also (56m horizontal under road bore, although we ran from Street to house for them)

  • emblurr on 20/08/2018 - 12:25

    I used to be a field technician fixing these sort of things in the early 2000s. If it's just doing another lead im cable to the isolator box. I would definitely have had to do it. Things could have changed since then.

  • DemocracyManifest on 20/08/2018 - 12:36

    This is weird, I got cable internet installed at 3 properties with no install fee, 2 Optus, 1 Telstra on contracts. Smells like a TIO complaint to me.

    • whooah1979 on 20/08/2018 - 16:51

      I got cable internet installed at 3 properties with no install fee, 2 Optus, 1 Telstra on contracts.

      The cost of the lead-in was included in the contract.

  • Conka on 20/08/2018 - 13:43

    Ours broke a free years ago.

    If the cable breaks on your property, you’re responsible.

    Rather than calling TLS, I googled ACMA cable installers in my area. After a few calls, found a guy who came over and did the job. Complete cable replacement.

    Cost me about $500.

  • TrendyTim on 20/08/2018 - 13:50

    This is for a phone line for adsl so rules may differ, but when i moved in to my current rental, i had constant drop outs. Had 4 or 5 contractors out to i look at it, they finally sent real telstra employees around.

    They determined that the conduit (that ran under the driveway) had a broken cable and was blocked. They started digging into the dirt next to the driveway in effort to share the conduit used by the neighbours (or something like that). They reached their destination but the neighbours forced them to fill it in (it was her property). So they ended up digging a trench along the other side (relocating plants and all), going a good 30meters, cutting through the footpath laying a new conduit patching up the footpath and fixing garden, and relocating the box 10m to the other side of the driveway. If i recall it took 8+ hours from start to internet access being restored (they had a bit of red tape to cut). I didn't pay a cent for it due to the reason they had to go to that length i believe they said the council would get a big bill.

    TL;DR; make sure the people coming to help are not contractors, they wont do anything if its too hard as they don't get paid enough (or more to the point they cant afford to spend all day on one issue to get $50). The real telstra techs will move cable and earth to get you connected.

  • Tobias on 20/08/2018 - 14:53

    Whilst Telstra is responsible for the cabling to the house, if it's damaged, then they'll bill you.

    Most likely it's just a matter of pulling through a new cable and connecting it.

    Digging is only required if the underground pipe is damaged/squished by tree roots etc. and they can't pull the new cable through. The cost of that is unknown.

    You might need more than one technician on site at the same time if more than one cable type is being replaced.

    I had a Telstra technician come out to replace a faulty copper telephone lead-in cable and the bill came to less than $200. They just pulled a new cable through the underground pipe from the nearest street pit and connected it.

  • skyva on 22/08/2018 - 13:45

    I have had similar issues. I had a faulty overhead cable that they replaced free of charge. I have had internal wiring faults they charged for ($200 approx) which I was fine with as it fixed my issues.

    I also put in an underground telstra conduit when I put in underground power. As I was removing the power poles on my property, I wanted to get rid of the overhead telstra cable as well. I had FW NBN installed around that time.

    So for redundancy, I asked how much it would be for Telstra to install underground copper. Apparently the 2-pair cable is about $4/m, and it is a 100m run.

    $3k was the quote. For using a conduit I already installed. It did require digging less than 1m from the conduit to their pit though.

    Telstra are a joke.

    I got onto the TIO as well as they refused to remove the overhead cable "in case you change your mind". That was done for free. My advice with Telstra is ask what they will do for you, get it in writing, and if you are not happy, go to the TIO.

  • BensonP on 26/11/2018 - 20:41

    Might as well update, as it was my post.

    Telstra fixed it at no charge. Involved cutting a trench up my concrete driveway to install a new conduit, and pulled a new cable. Then patched up the trench with soft tar.

    Also replaced the asbestos pit outside with a new pit and lid.

    I consider myself very lucky Telstra paid, as this doesn't seem to be the norm.

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