Morrisons Telecom

There are no words to express the ineptitude of the fibre rollout. A year or so ago I spotted an Openreach Land rovera site survey for fine installation. A few months ago, I chased a flatbed survey truck down the track. On both occasions I shared my name and phone number. No one got in touch.

A month ago two guys from Kent turned up with a mini digger and said they had permission to dig a trench down my track to lay fibre. I told them that it was the first I’d heard of it, it was my land, and I hadn’t given permission. I spoke with their project manager on the phone, again gave my name and phone number, and they went away.

This morning I got a call from the same guys from Kent. They were back to lay fibre because “the way leave had all been sorted and there has been a site visit to sort everything out.” Again, this was news to me, so I spoke to their manager and his manager, and once again sent them away.

Morrisons and Openreach seem unable to do a land search to establish who owns the land that they want to run fibre through. In this case, they have paid the local farmer, Jim, several thousand pounds for the right to lay fibre over my property. More fool them.

By the end of the day we have established who needs to give permission for what. I’ve signed a wayleave. There will be a site visit to go over the various services that will need to be left unmolested as they lay the fibre. And I may even get more than twenty four hours notice of the work starting. Or not. Nothing so far has led me to have any confidence that these people have any idea how to keep their promises.