[Gllug] Phone and DSL package but not BT and not LLU?

[DL Neil]

Can one's DSL service be not with BT but also not LLU? Is there a third way...
(continuing the sorry story of wresting my phone line from the  
Bulldog's litter tray)

As mentioned, I requested a "MAC Code" but when I spoke to Bulldog's  
"Cancellation Team" the (first) guy said that whilst he would put  
forward a request for a MAC Code he predicted it would fail. He  
purported that he would receive a response (from BT?) saying <<It is  
not possible to generate a MAC code for LLU as it is incompatible with  
BT's migration process>>. In the event, no copy of an actual failure  
message arrived (such consistent Bulldog practice).

I called the Cancellations Department again. Another helpful chap, and  
he told me that my MAC Code requests had yielded two failures from BT,  
but that the line is now cancelled and "free". However he is unable to  
send me a copy of these advices, as previously promised by his  
colleague. (Bulldog is an 'Internet and communications' company that  
uses neither email, nor fax, nor the snail-mail??? - in the States  
there was a recent fashion for the phrase "eat your own dog food", ie  
test/use your own product/service. Eh Bulldog?)

He further explained that with these 'old Cable and Wireless  
lines/accounts' there is no facility to provide MAC information, it is  
only available from certain of their accounts. This consistent with  
advice on the OfCom web site and as received from this list (thanks!).

His excuse for the MAC/Cancellation Code issue is that Bulldog's  
(dating from Cable and Wireless days, pre-Pipex, and pre-Tiscali)  
Go at ctive accounts which offered phone line, calls, and DSL services  
are not in fact "LLU". Eh what?

Is there a subtlety that I don't understand here - can one be non-BT  
but also non-LLU?*  The SamKnows web site today lists Bulldog?Pipex as  
"LLU" in the Shepherd's Bush Exchange [1]. I've quickly scanned the  
original web site documentation and written materials[2]. I cannot see  
the term LLU [3] anywhere, eg "Go at ctive: Package overview. Switch from  
BT or your cable company and plug in broadband and phone from  
Bulldog...Connection. £1 if you transfer your line from BT" and  
"Go at ctive: Phone line. Our @ctive package comes with a Bulldog Home  
phone line that replaces your existing BT or cable service...both your  
broadband and phone services arrive on a single bill.". The line was  
previously with BT. My service was 'installed' for Bulldog by BT  
OpenReach[4].

Does anyone find this meaningful or is it more ISP/Hell desk 'expert' fantasy?
=dn

*and not Kingston and not wireless and not satellite and not cable...

[1] http://www.samknows.com/
Local loop unbundling presence
...
C&W / Bulldog: 	Enabled as of 20/05/2005
(I joined in early in 2006)

[2] I have a full set of the entire contents of their web site as at  
the time I signed up. Yes there is someone who does read all the  
'small print' before signing documents - much good did it do!? There  
is no mention of arrangements to leave Bulldog, no list of applicable  
charges, not even a particular, single mechanism by which they should  
be advised. The closest is talk of the notice and contract periods.

[3] www.llu.org.uk (which I've not used before)
Definition: "Commonly called LLU, Local Loop Unbundling refers to the  
â??unbudlingâ?? of the local loop, which is the term used to describe  
the copper wire laying between your premises (home or business) and  
the telephone exchange by BT (or within the Hull area Kingston  
Communications), to originally allow telephony and once upgraded,  
other high speed services to be delivered across the telephone  
network." [home page]

They also say:
Also in a number of large cities such as London one of the bigger  
telecommunications operators, for example Cable and Wireless or COLT,  
may have laid their own new cable directly into your building again  
negating the need to use BT's local loop. [About page]
- and goes on to list LLU operators - including Bulldog in both its  
Cable and Wireless and Pipex incarnations

[4] The engineer made a home visit. He had a colleague change the  
number 'back' to BT to perform a line test, and then to change it back  
to a C&W link afterwards. He did not change over to another set of  
cable-pairs (eg from BT infrastructure to C&W/someone else's last  
mile)...



-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at gllug.org.uk
http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/gllug