This thread intrigued me, as it's an issue we have here and I have never been able to even get close to a sensible answer to this.
My last attempt to do so was to email an ISP who shall remain nameless. Who then chose to completely ignore the two questions I asked.
This would be for the purpose of having an ADSL backup to 3G in case it goes down as once, it did, for 48 hours. I can tether my O2 mobile and just about get by with 1Meg, so that suffices, but a fixed line solution should be better.
The email is self explanatory. Sorry about the backslashes, that's how the response came back.
>We cancelled our landline years ago as it can\'t carry a broadband
>service. It can have ADSL but only at 1.5Mbps which is useless to us,
>so we use 3G which is 4x faster.
>
>Now given the line is short (3682 metres confirmed from BT database,
>2500m straight line from exchange), I\'m told this might be because the
>house has a \"star wiring\" configuration (which it has). For example
>you can only get sync on one of the two \"master sockets\"
>(from the 1950s or 1960s perhaps) - the longer circuit that doesn\'t
>have the unnecessary GPO box inline - it\'s all pretty ancient.
>
>Now if I sign up for your offer that\'s on at the moment to get the
>line set back up just as a backup to the 3G for if/when it goes down:
>
>And I choose the \"I don\'t have a BT socket\" option and pay the
>49.99 for a new installation..
>
>What happens?
>
>1. The existing line is used, nobody attends, the wiring remains and I
>end up paying 49.99 for nothing; 2. Someone comes round and whether or
>not they use the existing pair that comes here, a new NTE socket is
>installed and all the extraneous wiring and GPO boxes are removed
>possibly enabling the line to carry a broadband service (since in
>theory a 3682m line should be able to achieve one)
>
>When we had the line we investigated getting an NTE put in to see if
>the line was salvageable, but daft figures were quoted for this, it
>would be cheaper to get a \"new line\". But therein lies the question.
>What\'s a \"new line\"?
>
>I realise there are no promises about speed and I doubt it will
>ourperform 3G even with a perfect circuit over that distance (suspect
>lines are poor), but if it could manage 3Mbps it would be a useful
>backup.
>
>Just to confirm: we have no current provider and the line hasn\'t been
>used for over three years.
>
>One final question: if the broadband and phone are ordered as one, and
>you can\'t install the broadband because there\'s a filthy great DACS
>box on the pole which our line might go through - can you confirm
>everything is refunded and the entire contract is voided - and I\'m not
>going to be stuck with a phone line I have no need of for a year (we
>don\'t even possess a landline handset any more, we use mobiles and
>VOIP)
>
>Thanks.
======== Reply Below ========
Dear Mark,
Thank you for your communication.
If the line in the property is usable on our network, we should be able to reactivate the line without further charges. If this is not possible, then the £49.99 charge would apply and an engineer would visit to install you a new line.
We would do our best to ensure that the line could support broadband before we install a new service to ensure that this situation will not occur. If there is a DACS in place, we would look at removing this so the service can be installed.
I hope this helps. If we can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us further.
Regards
--
That's one of the cheaper ISPs however two of the most expensive ones didn't do any better with their responses either.
I guess I could just remove all the internal kit back to the dropwire since we're not service subscribers and it's on our property and then a new NTE would "have to" be fitted on signup ("I do not have a BT Socket"), but what I think would probably happen is the line would be regarded as activated remotely even though there are only two unconnected bare wires at the other end (that's what happened initially, as we have two drop wires and the second one was cut through internally by a previous occupant, and that's the line they connected, it took weeks to sort out)
Does anyone know the answer? This is so daft, as there's a line BT could be making some money from that has been lying unused for over three years now thanks to this seemingly intractable problem.