Compensation call as thousands suffer BT broadband delays

SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT MORE than 25,000 people a week had to wait longer than they should for broadband repairs and installations because BT Openreach missed appointments, figures show.

Over a six-month period, 20 per cent of repairs to phone and broadband services for families and small businesses were not carried out on time, and 6 per cent of installations were delayed, according to Openreach figures obtained by Citizens Advice.

The delays affected more than 640,000 people between April and September this year, and are thought to have cost millions in lost earnings.

The charity is urging ministerstoguaranteehomeowners compensation for broadband delays, amid reports that poor service costs customers £1.5 billion a year.

It also warned it is “deeply unfair” that customers are not compensated for delays when suppliers are paid if they have to wait for a service to be fixed.

Over 364,000 people did not get their phone or broadband line repaired on time by BT Openreach, while 281,000 people had to wait longer than they should have done for a line installation.

This means that each week an average of 14,000 consumers and small businesses waited longer than they should for broadband and phone line repairs, and a further 11,000 experienced late installations.

Openreach is responsible for the upkeep and installation of around 72 per cent of connections around the UK and provides these services for other companies such as TalkTalk and Sky.

But the regulator Ofcom has called on BT to split its Openreach arm from the rest of the business to improve the service and ensure that