Brisbane Phone Line Connection

Discussion in 'Property Management' started by UrbanPlanner, 11th Apr, 2017.

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  1. UrbanPlanner

    UrbanPlanner Well-Known Member

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    Hi all. Hoping to get some advice as we just received a request from our PM for our Brisbane rental on behalf of the tenants. The tenants say they’re having issues getting the internet connected at the house (we’ve owned it for 3 years, this is the second tenant and first time the issue has come up). The tenant claims to have had a technician come out and all have advised that there is no active line to the property for phone or internet and that they will need to dig a trench from the house to the footpath to lay the phone cable, at a cost of $400, which Telstra would then connect to the pit.

    The physical phone line install I get, this is standard, but standard for new builds typically, however this is a 1970’s 3x2 in Stafford so I find it hard to comprehend that the house has no phone line, and potentially has never had one!

    Am I missing something? Is it not standard for a house to have a phone line in Brisbane?
     
  2. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    Uncommon, but not impossible that a phone line was never connected.
    Marg
     
  3. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    My understanding is that technically, this is a cost for the tenant, but if this was my IP, I'd pay the $400 and get a line to the house.
     
  4. mikey7

    mikey7 Well-Known Member

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    Perhaps get some more info from the tech that did the testing.
    The tenant and/or PM could have misunderstood.
    'No active line' to me means that there is no connection either at the 'node' or 'exchange'. Theres very likely a cable installed in the house, its just not connected at the big green box somewhere up the road.
     
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  5. Tanya1335

    Tanya1335 Well-Known Member

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    It is possible there was no line or it has been cut, the easiest way is to go with Telstra as they own the infrastructure but they will generally request the tenant be contracted to them for at least 12 months
     
  6. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Just be aware that in some older suburbs, the copper in the ground will not support a line. We tried to move from cable internet to one that relied on a copper line. Telstra came around, hooked up, and before he got five minutes away, we'd lost the line. We were told the copper in our street is so old and brittle that it was useless. We went back to cable.
     
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  7. BarneyRubble

    BarneyRubble Well-Known Member

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    Agree, Internet is very important to some people.

    Alternative: Home Wireless Broadband - Optus
     
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  8. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    So is a phone line to others.

    Stupid question: @UrbanPlanner - has the place been hooked to NBN? (hence no copper phone line)
     
  9. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    We were told we had to supply one working phone line to our IP. This was when there were 3 outlets but only one was working. As there was a working outlet, our PM told us we had fulfilled our obligations.

    As the installation of a phone line requires physical wiring etc., it would probably be in your best interests to do the installation. That way you can ensure the outlet is in a logical place, not simply the cheapest.
    Marg
     
  10. UrbanPlanner

    UrbanPlanner Well-Known Member

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    @Scott No Mates Nah no NBN but planned for Jan-March 2018.

    @Marg4000 and others thanks, have instructed the PM to actually do their own research and perhaps contact Telstra rather than taking the tenants word so we'll see what comes back.