Bitstream Port Transfer

PhoenixRising

Wasn't sure if this is more suited to the Broadband Forum, but I thought I might get a better response here.

Just a simple question really - can I change broadband providers without a break in service at present ? I understand that Comreg directed eircom to have such a system operational months ago, but having searched around the boards here, I haven't found one success story yet.

Has anyone heard of a successful transfer of service providers with no downtime ?

spongebob

Eircom > IOL Yes
Eircom > Netsource Yes
Eircom > UTV NO

M

PhoenixRising

Thanks Muck. Concise and to the point!

bk

Does anyone know if

Netsource > IOL

works?

Malcolm

Originally posted by Muck
Eircom > IOL Yes
Eircom > Netsource Yes
Eircom > UTV NO

M

eircom to UTV Internet - Yes

spongebob

Originally posted by Malcolm
eircom to UTV Internet - Yes

Malcolm musta smacked some of his Customer Services People then because it was they (and their supervisor ) who confirmed that UTV did not do Port Transfers.

Eircom > IOL Yes
Eircom > Netsource Yes
Eircom > UTV YES

Eircom > Digiweb ........Maybe ......
Eircom > Hosting 365 ...........Dunno, do they resell any more ?

In theory the process should work smoothly in reverse as well.

Ceasing a port is now free for a lot of people. Eircom abolished their €60+VAT charge last week if the Port has been active for 6 months already. I think that is permanent and not a promotion.

M

PhoenixRising

Hmm, just rang Esat/IOL and the sales rep said that there is still a downtime of 2-3 weeks to switch providers. I mentioned port transfer but he had never heard of it and he went off to check it out and came back saying that there would still be a downtime of 2-3 weeks.

He also mentioned the fact that their latest offer of 3 months free would not be applicable in my case since it is not a new broadband line.

EDIT: Got this reply from Comreg:

Dear ******,

Eircom's bitstream port transfer product has been available to operators since end Jan 04, as directed. This facility is therefore available from eircom to other operators, but it is a commercial decision of other operators whether they wish to use this feature when transferring customers. I would therefore advise you to contact the relevant operator and ask them if they are availing of this service.

Best Regards,
*********
ComReg

Ripwave

Originally posted by Muck
Ceasing a port is now free for a lot of people. Eircom abolished their €60+VAT charge last week if the Port has been active for 6 months already. I think that is permanent and not a promotion.

Not quite. Ceasing a port still costs €60, but The cessation charge will not apply to operators who contract for a minimum 6 month term for each Bitstream subscriber port. For operators who are signing people up for 12 month contracts anyway, that's a no-brainer, but for operations like Netsource, it makes a 2-month contract a bit problematic. (Assuming the vast majority of their customers stay for longer than 2 months anyway, they'll probably commit to 6 months per port anyway).

machalla

I wonder is ceasing a port "free" a retrospective thing? Mine is due to be ceased at the end of this month.

Or is it only for anyone who signs up after the date of the announcement?

Be interesting to know.

Urban Weigl

Knowing Eircom, it will only apply to new connections. And even with new connections, only if you committed to 6 months.

Da Man

Why aren't the Eircom resellers engaging in any form of promotion to get people to switch to them? This whole port transfer thing is shrowded in mystery when infact it would be a great way to steal customers from Eircom or any other competitor. It seems all they do is pass on whatever promotion Eircom decides to run. It's pretty pathetic. If I were running an ISP I would have a huge COME TO US banner, no connection fee, we'll look after it all for you, much better caps and lower charges with us, blah blah blah.

Another thing I would do is to have an option which is "ok the line checker says your line doesn't work but we know it's bollocks so if it is showing up as failed, you can at your own risk pay the connection fee up front and a deposit for the modem and we will attempt to connect you. If that fails, you won't get your connection fee back but return the modem and you will get your deposit back" or some such. Pretty simple way to extend the potential customer base and even if Eircom don't have the brains to do it, I doubt they care so long as they get paid. Obviously run a pilot first to see how likely it is that it will work despite the line checker complaining.

Ripwave

Originally posted by Da Man
Why aren't the Eircom resellers engaging in any form of promotion to get people to switch to them?

Because they don't need to get people to switch to them - they're being kept busy enough as it is dealing with brand new customers. And then there's the fact that transfers (especially transfers _from_ eircom) are bound to be a bigger administrative headache than the average new connection, because of the usual eircom bureaucracy.

spongebob

Originally posted by Da Man
Another thing I would do is to have an option which is "ok the line checker says your line doesn't work but we know it's bollocks so if it is showing up as failed, you can at your own risk pay the connection fee up front and a deposit for the modem and we will attempt to connect you. If that fails, you won't get your connection fee back but return the modem and you will get your deposit back" or some such.

That would be a very interesting promotion Da Man. I completely agree with the premise.

The line test is a Db level test. Say that you need 50Db or under to pass.

Persons with a reading between 50Db and 60Db may get their guaranteed 256k anyway so they should be given the oportunity to avail of a scheme like the one you outlined......a giant pilot test if you will . BT have increased the distance at which they support DSL (based on Db levels) from 4 to 6Km over time by using pilot trials and improved software at the exchange level.

They are trying 10km DSL tails in Milton Keynes at present .

Eircom have been stuck at 4Km or so since they launched.

Ripwaves competitor analysis is correct !

M

jonski

Anyone tried to go from UTV to IOL ??

John.

phill

going from utv to iol myself atm. I had signed up for utv free trial thing, then iols better free trial came along a few days later so i canceled the utv and signed with them. Problem was that even though i never got install, they still had me down as a a eircom customer (yes, thats right,eircom cause they own it all) so i had to get a change over form from them, fax it to them, then add another 10 business days. 2-3 weeks now and still nada.

jonski

Just got off the phone with "Dave" from eircom . He says that eircom don't do port transfers . I wanted to go from UTV to Eircom but he says I have to quit UTV first then when they are completely out of the way I can sign up for eircom , talking a down period of at least 3 weeks . I am amazed that Eircom with all their winback tactics can't facilitate this .

John.

ps: so to add to the above UTV > eircom ....NO.

lucernarian

Im fed up wit this line test thing! If you get decent 56k speeds (46.6) then surely the line is of decent quality?

jonski

Just got an e-mail back from IOL

>>Many thanks for your email. We would require you to complete a DSL Transfer form along with your application in order for us to transfer your service from UTV. This should ensure that you have no downtime. <<

so it would seem

UTV > IOL = yes . how odd .

jonski

even more odd ,

phoned the eircom guy back , he made another phone call and came back with " they now think that UTV would have to transfer my port back to eircom wholesale and eircom would transfer it over from there."

jonski

another email from IOL makes me change it to


UTV > IOL = Yes , well actually we are not sure but maybe not , bah!