How to move from Smart Telecom

dgently

Many customers of Smart Telecom are wondering what they're options are now, and I thought it might be helpful to discuss the opportunities and obstacles that exist to moving to another provider.

I work in the industry, I was surprised how coy Smart's competitors were today about communicating how easy it is (for most) to move.

www.callcosts.ie offers a means of comparing the price of competing providers for voice and broadband. It's not perfect, but it's not bad.

There are two types of customers affected by this crisis.

(Voice only) WLR and CPS customers are probably all "suspended" by now. They can move their business readily by just placing an order on their chosen provider - lead time is typically 2-3 working days or less. All they need is to quote their UAN (universal account number, usually found top right of the bill cover page). The remainder of this post concerns Smart Broadband customers...

Broadband customers (who typically get SMART POTS service) will take longer to disconnect (it can't be done remotely).

Some exchanges have alternative LLU providers, but they are few. The ubiquitous way to restore service is by first getting a phone line and then ordering broadband service off the eircom DSLAM (i.e. bitstream) from a range of competing providers (including eircom themselves).

It is unclear exactly how eircom wholesale are withdrawing LLU service. If they just yank the pair off the Smart DSLAM and leave it unconnected, it can be reordered as a phone line with free connection (because it is now technically a "Linework in place" order). Lead time to service restoration would typically be 4-7 days (eircom retail would probably be quickest).

If, as has been suggested, eircom wholesale are actually moving the loops to the exhange with soft dial tone, then an order for a phone line becomes an "in-situ" order with very fast delivery - 1 to 2 days.

Once the phone line is in place, broadband can be ordered normally and delivery is typically two weeks (though this varies a lot).

Here's the problem. In order to order the phone line in the first place you need to know not only your UAN but also the telephone number that eircom have assigned to your loop. This is generally not the same as the telephone number assigned to you by Smart.

To find out your "loop" number, if you get soft dial tone (a recorded message on the line) you can call eircom on 1901 and ask them what your CLI shows as, or you could try calling Smart and see if they know.

If you can;t get it, you could resort to placing a line order by simply quoting your address. The risk is that you end up with a much longer lead time to connect the phone line, so it's worth the effort to identify your loop.

Many customers are still within the minimum term of their broadband contract with Smart. It seems unlikely Smart could try to enforce this, but you might ask them to confirm that.

Staying put is also an option.

Sponge Bob

smart is back working for the next month at least

you forgot to mention your old number will mysteriously reappear if you dial 199000 at soft dialtone, funny that and you thinking it was gone .

1904 and 1909 will also work.

if there is no llu and no soft dialtone then there is NO reverse LLU process either is there??

try digiweb metro or vodafone 3g where there will be no messing with lines

Sir Oxman

Thanks for the help. I'm styaing put till the actual light goes out though.
I can imagine it will take even more weeks for those of us who resolutely refuse to deal directly with eircon again.

Sir Oxman

Sponge Bob wrote:

smart is back working for the next month at least

you forgot to mention your old number will mysteriously reappear if you dial 199000 at soft dialtone, funny that and you thinking it was gone .

1904 and 1909 will also work.

if there is no llu and no soft dialtone then there is NO reverse LLU process either is there??

try digiweb metro or vodafone 3g where there will be no messing with lines

Is it?? <fingers crossed>

dgently

Sponge Bob wrote:

smart is back working for the next month at least

you forgot to mention your old number will mysteriously reappear if you dial 199000 at soft dialtone, funny that and you thinking it was gone .

Your right. If you unbundled a POTS line, then your old number is still the "loop identifier". However, if you didn't have a phone line prior to getting Smart Broadband, your number within the eircom network would not be familiar to you. I never heard of the 199000 code - does it read your CLI back to you?

Sponge Bob wrote:

1904 and 1909 will also work.

Never knew that either, I just presumed 1901 would be the only one diallable.

Sponge Bob wrote:

if there is no llu and no soft dialtone then there is NO reverse LLU process either is there??

No, but if eircom yank the pair there is no LLU service to reverse from (just as spare path to your address). While the Smart service remains in place you can't get away without cancelling with Smart and (crucially) they cancelling their lease on your loop with eircom.

elivsvonchiaing

Sponge Bob wrote:

try digiweb metro or vodafone 3g where there will be no messing with lines

I was with smart but have eircom bb.

Everyone knows they (Eircom) are a bunch of gangsters - so I for one won't object if they throw in free line rental with the broadband....

They will merely tell comreg to **** off when they object - just as they have always done! :rolleyes:

cian8

Dgently,

I'm not quite sure I understand your post! I have Smart BB with single billing so I guess i'm in the awkward to change provider category.

Anyway I went to the BT site yesterday, put in my Smart phone number to check BB availability and it said it was available, can I just go ahead and sign-up? I also know my old Eircom phone number if that counts.

My intentions were to cancel Smart, and sign up for BT and let the telecoms work out the technicalities, I am being naive?

Thanks,

Cian.

Sponge Bob

you can indeed cian. the OP is on about unbundled lines not wholesale lines like yours .

email consumerline@comreg.ie on precisely how to manage this changeover with no loss of service.

crawler

I would imagine eircom would disconnect an LLU provider at the optical level to avoid unLLUing the actual lines.

crawler

cian8 wrote:

Dgently,

I'm not quite sure I understand your post! I have Smart BB with single billing so I guess i'm in the awkward to change provider category.

Anyway I went to the BT site yesterday, put in my Smart phone number to check BB availability and it said it was available, can I just go ahead and sign-up? I also know my old Eircom phone number if that counts.

My intentions were to cancel Smart, and sign up for BT and let the telecoms work out the technicalities, I am being naive?

Thanks,

Cian.

More or less - my understanding is you will also need your UAN (Universal account number) number

Sponge Bob

crawler wrote:

I would imagine eircom would disconnect an LLU provider at the optical level to avoid unLLUing the actual lines.

Comreg and Eircom have discussed LLU and bulk LLU migration on and off since 1999 without ever coming up with an intelligent and transparent system but in all that time nobody has ever defined a REVERSE LLU process never mind a BULK REVERSE LLU process .

If , in reality , eircom can suddenly un-LLU people rather quickly the question then arises as to why they cannot LLU them equally quickly or faster. The LLU process takes 4 weeks to complete on average, I would be surprised (but not shocked) if reverse LLU could be done any faster if it came to it.

Smart are paid up until the end of October anyway.

machalla

Sponge how are Smart paid up if Eirscum are starting to disconnect Smart BB customers? Surely if they are all paid up then Eirscum would be pulling the plug in a completely illegal manner? So confused

Sponge Bob

Smart ponied up some money yesterday, it may be that they did not pony the €4m that eircom say they are owed but a lesser amount.

Remember that eircom want Smart shut down before the court decision next week which could leave Smart with the last 3g licence and eircom with no 3g licence.

Sam Johnston

I just called Smart Telecom today Wednesday 3 October (we have connections in Harmonstown and Tallaght and I used one of them for the call and for this post) and got straight through to a rep who apologised and said that we would be receiving calls again within 2-3 days.

In light of all that's happened (and over what, 1.7m? ie the corporate equivalent of a cup of coffee) I'm impressed and will be standing by Smart Telecom and encouraging others to do the same. It's Eircom and ComReg along with the relevant minister(s) that should be feeling heat over this.

Remember, if you move then they win this round.

Sam

pauldave

I am a smart customer and i am sticking with them.
As Sam said its Eircom and comreg along with the minister(s) who should be getting the crap over this and if you leave smart then eircom have won and smart will have to close. If we stick with them they have a chance of pulling through.
My advice is to stay with smart they are by far the best service provider for service and value by a long shot.
Give them your support stick by them.
PD

oxegen tix

pauldave wrote:

I am a smart customer and i am sticking with them.
As Sam said its Eircom and comreg along with the minister(s) who should be getting the crap over this and if you leave smart then eircom have won and smart will have to close. If we stick with them they have a chance of pulling through.
My advice is to stay with smart they are by far the best service provider for service and value by a long shot.
Give them your support stick by them.
PD

Sam and PD - hear hear!!! Resist at all costs Eircom's despicable attempt to abuse power in the market

Liam Byrne

I love the very, very end of the first post...

Staying put is also an option.

It reminds me of the ComReg website - if you scroll down enough you'll see the truth, but if you read the first few lines or follow the links you're likely to panic and fall straight into eircom's trap.