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BT quotes £22,500 for home phone line in Suffolk | BT quotes £22,500 for home phone line in Suffolk |
(35 minutes later) | |
A woman who asked BT to install a landline at her home was told it would cost more than £22,500. | |
Jenny Stephen expected BT to connect her home to a telegraph pole visible from her window at a holiday village in Corton, Suffolk. | |
But BT Openreach quoted her a price of £18,799 plus VAT, saying it was due to the "huge" civil engineering task of laying 400m of underground cables. | But BT Openreach quoted her a price of £18,799 plus VAT, saying it was due to the "huge" civil engineering task of laying 400m of underground cables. |
Mrs Stephen said: "Maybe it's because I'm old, they think I'm stupid." | |
She retired to Waterside park on the coast 18 months ago and since then has tried to get BT to install a phone line. | She retired to Waterside park on the coast 18 months ago and since then has tried to get BT to install a phone line. |
A neighbouring property has been linked by an overhead line to the telegraph pole on The Street, which is adjacent to the holiday park. | A neighbouring property has been linked by an overhead line to the telegraph pole on The Street, which is adjacent to the holiday park. |
'Complex work' | 'Complex work' |
But BT told Mrs Stephen it would have to dig up the road to install her landline. | But BT told Mrs Stephen it would have to dig up the road to install her landline. |
"[I'm told] there's no option, although a radio link or a link to another house would work," added Mrs Stephen. | "[I'm told] there's no option, although a radio link or a link to another house would work," added Mrs Stephen. |
"I just want to make a phone call but I can't get any sense out of anybody." | "I just want to make a phone call but I can't get any sense out of anybody." |
BT said: "The price quoted is due the huge civil engineering task to provide an underground service to one customer in Waterside Holiday Park. | BT said: "The price quoted is due the huge civil engineering task to provide an underground service to one customer in Waterside Holiday Park. |
"In this instance nearly 400m of cabling is required, as well as the need for surveys and complex underground duct work to be installed." | "In this instance nearly 400m of cabling is required, as well as the need for surveys and complex underground duct work to be installed." |
The owners of Waterside said it would be happy for BT to run overhead cables to Mrs Stephen's maisonette. | The owners of Waterside said it would be happy for BT to run overhead cables to Mrs Stephen's maisonette. |