# Forum Home Renovation Television, Computers & Phones  *#@!! Telstra Help

## vsquizz

No time for woodworking.  Too busy landscaping.  Anyway the picky shows the white conduit of the phone line coming in at angle from the pit at the street.  The house has been built with the slab lower than most of the front yard so I'm about to shift many tonnes of high quality west Aussie sand (no dirty dirt here) and put in a retaining wall etc.  The phone line is not even 200 mm below the surface to start with and thats about the depth I have to go down. 
So my problem is, as there is no termination at the street (the cable just goes straight through, no joint) can I just cut the cable and join in a new longer section so I can sink the cable down to the (Oh no) required depth below my new landscaped level??. 
Before we get on to depth I have read all the threads and have got it.  The telephone cable must be at least 10 foot down and twelve foot from the gas. 
Anyway, if I can join it, is there any special connection required and I suppose I have to get an authorised sparky to do this (I just swing off the shovel?). 
Regards from the SandPit

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## Wood Borer

Don't cut it or you will be in more sh*t than a Werribee duck. 
Because it is in conduit chances are it is not buried in the solid in the street but also in conduit which means there may be some slack. Is there any slack in the house? 
Either get a Telstra person or an ACA licenced person to do the job for you. 
Hurry up so you can back into your woodwork. 
- Wood Borer

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## gemi_babe

If telstra didn't follow the regulations in the first place I would get on the phone to them and make them rectify the problem at their expense.  
You might just find that they will gladly help (don't laugh) but I complained about my bill and they credited my phone account $300 when really they only had to take off $37.  
Complaining sometimes has its rewards!

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## vsquizz

WB yes its all in conduit but no slack, already checked.  I can't imagine putting the wire cutters through it with ADSL active.  What I meant is can a certified techo cut/join/extend a new section in without getting Telstra involved.   
I've decided to run it down the side of the fence and then bring it in at right right angles to the house so I going to need at least 6metres more.  This will get it away from trees and the like. 
BTW, closer the pit at the road but still in my boundary (front lawn..well  weed patch) its less than 100 mm below the surface.  In the digging I also found a dodgey gas pipe also the same depth.  I call this pitchfork depth...aahh the joys of buying established. 
The last time I had Telstra out they charged me $200 to twitch two wires together illegally connecting the second line without lightning arrestors.  Fat lot of good those useless Ba**tards are!.  But imagine if I had of done it?:mad:  
Thanks and Cheers from the SandPit

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## Zedd

squizz, you are not allowed to touch anything on the network side of the edge of the nework boundry, this is generally denoted as the first socket or the lead into the house in most residential applications. you can however dig your own trench and tell your carrier you require them tyo move their conduit. they will of course charge you for this.

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## bitingmidge

OK you buggers have got me started now.... 
Cut it and do it yourself...if it doesn't work, call 'em in and tell em you had an accident with a bobcat. 
Prior to major reno's, telephone conduit was actually split and full of malelleuca (can't spell it) paperbark roots, and I needed to relocate it anyway.   16m metres of conduit. 
Made some enquiries of Telstra who advised that I would have to use their contractor for this work and gave me a phone number.  "Skilled Engineering" answered the number. 
Call centre person 1 - "We have people quoting in your area on Thursday's please forward $70.00 and we will come and quote." 
Me - "No I just want the job done.  Laying three pieces of conduit in a trench that I have dug will cost less than $70.00" 
Call centre person 1 - "I'm sorry we can't issue a work order without a quote, and that we need $70.00 before we do anything." 
With that, I hung up and immediately dialled back to speak to a different person.  Exactly the same conversation. 
So I tried again.  Call centre person 3 said "Hey if I was you I'd just get the conduit from Lawrence and Hansena and stick it in with a draw wire - whose gunna know."    
Great Advice!!!  So I did. 
Now, how do I get my phone re-connected (not technically disconnected at the exchange, just 15m of cable missing!)? 
I didn't want to go through all that again, so I called Telstra service difficulties.....  "Err I've had a couple of accidents with a bobcat, backhoe, shovel and three concrete trucks and might have cut the phone line in a few places......I've laid a new conduit to make it easier for your guys to repair it though." 
Telstra; "Are you sure that the cable is cut?" 
Me: "Pretty sure, I've coiled it in three coils and it's hanging on the fence" 
Telstra:  "Ohhhh you need to talk to our subcontractor" 
Me: "That would be NO if it's Skilled engineering.  Hey they aren't allowed to have a monopoly, could you please give me a number for one of their competitors?" 
Telstra Supervisor: (After me going through whole story) "Suggest you look in the yellow pages sir." 
In the end I phoned Lawrence and Hansen (an electrical wholesaler) and asked them if they could tell me if they had any of Skilled Engineering's subcontractors as customers. 
There was a guy in the store picking up some stuff, within twenty minutes of me hanging up the phone he had finished the job, collected $30.00 in cash and a slab, and I was still a week and $20 ahead of getting a quote. 
I can't believe that the pseudo-monopoly is allowed to have a monopolistic approach to handing out subcontract work as well...ask around as I did, and you'll find quite a few guys with "Pit Licences" that will do the job at a fair price. (only $300 per hour !! :eek: ) 
Sorry about the rant...
NO I'M NOT   :Biggrin:   :Biggrin:   :Biggrin:  
P
Why is there only one monopolies commission?

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## soundman

Looks prety scary to me. If the picture give the correct impression. the austel should have gone under the drainage. 
Just be carefull the fines are enormous. 
It might be worth electing to locate your network boundry at some point more convienient to you. like at the property boundry. means installing a junction box & some paperwork. but you can then employ a contractor to do what you want on your side of the boundry.

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## DanP

Look up the relevant legislation and see how deep the conduit should be.  If it is not legally installed, call Telstra and demand it be done properly.  FOR FREE. 
Dan

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## vsquizz

> Looks prety scary to me. If the picture give the correct impression. the austel should have gone under the drainage.

  My thoughts exactly, not sitting on top 100 mm below the surface.   

> It might be worth electing to locate your network boundry at some point more convienient to you. like at the property boundry. means installing a junction box & some paperwork. but you can then employ a contractor to do what you want on your side of the boundry.

  I have got a new Madison Box and some arrestors so its off to play Russian Roulette (I mean get the yellow pages) and call a Austel sparky.

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## vsquizz

Rang the Number at Telstra today, got re-directed twice until got the right department.  They gave me a 1800 number for the Telstra Cabling contractor.  The call centre was not in WA and perhaps not in Aus.  They gave me a mobile phone number of the sub-contractor who services my area.  I ring the guy who says he's trying not to do jobs in Perth anymore seeing as he is 2000 k's away in Pt Hedland.  He gives me the correct mobile number of the Perth contractor who I ring and get the answering service...Sigh...Leave message at 9 am this morning and get no calls back all day.  Yep..nothings changed. 
The wire cutters are getting sharpened...!

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## Sturdee

Squizzy, 
I don't know what the situation is in Perth, but here we have both Telstra and Optus who has their own cable network providing telephone service. 
When I had problems with Telstra I changed over to Optus, they are cheaper and they fixed the problems at no charge in the change over.  
Peter.

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## vsquizz

Peter, yep they are quick to point out that the "network boundary" is at my house - where the not so underground cable connects to the house lines at lightning arrestor (on the wall in photo) and that I can't touch anything upstream of this BUT;  ring them up and "no sorry the cable run in from the street is the owners responsibility".  Seems that the "network boundary" shifts to suit their needs.   
Telstra got the flick for internet and Fax line awhile back but in Perth there is nothing you can do about the hardware side of things.  The first Telstra dude I see is going to get a telephone shoved right up his dry-dock. 
I'm off to find an old fashioned Big telephone.

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## Fantapantz

Just cut the wires one at a time so you don't short anything out at their exchange. You dont want someone rolling up to see what happened before you bury the evidence.  
Trivia........I must have been making too many dirty phone calls lately.....SWMBO put my mobile through the wash. I told her I'd have to get a smaller mobile this time.She asked why? The answer was simple.......so we can save money on detirgent.

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## Bob Willson

As Fantapantz says, Just do it. Nobody will ever know once you have buried the evidence and the wires only carry 26 volts anyway. Phone lines are a breeze. There is nothing hard about them at all. 
In  the EXTREMELY unlikely event that the wires are exposed to the view of a Telstra technician in the future just deny any knowledge of everything. Act REAL dumb. 
PS do use the proper Telstra connectors though, they are available from Lawrence and Hansen and they enable you to join wires with a pair of pliers

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## Zedd

50 volts dc (standard), 75v AC (ring) 
cut both cables at once you wont cause an alarm in the exchange - believe me -  they dont give a toss about one customer alarm especially in consumer land. you think we are that important to the carrier ???? they only alarm major sites and major customers. 
cheers

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## Trav

And while you are at it, send a letter to the telecomunication ombudsman.  Nothing will change unless people (other than telstra) know about the problem.    :Biggrin:   
There has to be some benefit from being a bureaucrat! 
Trav

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## griffo

I say go for and do it yourself. It's only 2 pair (or 4 pair) just get the correct waterproof joiners from L&H. Just make sure your not colour blind!  
g

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## vsquizz

Thanks guys.  I got stuck into Telstra about their double standards and mobile boundary....still waiting on their repy.   
Had the plumber in today to shift the gas line down to a safe depth.   
I can cut and rearrange the telephone wires inside my house so they are not going to know any different if its out in the front yard.  All the same I've got an Austel sparky coming on friday although I have dug the trench and am suppling all the gear. 
Now Western Power and their pole full of white ants out the front is for it...:mad: 
I'm thinking of becoming a professional agitator....

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## MarkV

"I'm thinking of becoming a professional agitator...." 
It's nice to have a hobby

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## Fantapantz

Agreed.I forgot that Telstra doesn't give a cods wallop, when my telephone cable was hanging low i rang up and asked for them to come and fix it ($17,000) fine for touching it. The lady on the phone asked if it was dangerous, to which I replied " only if a kid rides his pushbike on the footpath cause it'll get him around the neck". She said it was a priority...........Two days latter they sent someone out to fix it........it was 9.30 at night, so he cut the wire and through it onto the footpath and said he would be back tomorrow to fix it........Three days latter it was still lying on the ground.....I rang up again and was told that the problem had already been fixed.........Anyway, the moral of the story??????? there is none...Im just bored.......  :Biggrin:

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## Theva

Vsquizz, 
The pole looks like it had regular treatment; hope the pests will stop with the sapwood and most importantly, will stay away from your house  :Biggrin:  . 
Regards, 
Theva

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## fxst

hope all your phone probs are solve .
At least in across the border we dont need to worry bout the lil white buggers.....The havent developed to the stage stobie poles are tasty (steel & cement)
Pete

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## Wild Dingo

Dontcha just love Telstra? :mad: Dont bother with the Ombudsman I tried that route and got a polite note in the mail 3 weeks later with a {client complaint reciept number in top right corner} saying that they are terribly busy but my complaint will be looked into in due course 2 months later I rang them and they had no record of my complaint I informed them of the number they suddenly became very busy and would ring back I rang them back in 2 weeks again no record give number they get busy 8 months later Im still waiting 
Telstra accept no responsibility for anything! mongrels... I got telstra bigpond ADSL a year ago hence the prob with the ombudsman above which cost me $3000 in less than 4 months use {this included our get out of contract very early payment :mad: }  Several things alerted me that there was something seriously amis... 1} the kilobyte reader was reading megabytes not kilobytes 2} the timer was way out registering use when no one was home the computer was off at the wall 3) There was no appreciable difference in speed from my dialup service 4) from 22 per month totally and utterly no limit dialup to massively expensive per day to increadibly limited downloads 5) I ended up payin an arm and a leg for virus scnners and firewalls which wasnt the problem...  
Finally in total exasperation I took their modem to a techy to check out and he found that the problem was the modem was stuffed so I double checked by getting another techy bloke to check it out same result meanwhile having constant LONG phone calls with Testra morons up to State bigpond supervisors {oh from Queensland of course  :Rolleyes: } all of whom continuously stated that the problem was not the machine or bigpond the ASDL or anything else Telstra related nor could it possibly be the modem... Anyway result was they wouldnt even exchange the peice of crap bung modem they provided at my cost!! And yes I took the thing back to the Mandurah store to queery why they wouldnt exchange it as they do faulty phone equipment their response was that it left the wharehouse in tact so any problem that it now has must have been caused by ME???? oh and cause I had had someone else check the modem I had voided any warrenty :mad:  
said modem now sits in the bottom of the drawer gathering dust as a useless peice of junk I like to keep around to remind myself that Telstra are a total waste of space and Bigpond the biggest drain on my finances EVER bar none!! 
That pole is outside your house? @@@@@!!! Remind me not to buy near your place mate! :eek:  
Anyway hope its all working out for you but monopolies like Testra drive me totally around the bend... sorry about the rant but this is still giving me the dry willies!

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## vsquizz

The nice sub-contractor to the contractor to Telstra came out the other day and admired my trench.  He seemed like a nice bloke and did a good job.  He just grabbed the cable and chopped it in one hit with the big cutters.  I asked if that caused problems and he just laughed and said only if you short the ends of the wires for a long period. 
He charged me $100.00 for his hour, 3 lengths of conduit and 20 metres of cable.  Then another $25.00 for the new "Snot Box" in the pit out at the street.  Not too bad really but next time I'll do it myself.  Anyway, now its all down 700 mm and exactly where I want it.  BTW he said 300 mm down was the minimum.   
His definition of the network boundary was the Madison Box (grey box with lighting/ground connected) and he nor his bosses gave a toss what I did downstream as long as it was an Austel approved fitting/connection/phone etc and it didn't cause a network fault.  I'm not happy about having to pull up and replace defective cabling installed by Telecom in the first place.  To top that off the conduit wasn't even glued:mad: at the initial installation.  If we had tried to pull through another cable it probably would have come apart underground. 
So now the gas and phone is out of the way its time for a limestone retaining wall (more $$$).  Ohh and the electricty man turned green then turned up with termite spray (sorry termite) white ant spray and gave the pole a good dousing.  This only after he insisted there was nothing wrong with the pole and finally I (got sick or arguing) took some photos and sent them over.  He could have just believed me on the phone but hey who am I.... 
Whilst I waiting for the limestone blocks to turn up its back to renovating the bathroom.  I know I know but it must be paying off because SWMBO (minister for finance) has just approved my purchase order for the Veritas Workbench package in the latest Timbercon cattledog. 
Happiness is a tail vice :Smilie:  . 
Regards

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## Brudda

> If telstra didn't follow the regulations in the first place I would get on the phone to them and make them rectify the problem at their expense.

  
I had a similar problem with telstra some years ago..  found the 50 pair local line less than 100mm under the nature strip(with the bade of a kanga hammer!) paid $600 for the repair. I complained that the cable was not at a set depth, only to be told that there WAS NO REGULATION depth for telstra to lay their cables to, they could lay them on top of the soil if they felt like it!. 
I came to the conclusion that telstra customer service is an oxy-moron. 
I will be glad when the government finally sell their share of it !(NOT!!!!!) 
Kev  :Wink:   :Rolleyes:   :Cool:  (who keeps changing the smilies!!)

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## Bob Willson

> Happiness is a tail vice

   That must be why I'm always so happy. I've always had a liking for a bit of tail.   :Smilie:

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## kiwigeo

My contribution to the tales of Telstra forum:  
1. The phone line went dead one day. A couple of weeks earlier Id had trouble with the line and a Telstra tech had traced the problem to water in a junction box down the street. Dont quite know why (paranoia?) but I had a sudden thought that there might be a tech down at the junction box working on same.....I headed down to the front gate and sure enough there was a tech sitting on his little stool with the cable sitting in his lap. I siddled up and asked him if by chance he'd accidentally pulled my line apart....."oh no mate Id never do a thing like that....just give Telstra a call and report the fault". 
Despite pleading for the guy to quickly check if my line was ok I headed back to the house to ring up Telstra. 10 minutes later I headed back down the driveway and lo and behold the tech had p...ed off in a hurry. 
Next day another tech arrived and I told him what had happened. We headed down to the junction box the tech had been working on the day before and guess what we found...yep you guessed it..someone had disconnected my line. 
2. A few months later I noticed a telstra tech poking around at another junction box directly outside my letter box. I went down and told the guy that if he was looking for a noisey line then it was most likely the junction box up the street. He didnt believe me and remarked that there wasnt a junction box up the street. 
An hour later I noticed him walk down to the location of the other junction box and next thing hes sitting down with the cable on his lap mucking around with the wires. I went along and casually asked him if hed found the problem. Yep..hed found the problem and it had taken about 10 minutes to fix.

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## vsquizz

A good mate just called to see how I was going with my "works" out the front.  Here's his tale (Thats T A L E don't get excited Bob :Smilie:  ) 
My Mate is a now retired marine engineer off the Tugs.  Collapsed at work oneday and it was eventually found he had 4 tumours on the brain, one the size of a golf ball and inoperable.  The treatment almost killed him so he put a stop to it.  He could shift off from this world anyday but he wasn't too worried about that.  He just wanted to get his affairs in order, enjoy things and spend lots of time with the new granddaughter. 
His telephone is probably his lifeline.  His wife went back to work at his insistence and hes not allowed to drive so most of his time is spent in the shed and the garden. 
Last week he notices the obligatory Telstra van parked next door and the tech working on the box.  He wanders out and says G'day and asks whats going on.  The tech tells him hes just fixing the line next door.  My mate tells him that every time somebody works on the box his phone buggers up - no worries says the tech, she'll be apples. 
Couple of hours later my mate goes to make a call and the phone is dead.  Takes him three days to get two wires reconnected in the box.  On the second day telstra offers to give him a mobile phone for 24 hrs while its sorted....they will drop it off ...tomorrow.  All this in suburban Perth.   
My mate makes jokes about it.  God love him.

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## ptc

Read the Senate report on Telstra
abc page.today
ptc

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## mnorman007

> PS do use the proper Telstra connectors though, they are available from Lawrence and Hansen and they enable you to join wires with a pair of pliers

  Does anybody have a website of where I can order these from? Ive come across the www.hagemeyeraustralia.com.au website but Im not sure which product it is and they dont allow you to order online. My ideal way would be to order over the net as I'm mainly free at night so dont get a chance to order during business hours. 
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciate. 
M.

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## Bob Willson

On a slightly different note.  

> Telstra says it will challenge the powers of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in the High Court. It comes after a dispute between the competition regulator and the telco over the amount Telstra can charge its rivals to use its broadband network.
>   Telstra spokesman Will Irving says the policy undermines competition and contravenes a clause in the Australian Constitution.
>  "It's like the ACCC telling you you're required to rent a room in your house, then telling you you have to rent it out for $17.70 a month," he said. 
>  "The Constitution exists to protect the rights of all Australians and under the Constitution the Government has the power to compulsorily acquire property, but it can only do so where it does so on just terms."
>   Telstra spokesman Phil Burgess says the ACCC's regulations are invalid.
>   "It's been impossible to achieve a fair result within the current framework," he said. 
>  "The framework allows arbitrary and capricious actions by the ACCC that are hostile to property rights, that are key to jobs growth and economic development in the digital age."
>   The ACCC says it is satisfied with the regulatory decisions it has made and will contest Telstra's case in the High Court.

       
It seems to me that if Tel$tra are so sure that they are doing the right thing by others then a VERY GOOD THING would be for the whole of the infrastructure to be taken away from them and made into a separate company and then Tel$tra could buy back their requirements from that company at the prices that they consider to be fair for others and then we would REALLY hear some squeals from them.

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## KevM

> On a slightly different note. 
> It seems to me that if Tel$tra are so sure that they are doing the right thing by others then a VERY GOOD THING would be for the whole of the infrastructure to be taken away from them and made into a separate company and then Tel$tra could buy back their requirements from that company at the prices that they consider to be fair for others and then we would REALLY hear some squeals from them.

  Bob,
Not sure where you are coming from.  :No:   
Telstra is now a private company.   
I'm a share holder. 
Don't attempt to regulate the value of my shares. :Annoyed:

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## namtrak

And this thread was only 3 years old.

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## KevM

> And this thread was only 3 years old.

  But not Bob's posting.

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## Bob Willson

> Bob,
> Not sure where you are coming from.   
> Telstra is now a private company.   
> I'm a share holder. 
> Don't attempt to regulate the value of my shares.

  
So Tel$tra is now a 'private' company eh?
The government sold off my share of the infrastructure of Tel$tra paid for partly by my taxes without my permission and now that it is a 'Private' company they want to rent my own property back to me at a MASSIVE profit but in such a way that only Tel$tra shareholders will benefit, while any competitors in the same market are at a huge disadvantage because they weren't given a whole country full of copper lines etc? 
I don't want to regulate the value of your shares but Tel$tra is holding me to ransom for  something that actually belongs to me already.
My suggestion was that Tel$tra be made to pay the same price for the hire of the infrastructure as everybody else. Doesn't this seem fair given that it wasn't theirs in the beginning

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## Bob Willson

*Category: Electrical W'salers*  *Address* 
Lot 6, 63 Reserve Drv
Mandurah
WA, 6210
Australia

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## Tools

http://hytel.com.au/Products/P8632.htm 
Tools

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## KevM

> So Tel$tra is now a 'private' company eh?
> The government sold off my share of the infrastructure of Tel$tra paid for partly by my taxes without my permission and now that it is a 'Private' company they want to rent my own property back to me at a MASSIVE profit but in such a way that only Tel$tra shareholders will benefit, while any competitors in the same market are at a huge disadvantage because they weren't given a whole country full of copper lines etc? 
> I don't want to regulate the value of your shares but Tel$tra is holding me to ransom for  something that actually belongs to me already.
> My suggestion was that Tel$tra be made to pay the same price for the hire of the infrastructure as everybody else. Doesn't this seem fair given that it wasn't theirs in the beginning

  Bob,
You've lost me still.  We the shareholders, paid the government for their (your) equity in the company when we bought our shares.   
The Goverment now has been paid for what was your share of Telstra. 
Telstra is only attempting now to give me a return  on my investment.   
cheers 
Kev

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