I've just moved into a new build flat and need a line to get Sky installed. Is there any other way than paying the extortionate £125 to BT?

You do not have to pay money to BT. Your beloved provider of choice is completely free to arrange the connection to the network and negotiate the price themselves. Whether they do or not is between you and Sky. Talk to them. If they refuse, then blah blah blah.

BT currently (but only until end September) give you £95 off the £125 fee if you commit to an 18 month contract. Other suppliers will connect you for £110. Look around.

Why are you accusing BT, rather than Sky, of extortion?

thanks for the advice.

In response to your question - I am accusing BT as it is their pocket's that the £125 will be lining

It's the not their pockets they're lining there. It's the ducts and trenches and walls that are being lined. I'm sure you'd be much happier if the regulators changed their ruling so that instead of everyone being forced to pay a flat rate each individual paid the actual cost of their installation. You would prefer a bill for £12,500? You are getting a bargain.

that may well be the case but you asked me why I was pointing the finger at BT and not Sky

thanks for being really helpful

The connection fee was imposed on BT by regulators to

a) make sure people who live out in the sticks can get a cheapish phone line, and

b) to stop BT undercutting alternative providers in urban areas.

It's all part of the wholesale lunacy that Europe imposed as part of its crazed pursit of market solutions in areas where natural monopolies make more sense.

BT may well be the worst organization in the world for customer service, but this is one of the few areas where they're not actually to blame.

Well when I moved into my first home last year BT told me I had NO CHOICE and that they were the only people who could offer me a line, even though so many companies were offering much cheaper line rental. I was told I would HAVE to sign up with BT and the min contract was 18 months. I too only wanted the phone line for my sky. As soon as I got it all fitted I transferred my calls to sky (and got the FREE broadband!) but still have to pay BT for my line rental. Oh BT also started charging me (without notice) for the free 1571 service etc

That makes my point quite neatly; the EU inspired free market regulations are completely irrelevant in the large parts of Britain where BT are the only people interested in supplying the local loop. Lots of people want to piggyback on the local loop once it's installed; they just don't want to dot he ahrd work...

Get Sky to arrange installation of a BT line -

"1.6 If you have chosen to take Sky Talk Line Rental and you do not have a BT compatible line, we may be able to arrange this for you and you will need to pay Sky a connection fee. We will inform you of our current connection fees at the time you book your installation. Sky Talk Line Rental customers do not need to pay any other provider for line rental."

Charges are levied by BT Openreach, providers then can choose how much to pass on to the customer.

Ofcom cap the amount BT Openreach can charge for connection @ £88 + VAT. BT has to provide telephony services to whoever asks for them unlike other providers who can pick and choose.

BT pay the first £3400 cost of a new line but as above can only charge the customer £88 + VAT. Considering many new lines will take decades before they run into profit at monthly rental of £11 it's not a bad deal and far from the "lining the pockets" falacy.

BT's 1571 is only free if you make 2 chargeable calls per month through their network. If you get calls through Sky use 1280 prefix to hop back to BT's network to make the necessary number of calls unless Sky have blocked access to this since upgrading their network.

Check out the BT employee... Actually scrap that, if you have ever worked for BT you would not be that nice about them! BT make a fortune off customers and it is right that they should plough some of those profits back into the business to subsides the connection of new lines. They should do it for free as it’s the only way to carry on making such huge profits! It should be about providing a service, so I say thank goodness for the regulator, gosh only knows where we would be if we were left in the hands of the faceless company like BT!

Very helpful post. Thanks for sharing your keen insight into the telecoms industry.

Thank you very much, my pleause in fact... Here to help!