AT&T Business Fiber install concerns
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I have a strange situation with a client. They recently contacted me regarding an issue they are having with AT&T fiber install. They were on a old bonded T1 for voice and internet. AT&T contacted them stating they were discontinuing the service and they would need to upgrade to new fiber they would install all while saving a bit of money. The client agreed. It took them over a year to finally install the fiber in this client's suite. The box where the fiber terminates, a fiber to Ethernet media converter, and a AT&T provided router are all mounted in the suite on a wall. According to the client they never asked where it should go or for a dmarc location.
Client's lease is soon up and they are moving to the suite next door which is a different physical address with no access to previous suite. The client contacted AT&T to request a move of the circuit, however the sales rep stated there was no such thing as a move and that they would have to sign a new contract and at that point they would be able to cancel the previous without any term fees. Sales rep was pushy to get the contracted signed stating that if they wanted to meet the end of the month move deadline it needed to be submitted asap. Client agreed and signed. AT&T then came out and installed a second router off of the original media converter in the old suite and said, when you move simply take it with you. That is when the client involved us since it was not making sense to them.
I reached out to AT&T rep to discuss, he stated that he checked with the engineering department and they told him that the fiber termination box and media convert installed at the old physical address will service the next building as well and that a new one could not be installed at the new address.
I have heard of this in multi-tenant buildings where the drops are terminated in a demarc like a electrical room or maintenance room but never in an actual suite. I have a sneaking suspicion that this AT&T rep is either not being truthful or just bad at his job. I have a call scheduled with him later today to get more clarification. Unfortunately I am being brought into this situation mostly after the fact so all I have to go by is what the client is telling me.
Anyone have any experience with similar situations?
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Escalate. If the original circuit is not in a common space in the building, then AT&T will be required to do something because anything left in private space is freely able to be ripped out by the next tenant when they remodel to fit their business.
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AT&T is definitely blowing smoke. The new tenant will "own" that IP equipment and can charge both the existing tenant and AT&T for use of the facilities, or just cut it off. The new tenant will own that equipment and that connection.
