Phasing out home phones

[#1]

@davidj66 

How did you verify the caller was actually from BT sales? 

These are interesting links Digital switchover and scams risks and Shift from UK Analogue to Digital Phone Lines Breeds New SCAMs 

[#2]

A village not far from us has already been "switched off".  In their case it was because there was a major fault on the line supplying them, Openreach declared that it wasn't economically viable to replace the cable when their plan is to remove it in a couple of years, so instead ran FTTP.  A consequence of this is that they all lost their landline.

My understanding of the PSTN switch off is that 2025 is the date for the LAST PSTN service to be disconnected, not that everyone is OK UNTIL 2025.  I stand to be corrected if I'm mistaken, but having read about the fuss created with the community referred to above (who were without any connectivity at all for over four weeks, and, like us, they struggle to get a mobile signal) I don't have any confidence that everyone is OK until the end of 2025.

[#3]

@Dan_the_Van  - I didn't verify the caller's identity but would have done if I'd had any intention of moving my line. BT have been bombarding us with flyers tho'.

[#4]

@JSHarris  - I suppose OR could use that as a convenient "excuse" to cut off customers from PSTN once numbers become low enough.!!

[#5]

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@JSHarris wrote:

A village not far from us has already been "switched off".  In their case it was because there was a major fault on the line supplying them, Openreach declared that it wasn't economically viable to replace the cable when their plan is to remove it in a couple of years, so instead ran FTTP.  A consequence of this is that they all lost their landline.

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Did they all lose their numbers or were they quarantined and available for porting to VoIP, be it not to Plusnet, for 30 days after customers were advised of the switch to FTTP?

My understanding of the PSTN switch off is that 2025 is the date for the LAST PSTN service to be disconnected, not that everyone is OK UNTIL 2025.  I stand to be corrected if I'm mistaken, but having read about the fuss created with the community referred to above (who were without any connectivity at all for over four weeks, and, like us, they struggle to get a mobile signal) I don't have any confidence that everyone is OK until the end of 2025.

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My interpretation is that the PSTN will be switched  off at the end of 2025 except for any exceptions such as the example you quoted and a couple of exchanges that have already been converted. However, providers will need to move customers to VoIP at some time over the next 2 years, there will be no last minute ‘big bang’ when a switch is thrown to simultaneous switch everyone to VoIP. Hence BT are already swapping customers to VoIP region by region.

[#6]

I wonder how this will work for people like me who have their phone contract with BT retail and a separate broadband (non-fibre) contract with PlusNet. There is no FTTP in our area and non planned though there is FTTC.

A near neighbour though not I think on the same cabinet, already on FTTC with BT Retail for both voice and broadband, was switched to digital voice quite recently so there's obviously some sort of changeover active on our exchange.

Due to cabinet locations FTTC for us would be only marginally faster than the current "wet string" provision so I have zero incentive to migrate as the price would inevitably rise.

[#7]

@HPsauce 

BT Retail are actively moving their customers - other ISP's have yet to start down that road.

For your internet you'll need to move to an OpenReach product called SOGEA - you just ask PN to do it. Probably a new contract required but hey ho.

However, the move to SOGEA cancels your phone line so ASAP after this move you need to port your number to a VOIP provider if you want to keep a landline.

I suspect BT Retail don't do phone only so it would need to be a new provider.

Brian

[#8]

"Did they all lose their numbers or were they quarantined and available for porting to VoIP, be it not to Plusnet, for 30 days after customers were advised of the switch to FTTP?"

I don't know, but the issue did make the local paper.  The homes concerned were without phone or internet connectivity for several weeks because of the fault.  I believe something took out a long section of overhead cable.  As it's a rural area, where the cost of replacing the cable (and some poles I believe) was fairly high, relative to the revenue from the affected homes, OR opted to install fibre rather than replace the copper.

Because they were without phones for a fair time I guess they may have been an issue with time when it came to retaining old numbers.  Depends on when the decision was made to terminate their PSTN service and how long after that they finally got FTTP, so could request their number be ported to a VOIP provider.  Not seen anything in the paper about number problems, though, so perhaps it all went OK.

[#9]

@HPsauce 

See here for the BT switch over program https://www.bt.com/about/all-ip

You need to keep an eye on this in case the switch over of your phone to VoIP triggers the cancellation of your Plusnet service in the same way as if you cancelled your BT PSTN phone. This is especially important if you use a Plusnet IMAP email service

[#10]

Thanks @Baldrick1 I think for now I'll just sit and wait. I only use PlusNet email for communications with PlusNet so that doesn't worry me too much, though my email client is configured to do that via IMAP.

BT corporate say they are not proactively moving phone-only customers, which I suspect we may be viewed as if looked at from the BT retail perspective, or maybe not? I wonder if they've actually thought through situations like ours? In the longer term, in order to retain our (memorable) landline number I guess we'll just have to accept moving to a single provider and that will have to be BT retail.

There are (or were) very good reasons why our services are split, but that's no longer significant, though I'd lose useful referral discount by moving.

If cut off I know (from living through faults) that we can use our mobile phones as hotspots in the short term while resolving broadband issues.

[#11]

I wonder if they've actually thought through situations like ours?

Almost certainly not!

[#12]

My neighbour who is with BT has just her contract renewed and they switched her over immediately to Digital Voice system. On enquiring what she should do she was told to plug her existing phone into the green socket on her hub - problem - she doesn't have a green socket - this is on the Superhub apparently.

It seems that when the moment comes, you plug your existing phone into the green socket and all is well..............  Is it ?

Will Plusnet be providing super hubs for us ?

Will this work with DECT phone systems so we can keep extensions through the house?

[#13]

@Balloonist - I'm really sorry but we don't have the intention at the moment of selling a voice service in the form of VOIP so if the landline is a must then we ask you to look at moving to our friends at BT who do offer VOIP.

The main limitation of the copper in infrastructure being turned off is having to use a mobile that is quite small and fiddly. WIFI calling will solve the issue of no mobile signal and eventually when FTTP is more mainstream, larger mobile phones that look like landline phones will come about removing the need for VoIP altogether. If they haven't already been invented, that sounds like a dragons den opportunity to me.

I'm sure over time careline pendants that use the landline will be a thing of the past too just like VHS and floppy disks further making VOIP more obsolete in favour of 4g/5g and WIFI calling.

[#14]

@HPsauce 

You do not have to move to a single provider though that's probably the easiest option.

If you stay with PN on SOGEA for internet you would have to move your phone service to a VOIP provider. Note should only be done after the move to SOGEA.

When you go to SOGEA your landline gets ceased. The number then is quarentined for 30 days to allow for a port. There would be a few days downtime on the phone service.

While there are many providers A&A appear to offer good deals but more importantly they have good FAQ pages about VOIP.

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-information/ 

Brian

[#15]

@James30 

There's a problem with mobile phone WiFi calling for those (like us) that live in an area with no mobile coverage.  Because there's no mobile signal there's no point in us having a fancy mobile phone or anything other than a cheap PAYG SIM contract.  Cheap PAYG SIM deals don't allow WiFi calling . . .

It's unreasonable to expect those in our situation, living on limited pensions, to invest hundreds of pounds on a fancy mobile phone (that's functionality is a massive overkill just for making phone calls)  and have to pay many times more per month for a SIM contract, just to retain a working home phone.  A landline phone is an essential lifeline, it's the only way we have to speak with family or to summon emergency aid.

I sincerely hope that the VOIP service provided by others will remain functional for my remaining lifetime, as I really do not want to have to go through all this again in a few years time.