Full Fibre FTTP delayed again?

[#1]

@dvorak  Yes - may be I am showing my age, but even we have given up using the landline and only have a router connected to our line to try to improve our poor FTTC speeds.

I suspect there will be a significant number of users for some years yet still expecting to have a reliable phone line with their broadband as an add on (as on a copper line) rather than having a broadband connection with a phone line add on (as is the case with FTTP.)

I find it hard to believe PN would be happy to offer fttp without a phone capability, but maybe that's part of the lower cost / lower function offering.

[#2]

@Ian06 - the copper line is highly contentious for rural communities because no-one thinks "digital voice" is a good idea - and the recent storms I think has finally pushing this message home since BT have annouced that it's now "paused" (here) and hopefully shelved. When without power and without 4G and even the masts without power, have a working phone line proved to be somewhat useful, add snow to that mix and it's potentially rather essential.

Also, "Openreach will continue to deliver FTTP over a hybrid copper line for the foreseeable future, so the copper line will still physically be there.". Not all providers have commercial offerings for such, but you can request an analogue copper line from BT - e.g. for alarm, medical alert etc.

[#3]

I get the impression that because end users have a pair of ancient insulated copper cables coming to their property that they have 'copper based phone connection'. Fine, yes, they have back to the exchange where the dodgy early 20th century copper based connection is transmitted on across the telecoms network using late 20th/21st century communication technology. The only advantage of copper for the last bit of the connection is simply down to the exchange housing a big bank of batteries that keep the service alive during a power cut.

The solution is no more difficult than changing the bulk battery back up in the exchange for a smaller device in each property. It's not rocket science, it's just a case of who pays for the battery and how long should it last.

Some will say that the answer is a mains UPS but that is an unnecessary compiication. Hubs and ATA's (if required) run on low voltage dc. The UPS solution of charging a battery from the mains and when there's a power cut converting the dc battery voltage back to high voltage ac, then using the hub power supply to reduce the high ac voltage back down to about the dc battery voltage is ridiculous and wastes a lot of the battery capacity.

Hopefully some-one somewhere is developing a sensible solution to this. If not, it ain't half a good business opportunity for some-one with a bit of nouse.

[#4]

@J1mbo 

OpenReach do not provide FTTP over copper!!!

The copper line from the cabinet to a premise will remain for the foreseeable future as it's used to provide FTTC from the linked cabinet. I believe OpenReach are trialling various methods of recovering the heavy duty cables that run from Exchanges to cabinets. The number of exchanges will also be reduced by around 80% though the timetable for that runs into the 30's.

My ONT is old enough to have a BBU alongside it - in a power cut I would need a separate BBU unit for the router.

PSTN is going - it's just a question of getting the right solutions to the various problems.

I know of a FTTP provider who do a "bare bones" connection ie no VOIP service. They mainly operate in rural parishes and if I recall correctly have near 10,000 connections. Anyone who wants a landline would have to sign up for a separate connection with whoever does landline only. They don't do battery backup either thought they have a Help page listing various options.

Brian

[#5]

@bmc FTTP is a hybrid service as far as openreach are concerned (that quote is directly from them btw) - i.e. FTTP services can be ordered (but not from all providers) with both copper and fiber-optic access circuits active, where there is a demonstrable need for a POTS connection. Typically this is done to provide connectivity for alarm systems and medical devices (such as help buttons worm on a lanyard).

TalkTalk, last time I checked, don't offer voice at all with their 'future fibre' packages.

[#6]

EE and TalkTalk don't offer any VoIP service with FTTP, and the copper line gets disconnected.

Sky and Vodafone offer VoIP for free and it's included by default.

BT make it optional, charging a £5 fee for digital voice, if you want it.

I'm in a fibre-only area and can't order anything except FTTP services now.  Neighbours who've had FTTP installed have had the overhead copper cable removed, but not sure if that's standard practice, or just because it's an FTTP only area.

[#7]

TalkTalk are planning to roll a VoIP service out https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2022/05/talktalk-prep-uk-digital-voice-service-and-wi-fi-hub-2...

But having a free Sipgate account seems a better bet to me.

[#8]

@heatingear 

On an overhead install the copper cable gets replaced to reduce the strain on the pole and the number of cables connecting to it.

Until recently it was replaced with a copper/fibre hybrid cable but it sounds like they've now gone fibre only.

Brian

[#9]

Soft launch of PlusNet FTTP today - though you wouldn't know it from their website. You need to phone them if FTTP is available to you.

The FTTP Trial forum has been renamed Full Fibre - look at the thread PlusNet Full Fibre.

Brian

[#10]

Arghhh, nearly there. Called about FTTP but they cannot find my property on their system but it is showing on openreach as available. Have to call back in a few days when they get up and running properly. FTTP has been available at my house for over 3 years so hopefully I'll be switching by the end of the week. Fingers crossed.

[#11]

Literally on phone, signing up now. Expected install date 22nd June

[#12]

Fingers crossed I'll be able to get signed up on Thursday.

So far I have called them Wed, Thur, Fri and Sat. Each time they were unable to find my address in the system and was passed around departments as nobody had a clue what to do. Thankfully on Saturday the lady in support managed to speak to somebody on the FTTP project team and it turns out what they are seeing is a known fault in their system with addresses that have no street name. I've been promised a call on Thursday to update me on the progress.

[#13]

Well engineer booked for 22nd June, Hub 2 I have already, Fibre line was pulled at 9am the morning AFTER I signed up, as BTOR engineer said they were in the area and a job had cancelled, touch. So yes its definatly happening, and as said the website really does not reflect the fact that you can order it

[#14]

PaPow Good luck. My mate has 900mb thru BT as it was new build and that`s all that was available at the time of his contract that he could get. He got me on PN way back. 900mb is shockingly fast. Now just need to order a fast  shiny router that has more functions than the PN H2, I am looking on amazon at the TP-link ax5400

[#15]

Just got off the phone to PN Support. Taken the plunge and ordered an upgrade to FTTP with provisional installation date of 24th June. Now I need to order an ATA for VOIP, some more ethernet cables and work out how to change the wifi settings on some of my devices.