Loss of landlien concern?

[#1]

Our contract ends in about 2 month's time and we have been looking around.  Apparently landlines are being phased out and everything is done over the Internet.  Plus net are not offering any deals that include the landline.  We live in a rural area and mobile signal is almost non existent unless we walk up the nearest hill.  Signal in the home is a complete No No.

If landline is removed, we will have a problem.  No one has updated us on improvements to the signal reception or what will happen come 2025.  Most providers are not offering phone option so we are obviously concerned as we need the phone for medical emergencies etc.

Can anyone give us some sort of reassurance?  Thanks.

[#2]

@Surfer 

Although you won't see it online PN will renew your contract with a phone service if you phone them.

At some point in the reasonable near future you are indeed going to lose your phone service. OpenReach are phasing out PSTN by the end of 2025 though, as ever, there may be some delay in this.

When this happens you'll need to use VOIP to make phone calls. As you've noticed PN don't offer this (a BT Group decision) so you'll either need to move ISP to a provider who offers both internet and phone or use an independant VOIP provider alongside PN internet. Apparently this works well unless you suffer power cuts.

Your internet service will be provided over an OpenReach product called SOGEA - basically the copper line without PSTN.

Brian

[#3]

We have a router with a backup for when we lose power which happens once or twice in the winter months.  The concern is how will VOIP work if the signal is very poor or nearly non existent?   As said no signal in the home at all and we cannot make calls or receive calls on our mobile phones unless it is through the router which is connected to the landline.  There are several of us in village with this the sort of situation.  

Even if we were able to receive calls and in a good mobile signal area, would the router use our mobile phones as the hot spot for calls and connection to Internet.  At present our phones can download a max of 4GB so not a lot.

Excuse my ignorance, but I am not very clued up on this stuff and it is a concern to us.

[#4]

@Surfer 

What is your internet speed like?

VOIP works over the internet so lack of mobile signal has no effect on it. Power loss is the killer. Apart from your router you'd also need to have backup for any VOIP eqiupment. This may include an Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA) and / or  DECT phones.

Some mobile providers allow WiFi calling where the phone connects to the internet via the router to make the call. Some don't. I have no experience of this.

A&A get a good write up on ths Forum for VOIP. Apart from anything else they have good FAQ's on VOIP.

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

Finally, have you checked recently as to whether OR have any plans for FTTP for your address. Try

www.openreach.co.uk

Brian

[#5]

@Surfer A VoIP phone service is transmitted over your internet connection - no reliance whatsoever on mobile signals.

[#6]

@Surfer   have a read of this or the many other articles available. VOIP ha nothing to do with the mobile signal, but is delivered over your router. 

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/consumer-issues/changes-to-landline-telephon... 

[#7]

@Surfer 

The concern is how will VOIP work if the signal is very poor or nearly non existent?

I think you misunderstand. VOIP uses your internet connection to make/receive calls. It has nothing to do with any mobile service.

The main problem with VOIP is the loss of internet when the power fails. I'm afraid its not just the router and phone that need backup, if the internet is supplied from your local Fibre cabinet (SoGEA) then the backup in that cabinet may be as short as 30 mins or so.

edit: everyone else seems to type faster than me!

[#8]

How would I connect to the Internet if no landline?

[#9]

@Surfer 

You still have a copper line - just no phone service on it. As previously mentioned this is called SOGEA.

Brian

[#10]

Gotcha now. So there will still be a copper feed from the cabinet to our property, just no phone calls over it any more so millions of phones are going to be scrapped?  If using VOIP how will a person know how to connect to you? 

As you can see I am not up on this new technology so all the help is needed for this old fashion dunderhead.  LOL!

[#11]

so millions of phones are going to be scrapped? 

Not necessarily, your existing phones can connect to an ATA (Analogue telephone adapter) which in turn connects via ethernet to your router.

If using VOIP how will a person know how to connect to you? 

They just call your allocated number (which can be your existing landline number), the call is then routed to your voip equipment over the internet as a digital signal using data packets, rather than down the copper line as an analogue signal. If you use an ATA , this converts the digital signal back to analogue for your conventional phone.

[#12]

@Surfer " If using VOIP how will a person know how to connect to you? " They just phone your number exactly as now.

You can (usually) transfer your existing landline number to a VOIP service (I just did) or take out a new one - I did that too, on the same "area code" as the old number. So I now have two numbers on the same "exchange". With VOIP costs of an extra number are usually very low.

One advantage of VOIP, depending on what equipment you have, is the possibility of multiple calls at the same time.

[#13]

@Surfer 

Most phones will work with an ATA. Also, many people are ditching landlines in favour of mobiles (if they get a decent signal).

So long as the cabinet has power your internet and therefore VOIP will continue working. However, in an extended power cut the backup on the cabinet may run out.

You have a phone number on VOIP and it can be your existing number. You just "port" it to your independant VOIP provider within 30 days or it goes with you if you move to an ISP offering phone and internet.

Read the A&A FAQ's for a better understanding of VOIP.

Brian

[#14]

Brilliant all and thanks for putting our minds at ease. I now know a lot more than I did a few hours ago.  Thanks again!  👍😊

[#15]

@Surfer 

It has to be assumed you'll get at least 3 months notice of the landline termination to give you time to prepare. I would also expect you to be able to exit your PN contract at this time without charge if you choose to move to a joint provider - though I could be wrong on this.

Another thing to watch out for is if you have house or care alarms - you need to make sure these work with VOIP.

When the time comes the Forum will be here if you need further advice.

Brian