FTTP and Landlines

[#1]

I am considering upgrading to FTTP, however I have an analogue phone and an alarm that plugs into the analogue phone socket. Both close to where I would want the FTTP hub located.

What options do I have to connect these analogue devices ?

Will I retain my old landline number when I switch over ?

Searched all over the PlusNet web site and cannot find any answers, also search the community posts and most of it is old responses and doesnt answer my questions above.

[#2]

Plusnet dont do landlines with FTTP.

Your only option is to move ISP

[#3]

@idharper 

I assume you've checked that FTTP is available and that it shows as an upgrade option.

As stated, PN do not offer a landline service with their FTTP product. If you upgrade, you lose your phone line and number. If the number is important to you there is a way to do it though you have to port the number to a VOIP provider ASAP after FTTP is installed. There is also a "right to port" being introduced in April but I have no idea how this would work.

Phone services supplied over copper (PSTN) are being phased (by 2025 at the latest - apparently) out and you may struggle to find a provider willing to offer them with FTTP. VOIP is the main way forward so you need to check if your alarm service works with digital lines.

The incoming fibre cable is terminated in an Optical Network Terminator (ONT) which needs to be near a power source. However, as the router is conencted via an ethernet cable you have a bit more leeway as to where it's sited.

Brian

[#4]

I understood that with some ISP's like BT you could get a Dect Phone or an adapter to plug an analogue phone in as part of the FTTP package, are PlusNet not doing the same thing ?

[#5]

are PlusNet not doing the same thing ?

No, as said above, Plusnet are not providing any phone service with fttp

and an alarm that plugs into the analogue phone socket. 

is that a personal alarm or a home security alarm ?

Some home alarms monitor the phone line connection and will not work with a digital voice service, so even moving to an fttp supplier who provides digital voice may not work

Also digital voice will not work in the event of a power failure

[#6 · Accepted solution]

@idharper 

No - for whatever reason PN took a commercial decision not to offer phone services with their FTTP offering.

The BT service is VOIP so you would still need to check your alarm system works on digital as indeed you would need to check your phones work.

Some ISP's like BT use their routers for VOIP where you plug in the phone directly. Otherwise you need an Analogue Telecom Adaptor (ATA).

You should be able to transfer to BT free of early termination charges if that's you chosen new provider. You just need to speak to PN first to organise things.

Brian

[#7]

I came onto the forum to ask a similar question about landlines - everyone waited a long time for PN to offer full fibre only for it to not include a phone service, which I find incredulous. Last night I had to read the website several times in case I was imagining it!

I realise a lot of people are ditching landlines these days but I had assumed that voice calls were part and parcel of the FTTP technology, included "for free" so to speak. It seems an odd decision to offer one without the other so I can only assume that there is extra administration overhead involved that they didn't want.

[#8]

so I can only assume that there is extra administration overhead involved 

it's not just admin overhead, you also need the infrastructure to host a VOIP service, since Openreach are not providing a generally available service to replace the PSTN. Then there's the additional training for support staff etc

PN seem to have made a decision that its not cost effective to provide that service based on the low percentage of fttp users they expect to want a phone setvice.

[#9]

Its a personal alarm which phones me when it goes off.

I also have 3 analogue landline phones - one per floor for people to phone me on. My mobile is a works provided mobile not personal one.

Having researched further it looks like I would need to move to BT where they provide you with their Dect phones to use through the house and the router has a socket on the back which you could plug the alarm (and if it supports it) connect all the analogue phones to.

Looks like PN going to miss out when the comms firms force us to FTTP in 2025 (if not before)

[#10]

@idharper 

You don't have to move BT - I'm sure there is other equipment that does the job with any given digital connection. The main thing is your phone number - BT is the move if you want to keep that. You do need to speak to PN first though.

I think I read somewhere that extensions will not work with VOIP. There is also the problem of power cuts - without a back up powere system the phones go dead.

Brian

[#11]

@tall_andy 

Whatever the PN reason for not doing VOIP it is what it is.

BT appear to have an overall stratagy for the group (BT, PN & EE) but they've chosen no to share it.

Brian

[#12]

When I went FTTP I ported my landline number to Sipgate VOIP.  Works pretty well and as I make very few landline calls these days I use the pay as you go option where a £10 top up lasts me six months

[#13]

@bmc my understanding is that the router from BT has a phone socket on the back, you can plug an analogue phone in there or if your copper is fully disconnected you can using a back to back lead plug it into your home wiring and get all analogue phones on it.

Yes if you move ISP then I'd have to get a number move or just have a new VOIP number

I have renewed my current contract with PN so have 18 months to get a working solution - i.e. replace alarm with one with a sim card, or get an analogue-VOIP adapter.

Yes all dies with a powercut -  heaven help us all with 999 calls when that happens and you don't have a mobile or one to hand, back to the old days of phone boxes and having to run down the road, this time to find a neighbour who has a mobile.

One solution will be a UPS for the router and Fibre termination box.

[#14]

@idharper 

There are DECt phones and base stations that will connect directly to an FTTP router that are appearing now.  However, they are expensive currently, though I expect that will drop between now and 2005.  (Expensive depends on your personal idea of expensive.)  You can get Analogue to Digital adapters from around £50 and above new, and probably far less pre-owned.  I think that seeing you have renewed your PN contract the strategy would be to wait and see what happens, and what is available as we approach the cut off date.

[#15]

There are DECt phones and base stations that will connect directly to an FTTP router that are appearing now

The Siemens Gigaset N300IP base and suitable phones have been around for years, I've had one for at least 5!

https://soho66.co.uk/96683/all/1/Siemens/Gigaset-N300/N510IP-Series.aspx?gclid=Cj0KCQiAz9ieBhCIARIsA...

Base unit can be found for around £50 , systems complete with handset around the £100 mark https://ligo.co.uk/siemens-gigaset-c570a-premium-voip-phone-single-handset