Exchange Only Line, ADSL and Digital Switchover 2025

[#1]

Hi, can someone please help to explain to a bunch of 'mature non techies' what will happen when the PTSN network is closed down in 2025....

We are a block of 50 retirement apartments (all senior citizens with some more senior than others!) and everyone's landline is on an Exchange Only Line basis. We do not have a green cabinet in the street and there is little indication of any intention to install one, as the emphasis seems to be on rural communities (we are just 500 yards from a well known town centre!).  

Cable services (Virgin etc) direct to individual apartments is not an option due to the building design and layout.

Those with internet connections have been stuck for years with EOL/ADSL and consequently get low d/l speeds compared to todays offerings.

We understand that in 2025 the PTSN network will cease,  so where will we stand.....

1. Do we presume we lose our 'home phone' land line?

2. Will we lose our ADSL internet connection as well? (A call to Plusnet indicated we would but will everything be switched off or just voice line?)

3. If we are losing everything, do Openreach have to provide a solution to replace what they are taking away? 

4. Maybe the only option might be mobile home internet?

We are finding this a bit confusing so if anyone can spell out the implications for us, we would be very grateful!

Thank you.

Martin

[#2]

My understanding is that once voice is removed your line will become what is known as SOADSL (aka naked ADSL with no voice or dialtone).

In the longer term OpenReach plan on migrating all ADSL circuits to either FTTC or FTTP as they want to close all the exchanges. I think given your lack of cabinet you will go straight to FTTP.

I have no idea whether Plusnet will support SOADSL, and very few providers seem to offer ADSL products now. When the voice product is retired you will have to migrate the number to a VoIP provider, as it looks like Plusnet aren't going to provide a voice product in the future.

[#3]

@StMartin 

You could try putting your number in the following and see what it says.

https://www.openreach.com/

The BT Wholesale checker (to see what current products are available) is at

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Brian

[#4]

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@flanzm wrote:

I have no idea whether Plusnet will support SOADSL, and very few providers seem to offer ADSL products now. When the voice product is retired you will have to migrate the number to a VoIP provider, as it looks like Plusnet aren't going to provide a voice product in the future.

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They are supporting it - it is just being soft-launched, and they are keeping very quiet about it, although I recall a poster (Dan_the_Van, I think) posting a link to information which is available on the PN site.

[#5]

@flanzm Sorry, ignore my post above - PN have soft-launched SOGEA, not SOADSL - must learn to refresh memory before making statements.

[#6]

@jab1 

This is an EO line so to be accurate I believe that it's SOTAP, however the two seem to be simply lumped together to avoid confusion!. It's all totally mind boggling for the non techies.

@StMartin 

I fear that there's a lot of misunderstanding about what is happening to our telephone service. Talk of the switch off of landlines is causing non technical older people a lot of unnecessary worry.

In the future there will still be a 'landline' to properties, this might be the existing copper cable or it may be upgraded to fibre. This will still be capable of being connected to existing telephones with the same phone number as at present. What is changing is the way that telephone calls are handled from there on. That's the good news, there are also downsides, which I will come to.

The change with telephone calls is that rather than there being the original switched telephone network, calls we be carried over the Internet along with the rest of the web traffic. However, to the phone user this will be transparent.

The downside is that rather than your phone being plugged in to the BT master socket it will be plugged into either an adapter connected to your broadband hub or the hub itself. This means that if the mains fails, the telephone will no longer work. This can also affect medical devices and battery back up or mobile back up is required. It is up to the provider to address these issues on a case by case basis.

There will still be Internet access. Again, it depends on the local area but I would expect this to be in the form of an upgrade to the local infrastructure, not the removal of the service.

The need to keep a traditional 'landline' number: There are ways of providing the service over the Internet. Either through the ISP or using a third party provider. This is where the confusion with using Plusnet creeps in. ISPs such as BT, Sky, Talk Talk and probably others already provide a phone service with their broadband packages. You simply unplug your phone and plug it into the hub or adapter and away you go. The thing to realise is that current extension wiring will no longer work without modification.

At the present time Plusnet have not announced whether they will be providing a phone service. All that we know for certain is that they do not currently provide it with full fibre connections and are pushing SOGEA (that's line only without any phone service) as part of new contracts. Consequently, as it currently stands, to stay with Plusnet in the future might require porting the phone number to a third party provider. There seems to be an opinion in Plusnet that everyone has a mobile and no longer wants/needs a traditional phone. If you get a message that your line is being converted mid contract then Plusnet will currently arrange for accounts to be moved to BT without incurring any cancellation charges. Whether this will change is currently pure conjecture.

[#7]

@StMartin

It's understandable that senior citizens ( I count myself as one 😁) have concerns over the upcoming changes to landline provision. Some have had their phone number for many decades and that is literally a lifeline to some. Our more senior citizens can have difficulty coping with changes without appropriate support.

To address the points you have raised

1. Do we presume we lose our 'home phone' land line?

Yes , at the point of the switch off , you will no longer have a diatone on your current line

2. Will we lose our ADSL internet connection as well? (A call to Plusnet indicated we would but will everything be switched off or just voice line?)

Yes , at the point of the switch off , you will no longer have ADSL on your current line. There may be an option of a service known as SOTAP, however that would need to be confirmed with your internet provider.

3. If we are losing everything, do Openreach have to provide a solution to replace what they are taking away

Yes they do

The Telephony Universal Service Obligation in the 2003 Communications Act means all consumers in the UK will still have access to a landline service should they choose to do so.

4. Maybe the only option might be mobile home internet

That might be an option , that depends on the coverage of 4/5G in your apartment. I've installed a mobile internet solution for a friend in sheltered housing and my experience is that it's not as reliable as a wired solution.

There is a good guide to the landline transition here

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-transition-from-analogue-to-digital-landlines

I assume that there will be a management company for the apartments ,and if so it may be worth approaching them to see if there are any plans for block as a whole, such as fibre to the building.

HTH