UK analogue landlines to end in 2025

[scrumpyjack]

Sorry to digress but.................

How can you get a voip if you're not with zen? I've looked into it but can't quite make sense of it.

Thanks in advance.

I used sipgate and a Grandstream box to plug into a network socket
Grandstream HandyTone HT801 ATA
Amazon have them for £32.49

Sipgate let you choose a landline number from a range offered so it has your normal STD code

Now that I have Zen and can port my existing landline to their Digital voice service, the phone simply plugs into their Fritz box router.

[XFool]

...A thought occurs. Are you still able to check for a noisy landline using a conventional wired handset? Important for correct operation of ADSL.

[jackdaww]

my provider ZEN have sent me a email re 2025 ....

my line comes from a cabinet about 30 yards away by overhead wire .

this idea of a wifi transmitter above the cabinets sounds simple and sensible.

Well if you're that close to the cabinet then you've got nothing to worry about, there will no problem getting the (fairly small) bandwidth needed to support the switch from POTS to VoIP. If you've already got "broadband" then at most all that might be needed is a new socket to put your existing phone into (or potentially your existing router will already have a phone socket on the back?)

Most of this thread has been talking about how to get a phone service to people who *don't* currently have any kind of data service.

With Zen, you just go for their Digital Voice service at £7 a month, including 1000 mins of calls, answerphone etc. You simply plug your phone into their Fritzbox router. I am getting this at the moment and already have a Grandstream digital phone box (cost £40) which lets me plug an ordinary landline phone into it, with a self selected landline number to go with it (using sipgate.com).

=====================

presume this £7/month is on top of the broadband charges - or is broadband included ?

DAK please ?

[Infrasonic]

=====================

presume this £7/month is on top of the broadband charges - or is broadband included ?

DAK please ?

https://www.zen.co.uk/phone/digital-voice
From the FAQ's -

How much does Digital Voice cost?

Digital voice is an additional £7 on your Full Fibre bundle offering a competitive 1,000 inclusive minutes for UK mobile or landline.

[jackdaww]

=====================

presume this £7/month is on top of the broadband charges - or is broadband included ?

DAK please ?

https://www.zen.co.uk/phone/digital-voice
From the FAQ's -

How much does Digital Voice cost?

Digital voice is an additional £7 on your Full Fibre bundle offering a competitive 1,000 inclusive minutes for UK mobile or landline.

=========================

many thanks for that - its slowly becoming clearer to my lo tech brain.

my zen bills recently have rocketed to around £40/m.

as i make few 'phone calls and dont need hi speed broadband or streaming etc ive been looking around .

vodafone offer superfast1 at £19.50/m plus about 12p/min for calls - 19p connection.

DAK if vodafone are ok please ?

[Watis]

=====================

presume this £7/month is on top of the broadband charges - or is broadband included ?

DAK please ?

https://www.zen.co.uk/phone/digital-voice
From the FAQ's -

How much does Digital Voice cost?

Digital voice is an additional £7 on your Full Fibre bundle offering a competitive 1,000 inclusive minutes for UK mobile or landline.

=========================

many thanks for that - its slowly becoming clearer to my lo tech brain.

my zen bills recently have rocketed to around £40/m.

as i make few 'phone calls and dont need hi speed broadband or streaming etc ive been looking around .

vodafone offer superfast1 at £19.50/m plus about 12p/min for calls - 19p connection.

DAK if vodafone are ok please ?

I don't know about Vodafone but I am a happy Zen customer.

At renewal I was able to negotiate the monthly cost down to under £30 a month by reducing my download speed and cancelling the free phone calls package. We now make all outgoing calls for free on our mobile phones.

You may be able to change these things if still in contract - I don't know - but it would be worth asking them.

HTH,

Watis

[jackdaww]

https://www.zen.co.uk/phone/digital-voice
From the FAQ's -

=========================

many thanks for that - its slowly becoming clearer to my lo tech brain.

my zen bills recently have rocketed to around £40/m.

as i make few 'phone calls and dont need hi speed broadband or streaming etc ive been looking around .

vodafone offer superfast1 at £19.50/m plus about 12p/min for calls - 19p connection.

DAK if vodafone are ok please ?

I don't know about Vodafone but I am a happy Zen customer.

At renewal I was able to negotiate the monthly cost down to under £30 a month by reducing my download speed and cancelling the free phone calls package. We now make all outgoing calls for free on our mobile phones.

You may be able to change these things if still in contract - I don't know - but it would be worth asking them.

HTH,

Watis

========================

yes , thanks.

i have been with zen longer than i can remember , and they are good.

but when they almost double the call charges , they alert us to look around .

zen have offered £29/month , but thats still £10/m more than vodafone .

out of interest , how do you get free outgoing calls on a mobile ?

[Watis]

=========================

many thanks for that - its slowly becoming clearer to my lo tech brain.

my zen bills recently have rocketed to around £40/m.

as i make few 'phone calls and dont need hi speed broadband or streaming etc ive been looking around .

vodafone offer superfast1 at £19.50/m plus about 12p/min for calls - 19p connection.

DAK if vodafone are ok please ?

I don't know about Vodafone but I am a happy Zen customer.

At renewal I was able to negotiate the monthly cost down to under £30 a month by reducing my download speed and cancelling the free phone calls package. We now make all outgoing calls for free on our mobile phones.

You may be able to change these things if still in contract - I don't know - but it would be worth asking them.

HTH,

Watis

========================

yes , thanks.

i have been with zen longer than i can remember , and they are good.

but when they almost double the call charges , they alert us to look around .

zen have offered £29/month , but thats still £10/m more than vodafone .

out of interest , how do you get free outgoing calls on a mobile ?

By 'free calls' I meant that I have inclusive calls in my mobile phone contact, so there is a cost, but it's the same no matter how many calls I make, within the tariff. What's 'free' is not having to think about the likely cost of each phone call - especially when you're on hold to a call centre - when you would otherwise be paying several pence a minute.

I cancelled the inclusive calls option on my Zen contract because the tariff on my new mobile phone included more minutes, so I was paying for the same facility twice.

When I negotiated my new Zen contract, in addition to what I summarised in my previous post, I also said that, although I liked Zen very much, they looked expensive when compared to what's on offer out there. They offered two months half price, which I accepted. Perhaps they might do the same - or better - for you?

Watis

[jackdaww]

I don't know about Vodafone but I am a happy Zen customer.

At renewal I was able to negotiate the monthly cost down to under £30 a month by reducing my download speed and cancelling the free phone calls package. We now make all outgoing calls for free on our mobile phones.

You may be able to change these things if still in contract - I don't know - but it would be worth asking them.

HTH,

Watis

========================

yes , thanks.

i have been with zen longer than i can remember , and they are good.

but when they almost double the call charges , they alert us to look around .

zen have offered £29/month , but thats still £10/m more than vodafone .

out of interest , how do you get free outgoing calls on a mobile ?

By 'free calls' I meant that I have inclusive calls in my mobile phone contact, so there is a cost, but it's the same no matter how many calls I make, within the tariff. What's 'free' is not having to think about the likely cost of each phone call - especially when you're on hold to a call centre - when you would otherwise be paying several pence a minute.

I cancelled the inclusive calls option on my Zen contract because the tariff on my new mobile phone included more minutes, so I was paying for the same facility twice.

When I negotiated my new Zen contract, in addition to what I summarised in my previous post, I also said that, although I liked Zen very much, they looked expensive when compared to what's on offer out there. They offered two months half price, which I accepted. Perhaps they might do the same - or better - for you?

Watis

======================

thanks again .

yes , zen are considerably dearer than the cheapest .

i spoke to he cancellation team - no offer was made !

[Infrasonic]

Zen tend to offer good service/uptimes rather than compete on price - if you live in an area with good fibre or cable (DOCSIS) infrastructure options and other ISP's who will compete on price - switch!

[Watis]

Zen tend to offer good service/uptimes rather than compete on price - if you live in an area with good fibre or cable (DOCSIS) infrastructure options and other ISP's who will compete on price - switch!

I'm currently prepared to pay the extra for Zen's level of service as a reliable broadband connection is essential for working from home.

The few issues I've had have been dealt with promptly by someone who knew their stuff.

But, for any purchase, I look for the best value rather than the lowest price - although that can be difficult to calculate and I don't get it right every time.

Watis

[Infrasonic]

Zen tend to offer good service/uptimes rather than compete on price - if you live in an area with good fibre or cable (DOCSIS) infrastructure options and other ISP's who will compete on price - switch!

I'm currently prepared to pay the extra for Zen's level of service as a reliable broadband connection is essential for working from home.

The few issues I've had have been dealt with promptly by someone who knew their stuff.

But, for any purchase, I look for the best value rather than the lowest price - although that can be difficult to calculate and I don't get it right every time.

Watis

I'd agree - ( I maybe biased though as one of the Zen founders is a mate!)

Weirdly I also did viewings for another friends flat which ended up being rented by a couple of Zen engineers who worked remotely with a weekly visit to HO in Rochdale - they both really knew their stuff, very impressive.

[richfool]

I am failing to understand something here and seek enlightenment. Is BT proposing to rip out every piece of copper wire in its exchanges, green junction boxes, under-pavement ducts, telegraph poles, overhead wires and homes, offices, factories etc the length and breadth of the land? That cannot be the case, as its broadband service (and that of the many ISPs which re-sell the BT "package") relies, at least for the proverbial "last mile", on precisely those old fashioned copper cables and wires to get your internet service into your house. So what is happening behind the scenes at the exchanges? Digital equipment there was installed long before the internet was an idea, back in the 1980s under the System X programme (and what a fantastic improvement it made) as it replaced the old electro-mechanical Strowger equipment. Is BT simply planning to route landline phone calls along all that internet equipment that now fills up the exchanges and junction boxes?

The copper wire is staying, although in time it will be upgraded to fibre in many places. What is changing is they are removing the Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) that allows you to make phone calls. The copper (or fibre) will only be carrying broadband into peoples homes. If people want to make phone calls they will need to do so using VOIP by plugging their phone into the broadband router.

For those who don’t want broadband but just a phone line, they will be provided with a very low bandwidth broadband service and a VOIP connection box for their phone.

Excuse me if I am being naive here, but currently my router plugs into the BT landline phone socket in the house and then provides me with wi-fi within the house. If I have understood it correctly, the BT landline will be done away with? If so, what happens then? Does the router incorporate some sort of SIM with a data package, and everything takes place through the "ether" via 4G, 5G or whatever. Or will there still be a landline of some sort to the property and the router continues to connect to that, albeit without an option to connect or use landline phones?

[UncleEbenezer]

Excuse me if I am being naive here, but currently my router plugs into the BT landline phone socket in the house and then provides me with wi-fi within the house. If I have understood it correctly, the BT landline will be done away with? If so, what happens then? Does the router incorporate some sort of SIM with a data package, and everything takes place through the "ether" via 4G, 5G or whatever. Or will there still be a landline of some sort to the property and the router continues to connect to that, albeit without an option to connect or use landline phones?

None of this is about your socket or the wires. It's about analogue signals being delivered over them. TPTB have declared those obsolete and the telcos don't want to bear the overheads of supporting them indefinitely.

Remember pulse dialling and rotary dials? Those were obsoleted too, in a somewhat-analogous update.

[Infrasonic]

I am failing to understand something here and seek enlightenment. Is BT proposing to rip out every piece of copper wire in its exchanges, green junction boxes, under-pavement ducts, telegraph poles, overhead wires and homes, offices, factories etc the length and breadth of the land? That cannot be the case, as its broadband service (and that of the many ISPs which re-sell the BT "package") relies, at least for the proverbial "last mile", on precisely those old fashioned copper cables and wires to get your internet service into your house. So what is happening behind the scenes at the exchanges? Digital equipment there was installed long before the internet was an idea, back in the 1980s under the System X programme (and what a fantastic improvement it made) as it replaced the old electro-mechanical Strowger equipment. Is BT simply planning to route landline phone calls along all that internet equipment that now fills up the exchanges and junction boxes?

The copper wire is staying, although in time it will be upgraded to fibre in many places. What is changing is they are removing the Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) that allows you to make phone calls. The copper (or fibre) will only be carrying broadband into peoples homes. If people want to make phone calls they will need to do so using VOIP by plugging their phone into the broadband router.

For those who don’t want broadband but just a phone line, they will be provided with a very low bandwidth broadband service and a VOIP connection box for their phone.

Excuse me if I am being naive here, but currently my router plugs into the BT landline phone socket in the house and then provides me with wi-fi within the house. If I have understood it correctly, the BT landline will be done away with? If so, what happens then? Does the router incorporate some sort of SIM with a data package, and everything takes place through the "ether" via 4G, 5G or whatever. Or will there still be a landline of some sort to the property and the router continues to connect to that, albeit without an option to connect or use landline phones?

The only thing that will change at your end is you'll plug your current LL phone(s) into a VOIP converter box or the modem/router with the same facility so you can use VOIP (or you might need a new modem/router that your ISP should supply FOC) - it's effectively seamless. Don't panic.

[mc2fool]

Remember pulse dialling and rotary dials?

Still supported on BT lines apparently....

https://vintage-telephones.weebly.com/
https://www.google.com/search?q=pulse+dialling+uk

[richfool]

Excuse me if I am being naive here, but currently my router plugs into the BT landline phone socket in the house and then provides me with wi-fi within the house. If I have understood it correctly, the BT landline will be done away with? If so, what happens then? Does the router incorporate some sort of SIM with a data package, and everything takes place through the "ether" via 4G, 5G or whatever. Or will there still be a landline of some sort to the property and the router continues to connect to that, albeit without an option to connect or use landline phones?

The only thing that will change at your end is you'll plug your current LL phone(s) into a VOIP converter box or the modem/router with the same facility so you can use VOIP (or you might need a new modem/router that your ISP should supply FOC) - it's effectively seamless. Don't panic.

Thanks, Infrasonic. Though we don't actually have or use any landline phones (hence the irritation at having to pay for a BT landline simply to access the internet). We use our (smartphone) mobiles for phone calls, and we use laptops, tablets and smartphones via the router for internet access.

[Infrasonic]

Excuse me if I am being naive here, but currently my router plugs into the BT landline phone socket in the house and then provides me with wi-fi within the house. If I have understood it correctly, the BT landline will be done away with? If so, what happens then? Does the router incorporate some sort of SIM with a data package, and everything takes place through the "ether" via 4G, 5G or whatever. Or will there still be a landline of some sort to the property and the router continues to connect to that, albeit without an option to connect or use landline phones?

The only thing that will change at your end is you'll plug your current LL phone(s) into a VOIP converter box or the modem/router with the same facility so you can use VOIP (or you might need a new modem/router that your ISP should supply FOC) - it's effectively seamless. Don't panic.

Thanks, Infrasonic. Though we don't actually have or use any landline phones (hence the irritation at having to pay for a BT landline simply to access the internet). We use our (smartphone) mobiles for phone calls, and we use laptops, tablets and smartphones via the router for internet access.

Even less to worry about then as effectively nothing changes!

You can do mobile calls over Wi-Fi with the four mobile networks + MVNO's and many smartphones (but crucially not all) - so if you're looking to save a bit of money you could go to cheaper mobile tariffs with less minutes/data and use the Wi-Fi more.
https://www.4g.co.uk/news/ee-o2-three-a ... i-calling/

Every time I log onto my mates Hyperoptic BB Wi-Fi I get a message at the top of my phone that Wi-Fi calling is available.

[stewamax]

If your landline is switched over to (in BT’s terminology) Digital Voice, aka VOIP, all you need to do is to buy a suitably terminated length of phone cable with a BT (431a) plug at one end and, if using a BT Smart Hub, a BT plug at the other end as well, or if using a Fritz!Box an RJ11 plug (like an Ethernet plug only smaller). Then connect the phone socket on your master socket (the NTE5) to the phone socket on your hub.

You will then get a normal phone service with conventional phone instruments or cordless base stations plugged in to your extension sockets. If you also want to plug a phone instrument into the master socket’s BT socket, just use a two-way adaptor splitter.

[Infrasonic]

On FTTP like Hyperoptic you just plug your LL phone into the RJ11 socket on the router and pay an extra £3 a month for LL phone service - you can port your existing LL number. Mate has his old BT dect cordless set up that way.

https://www.hyperoptic.com/help/phone-s ... 332%201111.