UK analogue landlines to end in 2025

[jackdaww]

i am planning to move from zen (£32/m) to plusnet (£22/m) for broadband and phone calls.

i dont make many calls , but plusnet calls are even dearer than zen.

mobile signals are very poor here so not an option , unless i can get mobile over internet ? .

i can see many posts on here about inclusive VOIP (voice over internet calls) , most of which i cant understand .

DAK please if i could have VOIP with plusnet (fibre to cabinet , then 25yards of copper into house ) .

would it mean a different router or additional box / package .

thanks.

[Infrasonic]

mobile signals are very poor here so not an option , unless i can get mobile over internet ? .

Did you read the link I posted up thread in reply to richfool about WiFi calling with mobiles?

After you've read it follow the relevant link to your mobile network provider to see which models of smartphone they support. It isn't universal yet but if you have a recent smartphone model from a major manufacturer you might well be in luck.

You can also run SiP (VoIP) numbers on mobiles, so for instance if you needed a separate business number that could also be worth looking at. SiP has been discussed numerous times on this board in several different threads - have a search.

[stewamax]

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.

The Fritz!Box 7530 and, as far as I know, BT's Smart Hub 2 - perhaps the two most common new FTTP (and FTTC) routers, do not feed out analogue as well as digital traffic on its link to the wall socket (ONT or NTE5). I have tested this on a Fritz!Box 7530; the phone instrument gets dial tone and then 'engaged' - the behaviour that would be expected of a SIP gateway when a VOIP service has not been enabled.
Until last year Openreach was installing ONTs that had an analogue port (presumably with an ADA inside), very like the familiar two-socket NTE5, but these have now been superseded by ones with a single digital socket.
In passing, BT are making it difficult to switch back from VOIP to analogue for those on FTTC. A colleague on FTTC who has subscribed to BT's latest whizzo Halo3 package found that the DECT phone service and cordless phones were unusable in most of their large and L-shaped house because the router and hence the DECT base station within it were at one end (because the NTE5 is at one end). BT told her that it was impossible to move back to analogue voice and Openreach would move the NTE5 (at BT's expense) instead. My reading of this is that for good commercial reasons to hit the 2025 deadline, reversions were to be avoided at any cost.

BT Say "Digital Rule, OK?"

[Infrasonic]

Hyperoptic provide their own FTTP modem/router to work over their fibre (and a Sam Knows logging box if you ask for it!).

[XFool]

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

Yep! My old standby wired only Geemarc phone, used for testing when things go wrong (like NOW), has switchable Pulse/Tone dialling. Pulse dialling was still working last time I tried it. I used to use it to exercise the relay in the exchange line card in various attempts to clean up the line - reminds me, I think I'll try that right now!

[XFool]

... Later:

Whoops! Well I did try but, as no dial tone at present, no go on either Pulse or Tone dialling. Still limping along on Broadband, though. Just! *

* Second go at this post, for a start.

[jackdaww]

Hyperoptic provide their own FTTP modem/router to work over their fibre (and a Sam Knows logging box if you ask for it!).

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

just to re iterate - hyperoptic is just another ISP internet service provider - others are zen , BT , vodafone , plusnet , EE , talktalk etc

[Infrasonic]

Hyperoptic provide their own FTTP modem/router to work over their fibre (and a Sam Knows logging box if you ask for it!).

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

just to re iterate - hyperoptic is just another ISP internet service provider - others are zen , BT , vodafone , plusnet , EE , talktalk etc

Hyperoptic put their own fibre in the ground and do full a FTTP ISP service.
As do BT Openreach (who are the biggest infrastructure provider), but they still have a lot of copper final leg from the street cabinet to the premises in place.

Plusnet and EE are owned by BT and use their fibre/copper infrastructure.
Vodafone use BT's but have just started to use other fibre providers.

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/broadband.shtml
Have a read of the above site - it will tell you everything you could possibly ever want to know about who provides the fibre/copper/4+5G/Satellite et al and who is just an ISP that piggybacks onto those services.

[jackdaww]

i am planning to move from zen (£32/m) to plusnet (£22/m) for broadband and phone calls.

we have FTTC fibre to cabinet , which is quite close.

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

i have now instigated a move to ISP provider vodafone (£19/m).

they will provide a new router - wifi hub .

we dont make many calls and not concerned about keeping existing landline number.

now looking for a low cost VOIP provider and will pay for individual calls - payg .

i cant work out if vodafone will provide VOIP included .

sipgate has been mentioned , but there are many others .

an additional box (grandstream has been mentioned - dont know what its for ..

any help/advice welcomed - there is so much to get my old thick head around .

[ReformedCharacter]

I had an email from BT yesterday:

Ready for the Next Generation of Calling?.... If your phone currently plugs into a different location to your Smart Hub 2, you can remotely connect a Digital Voice home phone or use an adapter. You can order either one adapter or a Digital Voice home phone free of charge from bt.com/DVequipment or TEXT the word ADAPTER or HANDSET to 61998.

So I went to bt.com/DVequipment and ordered a 'free' adapter, although with a price of £14.95. Apparently I then needed to login to their 'shop' which has different login details to one's account. Supposedly a voucher number to make the adapter 'free' is available from there. Couldn't find anything remotely resembling a voucher code. Tried again, thinking I must have missed something. Couldn't find the voucher number again. Tried a couple more times and then emailed BT.

Today got an email with a link to the web page I had already tried. Tried again. No voucher number. Perhaps I'm getting old and even more stupid. Another message to BT. Not a good start.

RC

[jackdaww]

I had an email from BT yesterday:

Ready for the Next Generation of Calling?.... If your phone currently plugs into a different location to your Smart Hub 2, you can remotely connect a Digital Voice home phone or use an adapter. You can order either one adapter or a Digital Voice home phone free of charge from bt.com/DVequipment or TEXT the word ADAPTER or HANDSET to 61998.

So I went to bt.com/DVequipment and ordered a 'free' adapter, although with a price of £14.95. Apparently I then needed to login to their 'shop' which has different login details to one's account. Supposedly a voucher number to make the adapter 'free' is available from there. Couldn't find anything remotely resembling a voucher code. Tried again, thinking I must have missed something. Couldn't find the voucher number again. Tried a couple more times and then emailed BT.

Today got an email with a link to the web page I had already tried. Tried again. No voucher number. Perhaps I'm getting old and even more stupid. Another message to BT. Not a good start.

RC

===

sure its not a scam ???



.

[ReformedCharacter]

I had an email from BT yesterday:

Ready for the Next Generation of Calling?.... If your phone currently plugs into a different location to your Smart Hub 2, you can remotely connect a Digital Voice home phone or use an adapter. You can order either one adapter or a Digital Voice home phone free of charge from bt.com/DVequipment or TEXT the word ADAPTER or HANDSET to 61998.

So I went to bt.com/DVequipment and ordered a 'free' adapter, although with a price of £14.95. Apparently I then needed to login to their 'shop' which has different login details to one's account. Supposedly a voucher number to make the adapter 'free' is available from there. Couldn't find anything remotely resembling a voucher code. Tried again, thinking I must have missed something. Couldn't find the voucher number again. Tried a couple more times and then emailed BT.

Today got an email with a link to the web page I had already tried. Tried again. No voucher number. Perhaps I'm getting old and even more stupid. Another message to BT. Not a good start.

RC

===

sure its not a scam ???

Yes, given the original email contained a masked version of my account number and email address etc. I invoke Hanlon's Razor:

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

RC

[Infrasonic]

My experience of BT.

They used to be my Telco/ISP but messed me around so much I switched six years ago and swore never to deal with them again. I got compensation from them on more than one occasion for week+ outages on phone and BB.

Out of the three hundred or so online accounts and unique passwords I have, the only compromised (leaked) password is a BT one for their paid wifi logon page. I can't change it because I'm no longer a BT customer...

Their email logs in successfully about 50% of the time, currently down again for me. This was the case years ago too...

Barge pole for me.

[ReformedCharacter]

I got another email response from BT

Thank you for coming back to me. I have tried to enter you number and it advises it is not eligible. Unfortunately we do not hold the voucher codes. Please contact BT on 0800 800 150 and they can support further.

So I do that and get put through to Brian. He asks me a lot of the usual security questions and I explain the problem.

Brian: <tippety-tap-tap> Which webpage did you use?

Me: The one on your email - bt.com/DVequipment

Brian: <tippety-tap-tap> I've just asked on Teams and there aren't any in stock.

Me: According to your 'shop' there are more than 50 in stock and I have one in my basket but no free voucher code.

Brian: Well you can text 61998 with the word 'Adaptor'.

Me: How will they know how to send it to me because BT don't have my mobile number?

Brian: Well, you could text them your address or landline number but there won't be any in stock until the end of November...

Me: Why did BT advertise them then, you must have some idea how many people will need them?

Brian: <tippety-tap-tap> Sorry but I'd suggest you text them at the end of November...

RC

[XFool]

I got another email response from BT

Thank you for coming back to me. I have tried to enter you number and it advises it is not eligible. Unfortunately we do not hold the voucher codes. Please contact BT on 0800 800 150 and they can support further.

So I do that and get put through to Brian. He asks me a lot of the usual security questions and I explain the problem.

Brian: <tippety-tap-tap> Which webpage did you use?

Me: The one on your email - bt.com/DVequipment

Brian: <tippety-tap-tap> I've just asked on Teams and there aren't any in stock.

Me: According to your 'shop' there are more than 50 in stock and I have one in my basket but no free voucher code.

Brian: Well you can text 61998 with the word 'Adaptor'.

Me: How will they know how to send it to me because BT don't have my mobile number?

Try 'ADAPTOR <your landline>' to 61998

[ReformedCharacter]

Try 'ADAPTOR <your landline>' to 61998

Thanks, I've just done that, I'm sure will arrive soon

RC

[stewamax]

Note that BT's Digital Voice Adaptor allows a plugged-in conventional phone instrument to talk to the hub as if it were a cordless BT Digital Voice handset. It is DECT and not WiFi so its range is not assisted by BT's WiFi mesh 'disks'.

[ReformedCharacter]

Try 'ADAPTOR <your landline>' to 61998

This is getting bizarre, I did just that and have just had an email from BT saying:

Hold tight. Your equipment's on its way. Here's what's coming:

Essential Digital Home Phone (Single pack)

RC

[Infrasonic]

Try 'ADAPTOR <your landline>' to 61998

This is getting bizarre, I did just that and have just had an email from BT saying:

Hold tight. Your equipment's on its way. Here's what's coming:

Essential Digital Home Phone (Single pack)

RC

Let's hope BT are a bit more together when they get tasked with solving the global issue of all those spoofed IP phone calls from scammers...

[jackdaww]

i am planning to move from zen (£32/m) to plusnet (£22/m) for broadband and phone calls.

we have FTTC fibre to cabinet , which is quite close.

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

i have now instigated a move to ISP provider vodafone (£19/m).

they will provide a new router - wifi hub .

we dont make many calls and not concerned about keeping existing landline number.

now looking for a low cost VOIP provider and will pay for individual calls - payg .

i cant work out if vodafone will provide VOIP included .

sipgate has been mentioned , but there are many others .

an additional box (grandstream has been mentioned - dont know what its for ..

any help/advice welcomed - there is so much to get my old thick head around .

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

i called into my local vodafone shop - they were very helpful - VOIP will be ok on the superfast1 deal .

they said i was the first to ask about VOIP which surprises me .

chatted with grandstream and also their community forum - it seems i will need a ATA box ( ht801? ) for my DECT phones .

i am partially signed up with sipgate - but find them opaque - i dont know whether they will make any one off charges - for porting etc - they seem to want you to go ahead with a blank cheque , i cant see how to contact them .

i hope to get to the bottom of this in the next few weeks .