'Outdated' landline charges should be scrapped

lee111s

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I too believe that all of the line test equipment is in the exchange. There is certainly nothing in the normal street cabinets as they are simply junction boards. They could have put a tester in each FTTC cabinet as it is powered but why would they bother as the required kit is already in the exchange.

Indeed, and as not every street cabinet has a fibre twin so it would mean still requiring exchange test equipment for those who either can't have, or don't want FTTC and are happy with exchange based ADSL services. Pointless and expensive duplication taking potential money away from future fibre rollouts.


What I suspect will happen is what has been mentioned on here. Line rental may be removed from your bill, but broadband charges will increase by a similar amount to the reduction in line rental charges. The line still has to be maintained whether you make phone calls on it or not.

System

I am EO so no POTS cab and the fibre cab is outside the exchange (as are the other 200 homes in the village)

lee111s

!!!!!! wrote: »

I am EO so no POTS cab and the fibre cab is outside the exchange (as are the other 200 homes in the village)

If you have fibre (well, FTTC) then you are now on a cabinet. In some EO areas, Openreach have begun to bundle EO lines into an new "all in one" PCP/FTTC cabinet. Without a cabinet, you can't get FTTC (VDSL and in future, G.fast) services.

kwikbreaks

!!!!!! wrote: »

I am EO so no POTS cab and the fibre cab is outside the exchange (as are the other 200 homes in the village)

... and?

The openreach landline charges just by active connection. Fibre may add to that or vary it but having no copper to a cabinet will not reduce it.

littleboo

gw3tmh wrote: »

No you are getting confused, VOIP is an Internet only protocol, you don't need a copper pair at all to use it.

You can use it over a mobile phone if you wish.

At present I am on holiday in Spain, and know people who don't even have any connection to where they are, and use a UK landline phone number connecting to the Internet via WiFi of in some cases microwave dishes.

VOIP is totally independent of the old copper pairs and telephone exchange, in the same was as Skype.

I'm not getting confused at all. I said ;

"But you do need a landline to use VOIP if your broadband is via ADSL or FTTC, which the vast majority of peoples is, since those are services that are delivered over a copper pair. The only thing you don't need is dial tone"

There are obviously other ways of getting an internet connection - mobile, cable, leased line, satellite but this is discussion is about line rental.

Terry98

kwikbreaks wrote: »

It's just another dipstick politician grandstanding on a populist platform on a topic he knows nothing about. The pricing is already split - line charge and call package. .

If it was only line charge and call package I would agree with you but when it also includes broadband it's a different ball game.

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I
Those who want to avoid a line charge have two options - go 3G/4G only which is going o work out more expensive unless the usage is trivial or goto VM cable if available where they will find BBonly costs just as much as BB + phone.

I don't want to avoid the line charge I just want transparent marketing. ISP's are hiding behind the line charge to confuse customers with different packages.

We all know the big ISP's want to get customers to have TV,Mobile,Broadband and calls with them and hiding the line rental confuses the customer just like 12 and 18 month contracts.

kwikbreaks

Terry98 wrote: »

I don't want to avoid the line charge I just want transparent marketing. ISP's are hiding behind the line charge to confuse customers with different packages.

Now that I can agree with however it isn't exactly what Mr. Vaizey is talking about...

Ed Vaizey has said the charges of around £18 a month are "outdated".
He wants householders to only pay for the services they use, describing the current system as an "analogue billing system in a digital world".

I firmly believe that the idiot thinks you don't need a phone line to get ADSL/VDSL broadband. Although he does indeed go on to say..

The minister said ending hidden costs, such as line rental, could mean other products becoming more expensive, but he wanted transparency around pricing.

It's a certainty that his "could mean other products becoming more expensive" is in fact a "would mean". If people are too stupid to realise they need to look at the total costs of a service then more fool them.

System

lee111s wrote: »

If you have fibre (well, FTTC) then you are now on a cabinet. In some EO areas, Openreach have begun to bundle EO lines into an new "all in one" PCP/FTTC cabinet. Without a cabinet, you can't get FTTC (VDSL and in future, G.fast) services.

Yes I am on a cabinet. it sits just to the right of the entrance door of the exchange as I said, on a totally different road.

There are still people on POTS direct from the exchange who currently will not get fibre because they failed to put in a large enough fibre cab.

lee111s

!!!!!! wrote: »

Yes I am on a cabinet. it sits just to the right of the entrance door of the exchange as I said, on a totally different road.

Just with you saying that your line is EO threw me a bit, as technically, you're not, well not anymore

System

lee111s wrote: »

Just with you saying that your line is EO threw me a bit, as technically, you're not, well not anymore

Only because fibre kit plays merry hell with other stuff if its put inside the exchange, so they put the cab just outside the door.