Don't Lose your Line - BT's New Policy

fraserross

matelodave said:

Our Optical Network Termination is fitted with back up batteries, although only four AA NiMh so I'm not sure how long they'd last However that would rely on the phone being connected via the ONT rather than the router to maintain a telephone service during a power outage. We've still got copper for the landline

Our last two major outages were in excess of  eight hours each, both due to overhead line faults but we do have quite a few short term 5 minutes or less drop outs here in the Cambridgeshire fens.

Perhaps there's an opening for some enterprising suppliers to provide battery-back up units to maintain the router for several hours. I'm seriously contemplating knocking something together to keep the router going.

According to the website, BT will sell you a BBU (Battery Backup Unit I assume) to maintain you line in the event of a power failure

spenderdave

Many of us use third party routers which don't have a socket for a VOIP phone. And yes I do use my landline a lot.

brewerdave

fraserross said:

brewerdave said:

littleboo said:

No, they wont need to, the copper will still be used, you will get a router with an analogue voice port 

Are you sure about that ? I thought that this only applied for FTTH systems so no copper involved. Ultimately all Cu/Al lines will be replaced by fibre as far as I understand. They have a target date of 2025 but targets have a habit of slipping ......

Nope, this is a cost reduction exercise by OpenReach, they will not be rewiring your street with fibre anytime soon.

Eh ? The Openreach guys are pulling fibre thru to my road as I speak!!!

ic

There's a lot of people here who are worried about losing the landline in a power cut.  Have none of you upgraded to cordless handsets that need a powered base station to work?

matelodave

ic said:

There's a lot of people here who are worried about losing the landline in a power cut.  Have none of you upgraded to cordless handsets that need a powered base station to work?

Yes, but I've still got a directly connected basic phone as well, for just an eventuality - we've had quite a few power cuts where I live, some of which have been quite prolonged.

Mister_G

matelodave said:

ic said:

There's a lot of people here who are worried about losing the landline in a power cut.  Have none of you upgraded to cordless handsets that need a powered base station to work?

Yes, but I've still got a directly connected basic phone as well, for just an eventuality - we've had quite a few power cuts where I live, some of which have been quite prolonged.

Yes, me too.  One of the "pleasures" of living in a rural area!

Eddie_Dicker

I had no idea they were looking to get rid of standard land lines?

I don't make much use of it, but then i don't make any more use of a mobile phone either.

Plugging a VOIP phone into the back of the router, is no good if the router does not live near where you want the phone!

Unless it uses the same type of connections? Other wise, in my instance; i would have to rewire it all.

[Deleted User]

Eddie_Dicker said:

I had no idea they were looking to get rid of standard land lines?

I don't make much use of it, but then i don't make any more use of a mobile phone either.

Plugging a VOIP phone into the back of the router, is no good if the router does not live near where you want the phone!

Unless it uses the same type of connections? Other wise, in my instance; i would have to rewire it all.

BT are already no longer actively selling old ADSL connections, they will eventually provide free upgrades and then just decommission the ADSL equipment completely.  Virgin Media are now only installing VOIP with new connections. 

VOIP is just a matter of time as POTS will be decommissioned - life is change, 

Takmon

Mister_G said:

Browntoa said:

Do it now or mandatory migration over the next few years . 2025 is the completion date so most of the copper lines will be switched over , without choice , over the next couple of years .

Traditional phone lines are in terminal decline with call volumes way down year on year . Given the option most people would not retain the fixed line . 

I cannot personally remember the last time I made a landline call , I use my mobile or my VoIP app on my mobile.

You need to bear in mind that not all of us, especially those in rural areas, have sufficient mobile coverage for a reliable service.  Coupled with the fact that in rural areas the electricity supply is also less reliable, you could find yourself being unable to make a call in an emergency.  VOIP needs a power supply which, in a power cut, disappears.  Yes, you could run it off of a UPS, but that's another expense.

I rely on wifi calling, as our mobile coverage on any network is almost non-existent.  When we have one of our frequent power cuts, the landline is my only method of communication with the outside world.  So certainly I would not want to loose this until there is a secure alternative.

So if you have frequent power cuts and rely on wifi calling why don't you have a UPS?

Mister_G

Takmon said:

Mister_G said:

Browntoa said:

Do it now or mandatory migration over the next few years . 2025 is the completion date so most of the copper lines will be switched over , without choice , over the next couple of years .

Traditional phone lines are in terminal decline with call volumes way down year on year . Given the option most people would not retain the fixed line . 

I cannot personally remember the last time I made a landline call , I use my mobile or my VoIP app on my mobile.

You need to bear in mind that not all of us, especially those in rural areas, have sufficient mobile coverage for a reliable service.  Coupled with the fact that in rural areas the electricity supply is also less reliable, you could find yourself being unable to make a call in an emergency.  VOIP needs a power supply which, in a power cut, disappears.  Yes, you could run it off of a UPS, but that's another expense.

I rely on wifi calling, as our mobile coverage on any network is almost non-existent.  When we have one of our frequent power cuts, the landline is my only method of communication with the outside world.  So certainly I would not want to loose this until there is a secure alternative.

So if you have frequent power cuts and rely on wifi calling why don't you have a UPS?

Because I have a hard wired landline phone with inclusive calls package.