Contract terms ending with BT phone/broadband

savefortherain

Been a long time since I messed around with anything phone/broadband related as it just works as it is and I was happy, but just been told my contact is coming to an end where it'll raise from £25 to £28 and I'll still only get 5-7mb standard broadband. It included line rental, phone call plan (never use the landline for calls though) and broadband so my new contract will need to include those things, though a call plan is not essential as the landline is only used in emergencies.

Just looking around, Talktalk have 67mb fibre for £26 (is that inc VAT?) and three free months (pay nothing for three months, then start payments in March?). It seems being a new customer might get me a good deal but are there better around?

For fibre, does an engineer need to install something in the house, don't particularly like that idea during a global pandemic. How much downtime can i expect, given that i would be going from standard broadband to super duper ultra fast fibre broadband?

Cheers for any advice

Added - also, would like to keep landline phone number

Browntoa

Fibre upgrade may involve a new router but it's self install , plug it in and off you go.

Bt may haggle on the price of an upgrade to fibre or match new customer prices .

If you are a sky tv customer then their fibre offering may be cheaper

savefortherain

The BT website seems to say I'd need an openreach modem and it will take an engineer to install it, inside and possibly out

https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/how-is--fibre-to-the-home--installed-

JJ_Egan

BT cancellations and negotiate a new deal .

savefortherain

JJ_Egan said:

BT cancellations and negotiate a new deal .

Is there a reason to do that over a new isp? Will BT give me three months for free. Also the Fibre 35mbs seems like the best value, not the 65mbs

Browntoa

savefortherain said:

The BT website seems to say I'd need an openreach modem and it will take an engineer to install it, inside and possibly out

https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/how-is--fibre-to-the-home--installed-

Only if it's fibre to your premises , not fibre to the cabinet. 

Fibre to the cabinet is self install as it still uses the copper pairs to your house so nothing changes at that end

JJ_Egan

As above standard fibre they post you the router and arrange a switch on date .

Work in house only required if its an old BT master socket .

FTTP if you actually have it in your location is an engineer install , about half a day .

Optical cable from pole to inside house  connected to an ONT box   then connected to BT Router  both require a power source .
Not sure what super duper ultrafast means but standard fibre is up to 80 meg .

Even more duper fibre to the premises is generally 150 and 300 meg .But less than 3 million houses so far on the rollout .

savefortherain

I think it might be an old master socket, I have to use a microfilter if that helps.

Talktalk website is saying I won't be needing an engineer though I'm not sure how they know that just by giving them my post code and phone number.

Neil_Jones

savefortherain said:

Talktalk website is saying I won't be needing an engineer though I'm not sure how they know that just by giving them my post code and phone number.

The provider to an extent is irrelevant, they all still use the Openreach network.  What one provider can see the others can as well.  If there are any issues down the line the provider will ask Openreach to sort it (you can't deal with Openreach yourself).

If you have the FTTC option, you just plug the router in yourself and it works.  That's it.  Still use your filters and replace as and when.

The definition of "old BT socket" is also certainly if you don't have the modern NTE5 faceplate at the master socket (or a single socket) - the one that looks like its in two halves.  You can see the pictures here: https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/getting-set-up/home-networks/a-wired-home-network/what-type-of-master-socket-have-i-got-

If your sockets are older than these (and may have the very old T logo that BT were using in the 1980s) then they may be okay.  Anything with GPO on it probably needs upgrading, but as you're using filters already you should be okay as you are for FTTC.

macman

Post a pic of your master socket. 

Neil49

If you decide to switch don't forget to check Quidco and Topcashback for cashback deals. 

I got £80 cashback with my last switch.