BT Digital Voice Switchover

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Jenni_D said:

Interesting topic ... I have FTTC which uses a separate VDSL modem feeding my HH4; would Digital Voice changeover impact me?

Yes, sooner or later it will. At the moment BT just seem to be migrating FTTP customers who have a seperate copper landline over to Digital Voice, but the next step will be to migrate FTTC customers across to Digital Voice - so the copper cable will just be supplying the broadband signal. (The idea is that eventually everyone will be supplied by fibre optic all the way to their home - FTTP - and so the copper telephone lines and associated kit will become redundant.)

matelodave

Jenni_D said:

Interesting topic ... I have FTTC which uses a separate VDSL modem feeding my HH4; would Digital Voice changeover impact me?

It depends how its implemented - as we have FTTP then the phone is connected directly to the router Theres a phone jack on the Smart Hub 2 which accomodates a normal phone -  we've got our DECT base station plugged in and our DECT phones all work as normal (altough CLI does seem a bit iffy).

The SH2 also acts as a DECT base station which allow specific  BTdigital phones to work direct to the router which has the advantage that we can actuall make or receive two simulaneous independent phone calls on the same number. (ie if the plugged in phone is on a call, the BT DECT phone can still make or recieve calls and vice versa)

I'm guessing that it will still be possible for a VDSL line to provide phone faclities from the cabinet, like it does at the moment unless they decide that it will all be IP from the cabinet to the router to simplify the kit in the cabinet (and save power as they wouldn't have to energise the line or provide dial tone)

What I dont know is what would happen if I decided to go with TT, SKY or another provider, I guess their router would have to provide VoIP facilites if I wanted to keep a "landline" or I'd have to get a VoIP adapter to keep using our old DECT phones.

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matelodave said:

Jenni_D said:

Interesting topic ... I have FTTC which uses a separate VDSL modem feeding my HH4; would Digital Voice changeover impact me?

It depends how its implemented - as we have FTTP then the phone is connected directly to the router Theres a phone jack on the Smart Hub 2 which accomodates a normal phone -  we've got our DECT base station plugged in and our DECT phones all work as normal (altough CLI does seem a bit iffy).

The SH2 also acts as a DECT base station which allow specific  BTdigital phones to work direct to the router which has the advantage that we can actuall make or receive two simulaneous independent phone calls on the same number. (ie if the plugged in phone is on a call, the BT DECT phone can still make or recieve calls and vice versa)

I'm guessing that it will still be possible for a VDSL line to provide phone faclities from the cabinet, like it does at the moment unless they decide that it will all be IP from the cabinet to the router to simplify the kit in the cabinet (and save power as they wouldn't have to energise the line or provide dial tone)

What I dont know is what would happen if I decided to go with TT, SKY or another provider, I guess their router would have to provide VoIP facilites if I wanted to keep a "landline" or I'd have to get a VoIP adapter to keep using our old DECT phones.

Re the bit in bold - whilst that is technically feasible, it is not the plan. It would require lots of new kit in the FTTC cabinet (and probably more cabinets and other reorganisation of the wiring).

Rather, the plan is to phase out the copper network altogether. This is Openreach's plan, and it has been approved of by Ofcom.

BT as a provider is perhaps getting ahead of the game, but all the providers are going to have to make this switch - including those who just provide simple landline service to some customers. (There are a few different solutions to this, but essentially even those who are just going to have a straightforward 'voice-only' landline will actually have that service provided by a VOIP service over a simplified broadband connection.)

I can't yet post links, but for more information search for "Openreach - retiring the copper network" for a basic introduction to the upcoming changes.

Also search for "Openreach - Goodbye old telephone network, hello new opportunities" for an article (dated 27 June 2019) outlining the key dates for these changes.

Ultimately their plan is to "withdraw all products reliant on the PSTN" by December 2025. It's worth noting this does not mean that copper wires will be gone or no longer in use by that date - rather, the copper wiring that continues to exist will solely be as a conduit for broadband signals (e.g. from FTTC streetside cabinet to home), and not for 'old fashioned' telephone calls. The longer term move however is towards replacing all this copper wiring to homes and other premises with fibre-optic cabling.

Browntoa

There's 2 projects on the go , the pstn switch off in 2025 ( BT exchanges are ancient and spares are an issue , average exchange switch is 40 years old ) and the implementation of complete fibre to the premises ( when the copper will be recovered as it's worth billions ) 

stephencadams

One thing that has not been mentioned is the loss of emergency services if your power fails or the broadband connection fails.
Currently you can still use your landline phone to get help, even if your broadband fails.
According to BT you will have to use "an alternative service".
You will also have to rewire your corded telephone network if you have more than one phone in the home and re-program the router. 
The only other option is to plug a DECT telephone master in the back of the router, which is not always convenient.

[Deleted User]

stephencadams said:

One thing that has not been mentioned is the loss of emergency services if your power fails or the broadband connection fails.
Currently you can still use your landline phone to get help, even if your broadband fails.
According to BT you will have to use "an alternative service".
You will also have to rewire your corded telephone network if you have more than one phone in the home and re-program the router. 
The only other option is to plug a DECT telephone master in the back of the router, which is not always convenient.

We kept a basic dial phone for power loss. Unless someone has such a phone then they lose connectivity anyway with cordless phones.


I wonder what is in place for all IP. Certainly Virgin don't seem to have anything, power off I lose the lot. No idea if there is a battery backup option for the O/E section.

matelodave

stephencadams said:

One thing that has not been mentioned is the loss of emergency services if your power fails or the broadband connection fails.
Currently you can still use your landline phone to get help, even if your broadband fails.
According to BT you will have to use "an alternative service".
You will also have to rewire your corded telephone network if you have more than one phone in the home and re-program the router. 
The only other option is to plug a DECT telephone master in the back of the router, which is not always convenient.

A nice business opportunity, making battery back-up units for routers 

Our ONT has a BBU fitted inside the housing but is now about four years old so probably requires the four AA sized Li-on batteries to replaced.  AFAIK OpenReach have stopped providing them any more.

We also have a small 12v BBU powering our router which keeps it running for a couple of hours, so it's not an insurmountable problem to keep connected if the power fails. Here's one - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08FBB4Q8V/ref=as_li_ss_tl?

We've had a few short term power cuts and ,as we use laptops, we actually haven't noticed if it's happned during the day, only in the evening if the lights go out. I'm sure that now we've got Digital Voice it really wouldn't be everso hard to run the wired DECT base station from the BBU as well.

However as we've got a BT DV handset which communicates wirelessly with the router then we are covered anyway

[Deleted User]

^^^^
Just buy a small UPS. Been on the back burner of idea's for me for some time, since I got this new package from The V people.

molerat

BT suspends the digital rollout.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10661981/BT-throws-lifeline-landlines-bosses-suspend-digital-rollout-customer-backlash.html

matelodave

molerat said:

BT suspends the digital rollout.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10661981/BT-throws-lifeline-landlines-bosses-suspend-digital-rollout-customer-backlash.html

TBH it wouldn't be difficult for BT or other providers to offer a small battery backup unit to maintain router power for a couple of hours, either free or at a subsidised cost.

In the end, even the back-up supplies in telephone exchanges can't be expected to maintain services indefinitely. Powered cabinets and even mobile phone base stations probably only have 4-8 hours of battery backup so any sort of service would fail in the case of prolonged power outages such as those caused by the recent storms.

 I don't know what the situation is nowadays, but exchanges used to have backup batteries supplement with engine driven generators but I suspect that there are fewer of them around than there used to be.