Moving from FTTC to FTTP and back again

skycatcher

I currently have FTTC BB and recently there has been fibre installed into our street and is available for me to order. If I do move to FTTP how easy would it be to move back to FTTC at the end of the contract?

thanks

matelodave

Probably impossible as OpenReach are slowly shutting down the PSTN network with a plan to close it completely by 2025 and transfer all telephony onto the internet (VoIP).

I'm guessing that if fibre is available where you live then at some time you will most likely end up on fibre whether you want it or not if they decide to recover FTTC equipment as people transfer to fibre.

I dont know what plans they've got for those who don't or won't transfer to fibre in areas where fibre is being fully rolled out.

The_Fat_Controller

With the withdrawal of copper lines for voice on the horizon you may be able to revert to FTTC if there is space in the local cabinet but getting a phone service reconnected on copper may be impossible.

Who has cabled the street and what voice services are they offering ?

matelodave

this is from the OpenReach website

When do I need to change to a digital phone line?

We'll be switching off the existing network by 31 December 2025 and most people in the UK will need to have a digital phone line before then. To help us prepare we'll also stop selling analogue phone lines to new customers by September 2023.

 

How do I get a digital phone line?

If you opt for a Full Fibre product, you’ll automatically get a digital phone line. We’ve already rolled out Full Fibre to more than four and a half million premises and plan to give 25 million premises access to Full Fibre this decade. You can find more information on our Ultrafast Full Fibre pages.

Otherwise your service provider will contact you when they're ready to migrate your line. You can also speak to them about upgrading.

skycatcher

The_Fat_Controller said:

With the withdrawal of copper lines for voice on the horizon you may be able to revert to FTTC if there is space in the local cabinet but getting a phone service reconnected on copper may be impossible.

Who has cabled the street and what voice services are they offering ?

It was OpenReach thats all I know!

littleboo

It makes no sense for Openreach to run two networks, if that have installed FTTP, they will be looking at phasing out FTTC in that area

iniltous

Why would you want to move from FTTC to FTTP then back again ?,  it entirely possible that if you move to FTTP , and see out any minimum term, by then you may not be able to move back…some providers won’t sell ‘new’ copper services if FTTP is available, others may still offer copper services even if FTTP is available, but eventually even providers that do offer copper products but don’t offer service over FTTP won’t be able to supply , once OR have removed access to it….as already pointed out , why would OR continue to offer two networks, copper based is to be retired, it won’t be everywhere at once , but a rolling programme, so it’s impossible to give you an exact answer, even if you don’t voluntarily move to FTTP , in time you won’t have a choice ….you will be expected to move onto it , if you want to remain a customer of a provider that consumes Openreach products 

neilmcl

All providers offering FTTP via the Openreach network do so on the understanding that they won't also offer new FTTC contracts where the FTTP product exists in that area. So the chance you getting back on to a FTTC product are slim.

matelodave

We've had FTTP for several years - fibre for broadband and copper for the phone. During last year the phone was transferred to VoIP and the copper phone line was disabled.

We are changing suppliers next week from BT to Vodafone and my only option is FTTP with VoIP phone service. AFAIK Vodafone will now only offer VoIP phone service over a broadband connection and I guess others will start to follow suit as the PSTN gets closed down.

skycatcher

Thanks for the replies. I just thought it would be a oneway transition and didn't want to put myself onto a more expensive product that I peobably dont need atm without the ability toi go back to a cheaper product. 

I am assuming that although our street has fibre I will still be able to opt for FTTC from a BB provider?

matelodave

Probably can in the short term but who knows what's going to happen in the future if Open|Reach decide to close down or reduce their FTTC infrastructure in favour of FTTP.

Potentially FTTP could end up being the cheaper product if it saves OR from installing, expanding, maintaining and powering FTTC street cabinets.

ISP's may have no option but to transfer their customers onto FTTP especially where FTTC is at capacity, OR will have no incentive to expand FTTC once FTTP is available in an area.