Analogue phones being disconnected

MouldyOldDough

January 2027 - analogue phone lines are being disconnected

So - if you have not gone digital yet (full fibre) - it's almost too late

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/phone-internet-downloads-or-tv/check-your-personal-alarm-will-work-after-the-landline-switch-off/

StewedApple

After which the copper-cable network will be removed. Given the vulnerability of the new system I'm not sure this is a good idea.

ChangFai

I contacted Openreach about this, as I was getting conflicting stories.

They said : "I have looked at your details and I can see that the type of phone line you use is on copper technology called MPF – which is not being withdrawn at this time. The copper network that is being withdrawn is called PSTN or sometimes referred to as WLR. I know it can be confusing"

The thing is, why are they not relating this to everyone?

Everything I read, says I will be switched off in January, but Openreach says no.

grumpy_codger

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6686196/analogue-phones-being-disconnected

The link doesn't work for me.

Why "full fibre"? I don't think it's available everywhere. In my old hose I had FTTC and 'digital voice'.

And many "full fibre" providers don't support landline phones.

QrizB

Here's a blog from a couple of years ago which explains what's being switched off and when.

https://evolvebg.co.uk/news/preparing-for-the-pstn-switch-off-evolve

It includes discussion of MPF, which isn't being turned off yet.

littleboo

The PSTN, ie the 1000's of Openreach telephone exchanges which have been switching calls for the last 40 odd years, will be decommissioned at the end of January 2027. This is the analogue phone system, it requires a copper pair and is presented as a BT phone socket in the property. The exchange equipment is past end of line, there are no spares for it and the pool of people that understand it is diminishing. So it has to go.

Those with a phone service and broadband will be, if not already, migrated to Digital Voice, which means your analogue telephone now plugs into the router instead of the BT wall socket. The router contains an adaptor which converts the voice to a digital signal in the property. The means the packets of voice data can now be sent over the broadband connection.

Digital Voice does not need a full fibre connection to work, so its incorrect but not uncommon to conflate the two things. As the voice is now just packets of data, it doesn't know or care what the underlying connection is. I was converted to Digital Voice on my FTTC broadband service. Like many others, FTTP is not available to me yet.

There are some transitional products for edge cases, PDPL keeps the copper line and does the analogue to digital conversion at the exchange rather than on the home router. I don't believe you can have that if you have broadband and is only meant so that the PSTN switch off isn't held up.

iniltous

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163473#Comment_82163473

The largest MPF LLU (local loop unbundled) providers are Sky and Talk Talk , they don’t use the PSTN equipment in the exchange that’s being retired but have their own equipment called a MSAN , multi service access node within the ‘BT’ exchange building , these can deliver telephone and broadband services , eventually these will be withdrawn by Sky and Talk Talk, Sky seemingly more proactive in closing their MSANs down that TT , ignoring the fact TT are a busted business, for now they are not affected by the PSTN retirement as they are not a PSTN provider , TT recently used this fact as an advertising ploy to get customers of other companies worried about the PSTN switch off to migrate to them as MSANs don’t need a broadband router or power at the customers house for telephony to work, they offered themselves as a continuity provider.

It’s odd you would call Openreach rather than your own provider to find this out , but if you are a MPF customer (metallic path facility) all Openreach supply is the copper cable from the exchange to your house , no equipment from BT or Openreach is connected, what the provider actually connects to the copper pair doesn’t concern Openreach , that’s the difference between MPF and WLR (wholesale line rental ) is the PSTN equipment that the copper pair is connected to in the exchange, that’s why often it’s presented as WLR / PSTN retirement .

Everything you read about this doesn’t say you will be switched off , that’s your own misunderstanding, and not finding out specifically about your individual service from your provider, but leaving it to articles that often are inaccurate, at a push I’d guess you are a Talk Talk customer or a niche brand that uses a TT MSAN , if that the case you are not affected by equipment being retired in Jan 2027 as you are not connected to it in the first place.

ChangFai

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163611#Comment_82163611

Thank you for that.

And yes, I am (was) a Talk Talk customer.

My contract came up for renewal a couple of months ago, and offering a great price, Talk Talk assured me, I would not be cut off in Jan.

As I said, I was a bit unsure, hence why I contacted Openreach, which was not easy, but I got the reply, which I posted above.

I can see a problem ahead, but I only live in the UK in the summer months, hence why I am dragging my heels.

I am now waiting to see what happens, Talk Talk wise.

I do have a back up of EE wifi for broadband, which is pricey, but will hopefully get me through until I can get something else sorted, which will I guess will be next summer.