Land Line Loser

[Graham Swindon]

I have managed with old fashioned copper broadband but I fear that the provider is choking off the tap in order to push me onto fibre. The thing is that taking fibre means losing the landline. Most of my friends are older generation who don’t have mobile phones let alone unlimited minutes. Am I missing something?

 

[adolf hamster]

you know you can call a mobile from a landline?

 

[dlockers]

You still get internet through your landline even with fibre, unless you're talking about fibre to the house which is not widely available. What makes you think you're being choked?

 

[Uhtred]

I thought they kept the copper in place for PSTN even with FTTP? That or your phone goes over to digital voice. Either way you won't lose your landline

 

[Lysander]

Graham Swindon
Location: Cornwall

Something is not right here.

 

[Graham Swindon]

I live in a rural area. If I have fibre it would be direct to house so I could get the fastest connection - but I don’t want it. EE say that if I switch to fibre I can’t have a landline - presumably because they must replace the whole line.

 

[touch]

You still get internet through your landline even with fibre, unless you're talking about fibre to the house which is not widely available. What makes you think you're being choked?

Fibre to the house (fttp) is quite common now.

You'll still get an option for a landline (with BT, maybe not all providers) that could be via a copper cable alongside the fibre cable or a digital VoIP style over the fibre/internet connection.

 

[Narj]

You could still have a VoIP "land line" via Vonage or something similar. Obviously it's not going to work when the power's out though!

 

[Graham Swindon]

Two years ago my contract was with BT. When due for renewal they said that they wouldn’t unless I switched to fibre. I changed to EE (!) but that contract expired last week. I insisted on staying on standard broadband since when I an convinced that my speed has dropped.

 

[Uhtred]

I live in a rural area. If I have fibre it would be direct to house so I could get the fastest connection - but I don’t want it. EE say that if I switch to fibre I can’t have a landline - presumably because they must replace the whole line.

EE don't offer a landline with FTTP but they are the exception. Change provider.

 

[dlockers]

Fibre to the house (fttp) is quite common now.

You'll still get an option for a landline (with BT, maybe not all providers) that could be via a copper cable alongside the fibre cable or a digital VoIP style over the fibre/internet connection.

Quite common except not when measured it must be less than 10% of total endpoints? Not common at all. Lucky that the OP says he can get it.

 

[touch]

Quite common except not when measured it must be less than 10% of total endpoints?

It's now over 20% of residential premises and has grown from 2% in 2018 so it's increasing fast.

 

[dlockers]

It's now over 20% of residential premises and has grown from 2% in 2018 so it's increasing fast.

We agree then, not common.

 

[Graham Swindon]

Change to whom? Neither BT/EE will allow me to keep my landline. Who else is there? Talktalk? Do me a favour. I think it’s terrible that all of the friends of mine are going to be whacked with massive land line to mobile call charges.

 

[Uhtred]

Change to whom? Neither BT/EE will allow me to keep my landline. Who else is there? Talktalk? Do me a favour. I think it’s terrible that all of the friends of mine are going to be whacked with massive land line to mobile call charges.

From what I'm reading BT do offer a landline but it is a bit confusing so maybe I'm wrong. Is sky available as an option?

As others have mentioned you can go voip and still use your existing home phones with an aditional 'ATA' box which seem to go for under £100:

List of providers here: https://www.ukvoipforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=6

 

[BigT]

Aside from the fact most FTTP providers will give you a 'landline' they can call, even if they don't just sign up for a free sipgate account to give yourself a 'landline' number your friends can call if you need to. Install a free app on your mobile or computer and it won't cost them anything beyond calling you now and you can enjoy clearer conversations hopefully and more portability as well. They can call your 'landline' and you can take it on your mobile while out and about https://www.sipgatebasic.co.uk/

I am also skeptical any provider is choking you to force you to move. Even if they are, you're in a lovely position of being able to get better broadband and as outlined can make it so it has no effect on your friends calling you so I don't really see anything to be upset about. I wish my area could be FTTP enabled - I'd jump long before I was pushed.

 

[Siliconslave]

we've had FTTP installed and they ran an overhead copper and fiber pair to the house. Apparently the plan is to remove the copper at some point and put a phone point into the fiber router (using VOIP) but thats a little way off.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

Get rid of the landline and just replace it with a mobile. Or get Elon Musks new internet.

 

[Siliconslave]

Get rid of the landline and just replace it with a mobile. Or get Elon Musks new internet.

I've had a look at starlink in the past and its pretty damn expensive - 150/50Mbps for £89 a month + about £13 a month on electricity (vs about £1.30 for fiber!)

 

[Caged]

BT will let you keep your phone number, which is surely the only important part here. They won't keep your phone service coming in via copper because they need to work towards shutting that network down.