This topic

End of POTS?

gspearson — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:20:57 GMT

As OR looks as if they will not becoming my way and I don't want to change ISP to CityFibre/Vodafone - what will BT do with me when copper is withdrawn in 2025, send me to CF/V or provide FTTP by some means?

Re: End of POTS?

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:25:38 GMT

@gspearson

Its not copper that is being withdrawn, its the analogue phone network that is closing down. Copper is still going to be used in the network, to provide VDSL and ADSL.

See https://www.draytek.co.uk/information/blog/the-end-of-analogue-phone-lines-pt1

and part 2.

Re: End of POTS?

gspearson — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:34:57 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe Ah! That is helpful to know - so life could continue much as now for broadband. How will telephone service be provided? I don't use a BT hub, as my Deco M5 system is better without - straight into a modem. I think I have a HH5 in a cupboard bought on the well-known auction site.

Re: End of POTS?

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:41:05 GMT

@gspearson wrote:

@Keith_Beddoe Ah! That is helpful to know - so life could continue much as now for broadband. How will telephone service be provided? I don't use a BT hub, as my Deco M5 system is better without - straight into a modem. I think I have a HH5 in a cupboard bought on the well-known auction site.

To get a phone service, you have to use the BT Smart Hub 2, there is no alternative.

There are loads of threads on this board. discussing this.

Your Deco M5 would have to connect the the Smart hub 2 LAN, and operate in access point mode and not router mode.

Re: End of POTS?

imjolly — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:41:22 GMT

At present to get DV to work you need to use the SH2 as that acts as a dect base station

Re: End of POTS?

licquorice — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:42:40 GMT

You will either have to use a Super Hub 2 which has built in VOIP and DECT capability, or use a third party VOIP provider with your third party router. BT's version of VOIP is proprietary and can only be used with the SH2.

Re: End of POTS?

licquorice — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:44:03 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe wrote:

To get a phone service, you have to use the BT Smart Hub 2, there is no alternative.

Yes there is, you can use a third party VOIP provider.

Re: End of POTS?

StuartHK — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:46:24 GMT

OK, so now I am confused.

Does this mean that BT will be switching everyone to DV but for some people it is going to be using FTTC instead of FTTP? Is this a cunning route to get everyone using BT routers again instead of their own equipment? (Excuse the pun).

Re: End of POTS?

jac_95 — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:49:58 GMT

All of UK will be moved to a VoIP phone service such as BT Digital Voice. This is happening for all communication providers be that if you are on FTTP, FTTC or ADSL or no fixed broadband at all.

Re: End of POTS?

iniltous — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 18:58:10 GMT

MiYou are correct in that some will still be on FTTC and using DV for telephony, it’s not just FTTP, what solutions they come up with for those that are too far away from a ‘fibre’ cab to make use of FTTC and are on a regular copper pair line remains to be seen.
As far as a ruse to get people to use BT routers, it’s quite simple, if someone wants BT telephony you have to use a BT router, if someone is not fussed about telephony at all, you can have a genuine broadband only service , if you want telephony but don’t want to use a BT Smart Hub, you can sign up with a VOIP provider of your choice and use a third party router, the only thing you won’t be able to have is BT telephony using only a third party router

Re: End of POTS?

StuartHK — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 19:11:42 GMT

Unless you run your own router as a subnet of the Smart Hub and just the phone through the Smart Hub.

It was intended as humour rather than a complaint. Hence the bad pun. (Well, I thought it was funny, but it doesn’t take much).

I can understand it with FTTC as the copper is just the “last mile”. I don’t suppose that would part of the old copper system would be too expensive to maintain. Interesting about the ADSL though. Will be interesting to see how they square that round hole.

Another interesting question is, will the demise of voice on the copper last mile improve the quality of FTTC broadband connections? Probably wishful thinking as I don’t suppose the phone part is carrying data most of the time anyway, but could they extend the bands down into the former phone frequencies?