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Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Rich1957 — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 19:06:31 GMT

Hi All

Background first. We have a BT landline and Broadband, all connected via copper direct to an exchange (Bromley SE London), which is about 200 feet from the front door. Although a cabinet is fairly close by, Openreach engineer confirms that we are straight to exchange (and have been since house built in 1969). Not yet contacted about Digital Voice (DV) but expecting to very soon (contract up for renewal end March). Broadband performance pretty good (not heavy users).

Whilst I’m comfortable with DV, I’m more unsure over where things stand in the near future given the upgrading and retirement of copper (as I understand things). Eg are we faced with having to connect (in some form) to the nearby cabinet or will copper remain until fibre is installed? The cabinet is in an adjacent street - our square of terraced town houses does not have Openreach fibre to properties and is not currently a priority for upgrade. I attach the BT checker for our number. Is this a question I should direct to BT itself?

Many thanks

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 19:20:24 GMT

@Rich1957

Welcome to this user forum for BT Retail phone and broadband customers.

Its quite likely you will stay on ADSL forever, as its not restricted and FTTP is not available.

If your happy with the speed then without trying to find another non-Openreach provider, that is the speed you will get.

As for Digital Voice, yes you will get that eventually, as it works just as well, and perhaps even better than FTTC, as the broadband powered from the exchange and you are not relying on batteries in a cabinet.

DV on ADSL is a fairly low priority, and a lot depends on when your local exchange is being fully closed down, so I would not be concerned at the moment. But if you re-contract then you will be moved over to it.

You may be better just staying on a rolling monthly contract, and save yourself the extra cost and hassle moving to DV until you have to. ADSL prices remain fairly low and constant, and renewing your contract may put you at a disadvantage regarding annual price increases, especially if you are on an old package.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

-Richie- — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 19:16:37 GMT

@Rich1957wrote:
Whilst I’m comfortable with DV, I’m more unsure over where things stand in the near future given the upgrading and retirement of copper (as I understand things). Eg are we faced with having to connect (in some form) to the nearby cabinet or will copper remain until fibre is installed?

ADSL users are last on the list along with line only customers (No broadband), when it comes to upgrading it won't cause issues though, it's the PSTN that is being switched off, not the actual copper cables from the exchange to your home.
Openreach are releasing a solution for ADSL customers called SOTAP (Single Order Transitional Access Product ) on December 1st 2023 (next week), once that becomes widely used then BT/EE will know when to offer it and when to look at alternative options.

Digital Voice only needs a tiny amount of bandwidth, 512kbps is enough but Openreach are making a 1/1 (1mbps down and 1 mbps up) SLT to support customers who don't use the internet, there are also other ideas being trialled to make sure nobody goes without a telephony service, you'll be fine 🙂

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 19:37:31 GMT

Sorry if thread appeared out of sequence for some reason, but it should be right now.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

-Richie- — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 20:11:31 GMT

@Keith_Beddoewrote:
You may be better just staying on a rolling monthly contract, and save yourself the extra cost and hassle moving to DV until you have to. ADSL prices remain fairly low and constant, and renewing your contract may put you at a disadvantage regarding annual price increases, especially if you are on an old package.

I'm confused by this part Keith, there is no price change no matter how you get your phone service, BT have always priced PSTN, FVA and DV exactly the same, the calling plans are priced the same and the calling plans are the same, the only different is where you connect the hanset.
Remaining on a rolling contract means paying more than necessary, if the OP has no plans to change provider in the next 2 years, a new promotion is always advised to keep costs down.

What discounts depend on a number of factors, how you get the telephony service isn't part of it.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 20:25:17 GMT

@-Richie-

I have been out of contract on ADSL for quite a few years, and have only seen small increases in costs, whereas if I re-contracted I would be forced onto FTTC and DV as there is an ADSL restriction on my exchange. I prefer to stay on ADSL.

I have a legacy "Broadband and calls" package which includes free weekend calls, however I never make calls on my line, and only occasionally receive known callers, the rest are intercepted by my BT4600.

Also I think new contracts are subject to larger yearly increases, I think its CPI+2.5% or similar

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

-Richie- — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 20:32:52 GMT

@Keith_Beddoewrote:
I have been out of contract on ADSL for quite a few years, and have only seen small increases in costs, whereas if I re-contracted I would be forced onto FTTC and DV as there is an ADSL restriction on my exchange. I prefer to stay on ADSL.

There is no FTTC or FTTP available for the OP, he has to remain on ADSL, currently no regrades on ADSL include DV

@Keith_Beddoewrote:
I have a legacy "Broadband and calls" package which includes free weekend calls, however I never make calls on my line, and only occasionally receive known callers, the rest are intercepted by my BT4600.

Each to their own but surely clinging to a legacy calling plan you don't use isn't useful, if you were to renew at a discount of £10 for example and move to PAYG for £5 per month, you're still £5 per month better off, again each to their own.

@Keith_Beddoewrote:
Also I think new contracts are subject to larger yearly increases, I think its CPI+2.5% or similar

All customers inside or outside of the minimum tern (sometimes known as in contract or out of contract) pay the same annual price change, it's CPI+3.9% using Decembers CPI figure that is published in January, with the changes applied 1st of April each year.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 20:39:35 GMT

@-Richie-

I pay £39.17 for broadband and calls, all other options are more expensive, and I do not need a faster speed, as there is only my wife and I living here, and the only streaming usage is very occasional SD version Netflix.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

-Richie- — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 20:51:21 GMT

@Keith_Beddoefair enough if you're happy but advising the OP to remain out of contract might cost them in the long run, your setup might benefit your needs, others are different and speaking with the Loyalty team is always advised, there might be better offers available, everyone has different usage and requirements, that was why I was confused with your advice, you based it on your renewal options which isn't available to the OP 🙂

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

imjolly — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 20:55:32 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe

Are you on an old contract which is now rolling monthly which was prior to BT introduction of the annual CPI +3.9%?

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 21:01:34 GMT

Yes.

Different terms before a certain date, I cannot remember which date, but it may be somewhere in the T&Cs.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 21:19:44 GMT

@imjolly

Original contract started Feb 2018.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

imjolly — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 21:22:44 GMT

So your contract is prior to the CPI+3.9% and no extortionate increases like customers suffered this year

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 22:03:24 GMT

No, I think I am still subject to the same increases as the terms were change for all contracts this year. Google search.

"How much will my BT bill go up?

CPI, plus 3.9% applies to all broadband customers including customers whose contract started before 1 September 2020, and were in contract as of the 31 March 2022, and who will be moved to new terms which include a CPI plus 3.9% increase from 31 March 2023."

I am assuming that "in contract" included rolling monthly ones.

Anyway, this is getting off topic now, so lets leave it at that.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Rich1957 — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 22:17:39 GMT

Many thanks for your help with this👍

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

HHGTTG — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 09:07:23 GMT

Hello Keith.

Are you in effect saying that myself and others, including yourself, using quite happily ADSL will be the last in the line to be switched to DV. My contract runs until next March and even then, i still want the stay on ADSL if possible. I live in South London Bromley Borough and we are/were threatened with the changeover before Christmas which, with the postal problems at that time of the year does not seem like the best time to be doing it.

Obviously, I don't know what my local Hayes exchange intends to do with shutting down etc.

are

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 09:24:01 GMT

@HHGTTG

I am happy to stay on ADSL which comes via a copper pair from the exchange about 1.5miles away. Its a fairly important exchange with full 21cn connectivity and MSAN`S (Multi Service Access Nodes).

FTTC is available at a faster speed from a nearby cabinet, but its not needed and would cost more, and result in a forced move to DV, which would mean some re-arrangements.

Also I prefer broadband to come from, and be powered, from the local exchange, as I have my own power backup solution for my own end. I do not trust the battery backup in the cabinets, batteries tend to deteriorate and fail when they are most needed.

I wonder who is going around checking all of the cabinet supplies, it would be a massive job?

I do not expect to be forced to move to DV in the near future, but it will happen before the PSTN closure in the local exchange, and at the latest December 2025.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

HHGTTG — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 09:43:36 GMT

Well, I just will have to bide my time and try not to worry too much. I hate change and it sometimes keeps me awake at night but that's my problem.

My exchange is just up the road less than a half mile away and not having your expertise can't comment any further on its status for the local community. Either way and contrary to a lot of posters here, I'm not worried by outages even if on DV as I have several mobile phones with different providers. I suppose we get one or two outages per year some of which can be for a few hours of less if something serious has happened. It's just a damned nuisance from other respects with certain timer clocks in the house.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 10:03:12 GMT

Over the 43 years we have lived here, we get frequent short power breaks, and a few quite long ones, all are quite annoying.

I have a mains UPS for broadband and computer kit which keeps stuff going long enough for me to changeover to a 12V to 240V 300W Sine Wave Invertor which runs off a 80Ah lead acid leisure battery which is kept charged and also provides a 12V feed to most rooms to power LED lights in cupboards and backup lighting. This was essential when our children were small, as they hated power cuts that left them in the dark, and used to notice them even when asleep.

The Invertor can also keep the central heating boiler and pump running, as they only use about 55W in total.

We do have mobile phones, and I also have a 4G MiFi unit as backup, and its also used when away from home. It also have a faster upload speed which is useful at certain times of the year when I stream video from my bird box cameras.

Re: Exchange only Line/Digital Voice

HHGTTG — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 10:07:59 GMT

You are well equipped then!