This topic

Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Dragonfyr — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:25:43 GMT

Hi there,

If someone wants a Landline ONLY, do they need a hub?

Older person, not interested in any broadband, mobile, tv etc. Just the landline.

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:31:54 GMT

@Dragonfyr

As far as I am aware, a hub with a very low speed connection will be supplied, and the phone will plug into that.

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Dragonfyr — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:33:52 GMT

But is it needed?

A friend has been given a hub, even though they do not want or need the internet. And, the extra cost of running the hub is not welcomed.

They just want a telephone line. That's it.

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

DavidM — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:35:56 GMT

Hi @Dragonfyr and thanks for posting.

If you have Digital Voice you need the smart hub 2. If the line is copper only then you don't need a hub.

Cheers

David

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:36:56 GMT

No PSTN connections can be provided, as there is a "stop sell" on them. The hub would not allow Internet access only a phone connection.

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

iniltous — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:42:59 GMT

Interesting question , with no WLR orders ( products ) available anymore, because they have been removed from sale then any ‘new’ applications for a phone only service or a migration to a phone only service , will have to be using other products ( SoGEA or SoTAP ) these are effectively broadband products that depending on the provider can also deliver an IP telephone service

….Openreach have a very low bandwidth broadband profile specifically for this, it’s only 0.5Mb , but that will handle IP telephony .

What kit the ISP will provide is not yet known , in BT’s case they may provide a SH2 router and the customer uses the phone port on it , but that seems unduly extravagant to supply a piece of equipment ( the SH2 ) that is way more sophisticated than is necessary to deliver nothing more than telephony

If anyone has been down this route yet , they haven’t posted about their experience on this forum .

If someone objects to having a mains powered ‘router’ to deliver a telephone service ,( about £20 a year to run ) that’s tough , perhaps they would be happier with a mobile phone ( but that would also have a mains charger )

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:39:00 GMT

@DavidM

That does not make sense, as there are no more analogue PSTN connections allowed, so how is a phone connection going to be made?

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

DavidM — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:40:43 GMT

Hi @Keith_Beddoe ,

I'm assuming the OPs friend has a landline. Of course you're correct in any other scenario.

Cheers

David

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Dragonfyr — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:52:57 GMT

She just has a phone line and wants to switch to BT.

As far as I'm aware, she has made the switch. But they've sent her a hub. (She does not use the internet or ever will, despite my encouragement to lol xD).

She just wants a landline, and the ability to call her granddaughters mobile and bills n whatnot.

Thanks for your answer, I think that means she doesn't need one

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Dragonfyr — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:54:22 GMT

It's ok saying 'PSTN Connection', but I have to portray this back to her. Also, "stop sell" on them? Great! That means nothing to me! lol

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Dragonfyr — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:57:51 GMT

A mobile phone isn't an option either... trust me, i've tried that with her.

I do see her point, that she just wants a landline. No fancy internet, hub, tv package, etc, just a phone line. It's not much to ask, is it.

But as to why BT have sent her a hub, for her just wanting that, I can only assume there's been some misunderstanding along the way.

And this day n age everyone is trying to save on everything, I get that. £20 per year might not seem like much to you and me, but she's on her pension and £20 to her means food for a week or two. 'Same river, different depths' etc.

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 21:03:47 GMT

PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), a very old term but still used. That relies on equipment in the exchange which is being ceased. No new connection are being provided.

The replacement is VOIP (Voice Over IP), which means that calls are carried over the IP (Internet Protocol) network which does not have to carry any Internet connections.

So in her case, as a new customer, the hub is needed, as it converts the VOIP back to a normal phone connection, with that connection appearing on the back of the hub.

Without the hub, plugging a phone into the wall socket will result in nothing, not even a line indication. There is no alternative.

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Dragonfyr — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 21:06:44 GMT

Yep, that's what she's been told.

I mean, I get it. The older generation tend to steer away from tech. I've done my fair share of helping them over the years. But, that generation will soon be a thing of the past.

I do wonder though, what if someone does just want a phone line. Nothing else. Surely there needs to be a service to cater for that.

Thanks for your replies Keith

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

iniltous — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 21:17:25 GMT

Not many providers offer a ‘landline ’ phone service without broadband, so if she is moving to BT , who was she with previously ?, TBH , it’s irrelevant now , but they should have stayed with whoever they were with if this change of technology is unwanted , it would only be temporary though , until December 2025.

After the 5th of September 2023 there wasn’t any longer the option to have a old style telephone only service from BT ( or anyone else using WLR ) so any phone service from BT effectively uses BT broadband, the customer may not want it , may not realise its the technology behind the phone service, but as there is no difference in price between this new way of providing telephone only and the old way , it’s pretty irrelevant.

Apart from the ‘router’ is mains powered, and the landline phone instrument plugs into the router not the phone socket on the wall, it’s pretty much the same .

Re: Do you need a HUB with a landline ONLY?

Jane2018 — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 22:01:24 GMT

It is an interesting topic given there is universal service obligations and lots of people may not want a broadband connection nor have any mobile signal (many areas don't have good mobile signal). When I in London am moved to digital voice in late 2023 for my telephone only line which has been with BT for at least 25 years (no switching) I think BT will be sending some kind of basic hug into which I will plug the corded phone rather than a hub 2.