ADSL Broadband after changeover

[Crimliar]

There are a number of different letters that have gone out to homeowners in this area (Teesside) related to impending POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) changes.

In laws, nice large house on a main road but are currently only able to get ADSL2 have been informed if they do nothing their connection will be switched to VDSL2 (which they currently couldn't get if they wanted) with Digital Voice and they'll get a new router and phone.  ADSL depends on infrastructure at the phone exchange, VDSL potentially doesn't even though it uses the existing copper phone lines to the property.  *As they have the boxes for OR, CF, & VM in a row just off their property they'll probably be offered FTTP very very shortly.

The letter we received last year (5yo house) was to the effect that we would at some point in the future move to either FTTP or Mobile provided broadband as the phone line provided service was to be decommissioned).

The changes are happening, but it's still not one size fits all!

[Keith_Beddoe]

@HHGTTG 

There is a lot of misleading information on the Internet.

Copper is going to be around for a very long time, probably forever.

As far as ADSL is concerned, unless you renew your contract, or your exchange becomes a fibre only one, then ADSL is always going to be an option where there are copper MSANS installed in the exchange building. That covers most of the main exchange buildings. Some small rural exchanges will eventually close, once fibre is available to all of its customers.

In fact, with the closure of the PSTN network, the MSANs are going to have to supply a basic 500kb broadband service to provide a phone service for customers that only want a phone service, and not broadband. MSAN (Multi Service Access Node) can be configured for a wide range of services.

There is never going to be sufficient capacity in the FTTC fibre cabinets to supply all of the phone customers.

[imjolly]

it is only the phone PSTN that will cease and you will still be able to get adsl broadband until the eventual conversion to fibre

[HHGTTG]

Sorry to go back to this  point again but when Googling about this changeover to DV in general, I keep on seeing that ADSL in December 2025 will also cease to be available, say over my existing Copper wire connection to my house or to anyone else that has ADSL.

This information comes from various sources and links but would seem to suggest that by that date the whole existing Copper network providing telephony will end  which I understand but I am still not quite sure if ADSL will still be available to my house as it does at present.

If that is this case then myself and  many others will be forced to get a Fibre connection instead in order to access the Internet etc.

[iniltous · Accepted solution]

The copper pair to full fibre rollout and PSTN to DV rollout are not the same thing , the old telephone exchange equipment is being retired, and an all IP ( internet protocol ) taking its place , BT are calling their version Digital Voice , this requires you to plug a phone into the router not the wall socket , and should be completed by December 2025.

It will be many years before everyone has access to ‘full fibre’ , but the bandwidth that DV requires is very small so even ADSL connections ( let alone FTTC  ) is more than capable of powering DV , so for many the copper pair will still be used , but it will be a broadband connection with IP telephony for those that want a phone service , even landline only customers will be on a version of broadband.

The FTTP network is expanding all the time , if someone does have access to FTTP , they can upgrade to it at anytime , at some point in the future it may be compulsory to make the change if it’s available but it’s not compulsory now.

[Keith_Beddoe]

If its like the old Broadband Talk service, then typically 64Kbs are used for a single voice path. If you are using HD voice to another BT DV user, then 128Kbs is possible.

Voice is given priority, but you are unlikely to notice any speed difference.

[HHGTTG]

I assume then that 18Mbps or less will be OK for the operation of the Digital Voice system whether one uses one's own phone or has the DV handsets. In my current set-up I'll lose my hall phone with Speakerphone that is nowhere near any power socket but works from the line voltage from the master socket just below the hall table. My current DECT cordless phone runs of an extension lead in another room where there is power and it's 'satellite' phone in plugged in for power only, elsewhere. Oh well, that's progress for you.

[gg30340]

ADSL won't always be available. At some point in the future it will be FTTC or FTTP.

[HHGTTG]

So ADSL Broadband will always be available then? The PSTN service will no longer be available at our Master socket. 

Well, i got that completely wrong then and there was me looking at BT Fibre Broadband packages from which I would have to choose.

[HHGTTG]

Thanks for that but I don't particularly need to use a DV phone then as I just want to plug my existing Cordless BT DECT phone and base station into the Smart Hub 2. 

I thought the DV phone from BT communicates, for set-up and operation by communicating with the DECT feature built  into the SH2?