Full Fibre 150 does it require a land line

[TouteSeule]

I am out of contract from Fibre 2 / land line and have been trying to get prices for a full fibre offer .

8 calls to BT and every person  has  told me something different .So can I ask :

-Does Full Fibre require me to keep my land line, and if  yes are you charged separately for it?

-Is it true that BT have daily dynamic pricing as I have been given 4 different prices for FF150 : £26.99 + reward card / £40.99/ £30.99/32.99 for 12 months.

-Does  OpenReach move the mastersocket free of charge?

Txs in advance.

[imjolly · Accepted solution]

you don't need to keep your landline and can get broadband only package but you then cannot make/receive calls on your old landline.  if you are getting FTTP then your master socket is no longer of any use but if for some reason you wanted to move it then openreach will charge for that

try contacting Retentions 08007831401 and see what you can negotiate for broadband only FTTP  make sure you know what is currently on offer with BT and also other ISP

[iniltous]

Think of landline as meaning a telephone service, do you have to take a telephone service with your FTTP 150 Mb broadband , No , but that also the case with your current FTTC F2 broadband, you didn’t need to take telephone with that either , so no change there …if you don’t want a phone service you don’t need to take it , telephony has been an optional add on for years , if you have telephony but didn’t want it , you should have had it taken off and just paid for broadband.

Line rental is part of the broadband charge , so no separate charge for it , but that’s how it has been for a decade of more , that’s how you pay for your F2 service , you pay something extra for your telephone service if you have it , but  a telephone service is optional and has been for years .

If you get FTTP you don’t need a master socket , the one you have is effectively made  redundant , so it doesn’t need moving , you do get an ONT , this can go , to a certain extent , where you want it , but it needs to be near a power outlet as it’s a mains powered device.

[WSH]

There is a bit of confusion around what people are referring to with “landline”.

Firstly, the old copper-based phone service, (known as the PSTN or Public Switched Telephone Network), is being completely turned off in January for, (nearly), everybody.  Only exceptional cases will remain for the time being.

Essentially, with Full Fibre and the Digital Voice phone service (DV) the old copper line is completely redundant.  Now, if you are keeping the phone service, (as DV), people are still tending it refer to it as a “landline”.  In fact, DV is part of the broadband connection and, as I said, the copper line is redundant.

Yes, there is a charge for it.  At the start of the contract, also for FF150, my own was £26.99 + £3 for PAYG DV phone service, but…

You do not necessarily have to have DV if you only want a broadband connection.

Like any company, BT charge whatever they can get away with, and the “guides” are on commission, so will upsell where they can.  If they offered £26.99 once, I’d insist on that and make sure you get the quote in writing.

No, they will not move the master socket free of charge.  In fact, with Full Fibre and DV, the master socket is completely redundant.  What they will fit is a new walled mounted box called an ONT or Optical Network Terminal.  This is about the same size as the old master socket but does not need to be in the same location.  However, it does need power and so must be within about 1.5m of a power socket.  The position is negotiable with the engineer on the day but it has to be do-able within the time slot and budget allocated.  If I were you, I would have a first, second and third choice location lined up, just in case your first choice isn’t do-able.

Hope that helps.

[TouteSeule]

Txs . I'm clear about the L/Line, M/Switch and the retention number is most useful. Txs again.

[TouteSeule]

I used the l/line unlimited mins but now consider it uneconomic , BT didn't explain the L/L is in the price I'm just getting rid of the u'ltd mins. Will OR take away the old Masterswitch or do I pay for that privately? Txs in advance.

[TouteSeule]

Wonderful. Though and very informative. Will push for that lowest price once the DSR revert has gone though as one of the 'guides' renewed my existing contract without permission. Txs again.

[imjolly]

if you just get rid of phone package and therefore get Broadband and phone then there is an additional cost for ability to make/receive calls usually about £3pm and of course you pay for all the calls you make

openreach won't take away old master socket so up to you to get someone in or if you are a DIY then do it 

[iniltous]

If you have Unlimited Minutes as your  call plan ( this is and has been optional for years ) then you will pay £12-£18 for that on top of your broadband price , depending on how hard you negotiate, if this is too expensive or you don’t make use of Unlimited Minutes, but you would like to keep your phone number for incoming calls , understanding that any outgoing calls are charged for then that’s £3-£5 on top of the broadband charge , again depending on how hard you haggle.

If you go for standalone broadband so no phone service at all , no number allocated , no incoming calls , no outgoing calls including 999 etc , then the target price for 150Mb FTTP on this basis is around £29.99 , if offered a cheaper price that’s better than new customers.

As stated the master socket is redundant but remains in situ if you go for full fibre , if you want it removed as part of the FTTP installation don’t be surprised if that request is refused, you can always deal with it yourself once FTTP is in and working , as the copper pair master socket at that point is dead anyway .