Still confused about Digital Voice

[techno1972]

I have FTTC and have been bombarded with letters and emails to have a free FTTP installation, if I want to continue with a phone, which I do. So it will be Digital Voice.

However this doesn't seem to be true. I've checked and I'm not in a priority area for FTTP, so why the hard sell?

Stupidly, I have agreed to this and been sent a new Smart Hub 2. 

Am I able to cancel the install for FTTP and just arrange a switchover date when I plug the new modem into my existing master socket?

I really don't want FTTP at this time. It's going to cause a lot of hassle with sockets and wiring behind the TV, and I know Openreach will want to put it there, as that's the easiest route into the house.

I also already have an unused Virgin box behind the TV, so I could switch to them, if I suddenly felt the need for megaspeed.

Am I right in my assumption about using DV on the Smart Hub 2 through my existing master socket?

[jac_95]

Where there's FTTP available to a property that service takes priority over FTTC and ADSL services - there's essentially a policy for FTTP services to take priority and there is a push for providers and wholesale incentives for providers to move their customers onto FTTP when it's available.

If you don't renew you'll stay as is for now. You maybe able to delay the move to FTTP but at some point it may become a stop sell area and your provider will move you to FTTP

[iniltous]

I suspect you have conflated two issues , having FTTP available and being incentivised to take it ( free installation etc ) is one thing , continuing with a phone service is something else ,

eventually ( by December 2025 ) all BT phone customer will be using DV ( digital voice ) because your local exchange telephone switch is being retired…DV can be delivered by FTTC as well as FTTP , so in essence there is no imperative to move to FTTP unless you want to ,and certainly no need just to keep a telephone service, on FTTC you will eventually get notified that you are moving to DV and be told when to move the phone instrument out of the wall socket and into the router.

If out of contract ( outside a minimum term ) you will be paying more than necessary for broadband and to get a new competitive on price ‘deal’ will require taking FTTP as a condition of the deal .

Can you cancel your FTTP installation and keep FTTC ? , you could try but eventually Openreach will tire of operating two networks and will make a ‘take it ( FTTP ) or leave’  ultimatum, but that’s many years away .

TBH , getting FTTP is probably going to be an insignificant change and little disruption , inevitable anyway , but if you can revert to your previous contractual relationship by cancelling your FTTP install , ( either returning to your outside minimum term or inside a minimum term that will presumably shortly end ) you will be paying more than necessary and migrating to someone else will require FTTP anyway , so it would either be pay the out of contract price or move to Virgin .

No one has currently ( as far as I know ) been held down while FTTP was installed against their will 

[countrypaul]

Regarding the FTTP, my understanding is that to fit the ONT (sometimes called a modem) it normally needs to be close to a 13A socket. If you and the Openreach engineer cannot agree on a suitable route for the cable and location for the ONT the job gets cancelled and returned to  BT...

[techno1972]

I have told them I want to cancel. This actually means cancelling everything; the FTTP and the Digital Voice. They cannot split the order so that I just keep the router, so I have to send it back.

I'm not actually sure how I get Digital Voice now,  I guess I just order a router its own? I'm still on my old contract until October so that will give me some thinking time. I'm guessing at that point, I will not be offered a 'landline phone' connection anymore.

I know I'm going to end up with FTTP at some point but right now it looks to be a faff. If Openreach could put the socket where I want it (and I'll bet £1000 they won't or 'can't') then I would probably go ahead.

The other thing of course is that I'm not going to notice any difference in performance, whatsoever. I'm getting 50Mb now on FTTC. I'm not a gamer, nor a serial downloader of 4K movies.

[iniltous]

If your FTTP is cancelled and  contractually you are put back where you were ,and physically nothing changes , so you remain on FTTC with a PSTN phone service, then your conversion to DV will be exactly like the hundreds of thousands already that have already been done , at some point you are contacted and are given a date , on that date you move your phone from the wall socket , and plug the phone instrument into the router socket , and your phone service is transferred from PSTN to DV ,

…..DV doesn’t need FTTP ,

millions of BT customer are on DV and don’t have FTTP , your FTTC service is more than capable of delivering DV and if you have cancelled your transfer to FTTP , that’s how your phone service will eventually be provided 

[techno1972]

Yes, I now know this but BT never made it apparent in any of their numerous pestering letters and emails.

In fact, they stated that I needed to move over to FTTP!

I'm sure there are people out there who have made the move, unaware that they have been misled.

[iniltous]

Perhaps you can post the passage where it’s stated it’s compulsory for existing customers ….it’s perfectly acceptable to encourage the migration to FTTP , and as stated it’s obligatory for new customers, but without seeing the communication it’s hard to believe that it would say you have no choice …however the choice to remain on FTTC will come with a financial penalty