Digital Voice with different Router

[licquorice]

It will happen, still a little while to go to 2025.

Copper wire has nothing to do with it, it is the PSTN that is being turned off, not copper.

[Confused52]

To say copper has nothing to do with BT's plans is not rational. Their problem is resilience according to the press release. There is no guarantee than everyone that wants one can have uninterruptable power for their router (SH2) and beyond an hour the GPON power in the network can fail. Fall-back for emergency service is assumed to be on mobile voice but the capacity and coverage of 2G (GSM) is falling and 3G is being reduced to nothing in favour of 5G. 4G and 5G will dominate but they only offer VoLTE and are not compatible with the types of phone that are being provided free and those that the vulnerable prefer to use.

Copper and the PSTN/ISDN are pretty much joined at the hip and taking out the PSTN ( by which I have to assume Liquorice means the Digital Local Exchanges) leaves you without an emergency service in power outages.

There are two transitions happening at the same time and they interact. However the mobile one is mostly outside BT's control so it will have to wait until the fall-back systems are useable. Only then can it remove the PSTN/copper pairing. 

BT are wise to delay until the mobile transition is firmer and generate a better set of products hopefully including a modem only router with voice solution, or better still drop back to the older ONT with voice solution that needs less local power. They need more and different products and they are right that they moved too early; I am grateful that they now understand that but saddened that so many customers have been alienated by the unnecessarily bullying attitude.

[licquorice]

There is a common misconception that the copper network will cease in 2025 and that Digital Voice can only be delivered by fibre. Both are incorrect.

By the way PON stands for Passive Optical Network. The only powered items are the ONT at the customers premises and the OLT at the head end exchange supplied with battery and generator backup.

[Confused52]

On GPON (Gigabit PON) the OLT did not originally have backup power, I understand that Ofcom directed BT to fit it. The existing exchange standby power supply will not automatically be suitable for OLTs given that it was designed for equipment with wildly different characteristics and  much too large a capacity for an optical head end.

It was also my understanding that the business case includes recovering and selling off the copper. Using the copper to provide power only is impractical as the current system relies on the nature of the PSTN hand set and the PSTN exchange line card  as well as the interaction between them. In consequence keeping the copper powered CPE also requires keeping the PSTN line cards. Any other alternative involves greater costs.

[licquorice]

The OLT resides in a main exchange that will have backup power. Are you sure you aren't thinking of a DSLAM in a cabinet.

[Confused52]

I am sure, it is those Diesel Generators in Main Exchanges that I was thinking of. Remember the electricity supply is far less secure than it used to be, The generators installed for the load needed by Digital Exchanges are far too large for OLT purposes.

[tgp7777777]

2 days after receiving the SH2 that I didn't want or request and am never going to use, I get a "please return your equipment" letter from BT. "We have enclosed a return bag because we care about the planet" along with a lovely note threatening me with consequences if I don't return it.

BT are insane.

[ChunkyTheCurmudgeon]

Well C52, I barely hung on to some of that exchange and didn't understand it entirely. But I love the thrust of your case and it's refreshing alternative to the "2025 is coming and you're going to have it" school of thought.

I can already see the screaming headlines in the tabloids when some poor old lady dies in her home because she couldn't dial 999 when storm Ming The Merciless took out her ONT power supply for an hour.

By the way, anyone who includes the recovery of copper wire, even the thicker stuff, in a multi-billion pound business case is clutching at straws.  I hope they've got some awfully big bus bars to sell.

[jimborae]

@kpturner  You sir are a legend. Switched over to BT today and was pretty concerned as have a UniFi network & use a Dream Machine router. Followed your instructions & I was back up & running with minimal fuss within 10 mins. 

Couple of questions though

1. On the port forwarding rule does it require filling in (1 - 65535) for both Internal & External ports? 

2. If I want to use the digital voice phones I was sent I presume I also need to keep the WI-FI on the Smart Hub 2 switched on? If so can I only keep the 2.4Ghz network switch on & turn off the 5Ghz and let my UnFi Wi-Fi broadcast as normal on both frequencies?    

[imjolly]

as has been posted many time digital voice connects using DECT not wifi so you can turn off wifi in SH2 if you want without affecting DV