Redundant copper line

[legoman26]

I recently moved home. I am now in a relatively small close of around 20 homes. I had the devil's own job trying to get BT to sort out my broadband and it transpired that (according to BT) my whole close is now Fibre to the property only and I can no longer have an old style copper connection.

My broadband works fine and is quick, and my home phone is now digital and my landline device is connected to my Hub, and that too works fine.

The house I have bought was occupied for a long time by the same folks and there are several landline extensions in the house.  I want to tidy all this up now by taking away the extension cables and sockets.

However I'm puzzled as to why, when I plug an old style phone into any one of these old analogue sockets, I continue to hear a dial tone.  Dialing a number doesn't connect me.

Can I safely remove all these cables and sockets now? I don't want to risk messing up my new digital line.

[imjolly]

All the Internal wiring after master socket is homeowner responsibility and you can remove if you want without a problem

[Keith_Beddoe · Accepted solution]

@legoman26 

The dialling tone is coming from a "stopped" line, and has no purpose apart from external pair identification at the exchange/cabinet, by an Openreach Field Technician.

As you are now full fibre, with an ONT installed, any old copper wiring can be removed.

[legoman26]

Thanks but what does "external pair identification at the exchange/cabinet, by an Openreach Field Technician" mean?

What is an ONT?

[Keith_Beddoe]

ONT (Optical Network Terminal), where your external fibre comes in.

Pair identification, just to identify pairs that are still connected to the exchange.