Telephone line switch off ?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I've been told that if I sign up to BT Broadband the telephone line would have to be changed, fair enough.

But as I haven't signed up, would my phone line still need to be changed to work with VoiP or would I still be able to carry on with it? That's my main concern.

Or would we get fibre optics lines? Which sounds better.

[iniltous]

Unless your area has FTTP your line won’t change , it’s not a copper line withdrawal, it’s the exchange equipment that is being retired, so your telephone will become part of the broadband network , almost certainly still using the existing copper pair cable into your home….from your point of view the difference is you need a mains powered ‘box’ connected to the phone socket and your phone connects to that box , not the existing master phone socket…but that master socket is still used to connect the broadband equipment 

[Anonymous]

I'll just have to take your word for it, and see what happens when the time comes.

Thank you😀

[Anonymous]

It sounds complicated.

Also this change could affect my electricity bills if the smarthub is plugged in all the time, and never switched off.

Some people do switch off routers, so does that mean that by doing so, telephone calls will be missed?

Whereas now telephones are powered by their own power that comes through the telephone line and makes that little red light work! 

[garybs29]

The hubs are designed to be left all on the time with minimal electric usage. Yes if the router is switched off calls would be missed. I know you're worried but theirs honestly no need to be everything will be explained to you before it happens

[Anonymous]

O.k thank you! That's given me a better idea of what's happening.

We will see what happens. Mind you, switching off the smarthub at night might be a good idea, to save on electric bills, and who calls at night time anyway. Even if someone calls at night I'm usually to sound asleep to hear it!

All the best!

😀

[Bob1001]

@AnonymousAlthough Aluminium is a poor substitute for copper it should work as should broadband if you want it. Perhaps not very fast but adequate for speech.

However don't worry Digital Voice is on hold at the moment and even then people without broadband will be the last to be changed.

BT will either supply FREE a smarthub 2 or an adapter so you can use Digital Voice, if you have only one phone it is very straightforward and currently BT supply a Digital Voice phone if you want one that can connect to the hub and used anywhere in the house.

You do raise an interesting point about unplugging a hub as I expect many people without broadband are in the habbit of unplugging everything at night, it is the advice that all the energy saving "experts" give and wonder if people who do that realise it will stop any calls in/out if they do that.

[-Richie-]

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@iniltouswrote:

Perhaps you can point to a link that states telephony only customers will be provided with a SH2.

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It's the only way to provide line only customers with Digital Voice, some line only customers in or moving to Full Fibre areas already have this service, BT have a solus Digital Voice promotion, priced the same as PSTN only customers which means it includes the no broadband discount.

[Bob1001]

@-Richie-   I am not sure how BT say they are going to do it yet, it may well be a smarthub 2 which is locked so you can't get on to the internet or they could provide some sort of adapter instead of the hub, but certainly they will have to provide something. There could even be an integrated phone that just plugs into the existing phone socket.

[-Richie-]

@Bob1001  Openreach released a new SLT (Service Line Type) of 1/1 for the PSTN switch off, it's what CPs (Communication Providers) use.

BT are providing a Smart Hub 2 with the 1/1 SLT for line only customers, it's in use now and priced with a no broadband discount the same as PSTN only customers, it's a normal hub and nothing is locked, the speed is capped at 1mbps.