BT to shut down PSTN by 2025

[mhennessy]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

Part of the point of the "FTTC rollout" has always been to perform voice-digitisation in the cabinets (for legacy voice-only phones) rather than retaining a vast bundle of - often aged and failing - copper-pairs back to the exchange.

I could be wrong, but I always understood that FTTC retained the existing copper connection back to the exchange for voice?

https://kitz.co.uk/adsl/fttc.htm

[WaveyDipole]

I got an e-mail back with links to the video and related articles.

https://www.draytek.co.uk/informatio...deos?#webinars

https://www.draytek.co.uk/informatio...hone-lines-pt1

https://www.draytek.co.uk/informatio...hone-lines-pt2

The discussion is business/industry rather than consumer focussed. The reason I got an invite, I think, is because I have a Draytek 2860 router which is aimed at the small business. I had the router while still employed as it supported the work form home requirements.

Had I not received that invitation I would still be totally unaware that this was happening!

[WaveyDipole]

Originally Posted by mhennessy

I could be wrong, but I always understood that FTTC retained the existing copper connection back to the exchange for voice?

https://kitz.co.uk/adsl/fttc.htm

That was the understanding I was given by the engineer who carried out our FTTC installation. The DSLAM is moved from the exchange to the cabinet making the run of copper over which data has to travel much shorter thereby increasing the possible data rate, while analog voice was still carried over the original copper wire.

It seems the change for existing FTTC customers will be to switch their "landline" provision to a VOIP provider. It seems that BT already have a router with built-in VOIP to DECT facilities and DECT handsets to match. Draytek also have a new router range that prominently features VOIP, although I had no problem running Lync for work purposes and currently Linphone and other SIP clients using my exiting router. I have no doubt that router vendors will make the most of the opportunity and I guess we will shortly see a flood of new VOIP related products....

Kind of brings back memories of all the VOIP add-on boxes (Linksys, D-Link etc) that found their way into shops a few years ago but didn't really take off. Of course, when analog lines are turned off, there will be no analogue alternative which may just push more people into ditching their landline in favour of a mobile phone. Industry may have no choice but I guess only time will tell how well the new generation of VOIP services will be taken up by consumers.

[duncanlowe]

Originally Posted by WaveyDipole

Draytek also have a new router range that prominently features VOIP, although I had no problem running Lync for work purposes and currently Linphone and other SIP clients using my exiting router. I have no doubt that router vendors will make the most of the opportunity and I guess we will shortly see a flood of new VOIP related products....

Kind of brings back memories of all the VOIP add-on boxes (Linksys, D-Link etc) that found their way into shops a few years ago but didn't really take off. Of course, when analog lines are turned off, there will be no analogue alternative which may just push more people into ditching their landline in favour of a mobile phone. Industry may have no choice but I guess only time will tell how well the new generation of VOIP services will be taken up by consumers.

My previous Draytek router had VoIP so I have a related sip account but didn't use it much. Initially I used it because calls were so much cheaper, but now we have unlimited free calls on the mobiles, it's no longer cheap in the scheme of things. So when it came time to replace it with another Draytek, the extra cost of the VoIP version was significant, and not really worth it. However I picked up one of the little boxes you mention much more cheaply, so I can maintain the line. Actually had a call on it for the first time in years, just a couple of weeks ago.

[1980s_john]

Originally Posted by WaveyDipole

My main concern was mum who has a landline and doesn't want or understand an Internet service. Her mobile phone is pay as you go ("for emergencies") so she relies on her landline for most part to keep in touch.

I wouldn't worry, most UK CPs will continue to provide a basic phone service that will work on existing analogue phones for the foreseeable future.

It is best to ask questions about future PSTN services with your phone provider. For example there is a BT forum where you can register (don't need to be a customer) and ask questions here:

https://community.bt.com/

BT say they will continue to offer an equivalent service, and plan to migrate customers over, with the same phone number and customers can use their existing phones / answering machines. May need to be DTMF rather than loop-disconnect phones, but hopefully your mum has a phone that is not an antique

Regards,
John

[WaveyDipole]

Yes, I noticed that in the information given that they will provide an "equivalent service" which I now understand is basically a dumbed down internet router with an analogue to VOIP converter. her DECT phone should continue to work.

However, since this will essentially be an Internet service, I do wonder what will happen if you plug an ordinary router in... My guess is that the connection will be filtered to allow VOIP traffic only for the converter. I can't help but wonder whether BT will have deals that will try provide the incentive for the remaining analogue only users to take up a full Internet connection. Only time will tell I guess.

[Stadium]

My understanding is that BT's "Equivalent Service" is a broadband router with a SIP to "phone socket" converter within it allowing "normal" phones to work.

The Draytek links (and their presentation) are excellent.

Fibre To The Cabinet without an analogue phone line is SoGEA in Openreach speak.

https://www.btwholesale.com/news-and...gns/sogea.html

[Dave Moll]

I don't know about landline-to-landline, but 'phoning my landline from a mobile number, I found that the call was terminated when I replaced the handset on the landline telephone.

I should add the caveat that both halves of the call passed through my PABX, but that shouldn't make any difference.

[emeritus]

When we got our BT broadband, it came with the early Home Hub that was available with an optional cordless internet phone. You could also plug in a conventional wired phone. Because our mobile reception was so unreliable (it still is), we took up the option, and were very pleased with it. The kids were still at home then, so the additional phone line was useful. BT stopped the service a few years ago due to falling demand, hardly surprising as they had stopped providing internet phone-equipped home hubs some years previously.

Due to continuing poor mobile reception we still use our land line for all our calls from home. It's not our mobiles that are the problem: when we had the builders in last week they had to go to the end of the garden to get a signal, just as our neighbour does when usng his mobile.