FVA Installation and extension sockets

My area has just had FTTP made available. So fgar I have only found BT & Zen as potential ISPs. One difference is that BT "offer" a FVA service (they call it Fibre Home Phone). I am trying to determine the best place in the house to have the ONT. One of my issues is with the infrastructure of the FVA service.

1. Note I said "offer" above since when I tested out the ordering process on BT's web site it gave me no choice, automatically putting me on Fibre Home Phone.

2. I understand that I will get a new Openreach faceplate on my master socket which will allow it to be disconnected from the external copper. This allows me to use my existing phone extensions in the house. My question is: HOW? Is it the case that the master socket must now have a cable plugged into it to connect it to the TEL1 port on the ONT?

In reply to a post by Tradewind25:

My area has just had FTTP made available. So fgar I have only found BT & Zen as potential ISPs. One difference is that BT "offer" a FVA service (they call it Fibre Home Phone). I am trying to determine the best place in the house to have the ONT. One of my issues is with the infrastructure of the FVA service.

Yeah, we are still down as being part of the Commercial FTTP Project, sadly this has been taking over 4 years to do even though we have had all the fibre hardware sitting there since 2011, but I have been told its very near completion, but yeah, not many ISP's to choose from.

In reply to a post by Tradewind25:

1. Note I said "offer" above since when I tested out the ordering process on BT's web site it gave me no choice, automatically putting me on Fibre Home Phone.

Not that I have heard, I have heard that you have to order the FVA to get it, not too sure of the price, I know we will probably order that once our fibre has been done and ready to order, our copper line is so bad at the moment to a point where we can hear high pitch static screeching on the phone line.

In reply to a post by Tradewind25:

2. I understand that I will get a new Openreach faceplate on my master socket which will allow it to be disconnected from the external copper. This allows me to use my existing phone extensions in the house. My question is: HOW? Is it the case that the master socket must now have a cable plugged into it to connect it to the TEL1 port on the ONT?

Yes, you get a new faceplate that replaces the current one if one is installed, and there is a switch that has copper and fibre on the top, this is to disconnect your existing copper phone line for your internal phone wiring.
On the ONT you have a TEL1 and TEL2 sockets, I think TEL1 is connected to the new master face plate and all the new face plate does is switch between the to inputs (Copper or Fibre), I will take a look when ours is ready, but there is probably more chance you seeing it first.

Paul

Thanks for your input Paul.
I have also rung BT to enquire about FTTP. They quoted the prices that I saw on their web site but did not mention Fibre Home Phone. When I specifically asked they said that they would indeed provide Fibre Home Phone as standard. They regard it as a " free upgrade". However you still pay the same line rental, despite the fact you are no longer using the old copper landline.

I wonder if anyone with experience of FTTP/FTTH and Fibre Home Phone could answer my question about the potential use of existing telephone extension sockets once your line has been switched to the fibre?

An interstitial plate is fitted that can isolate the copper exchange side and the ONT Tel1 output will connect so that existing telephone extensions will still operate and the batter backup unit will supply power for a corded handset and the ONT for a period if there is a power failure.

With BT Retail there is no option to order any Infinity product without taking a voice line rental product, for FTTP customers this may or may not end up with FVA product.

Thanks Andrew.
Just to be clear, are you saying that the Tel1 port on the ONT is connected to the master phone socket once the new plate is fitted?

(My problem is that the master socket was fitted at the far end of my garage, about 50 metres and a complex wiring run away from where I wish the ONT to be sited.)

In reply to a post by Tradewind25:

Thanks for your input Paul.
I have also rung BT to enquire about FTTP. They quoted the prices that I saw on their web site but did not mention Fibre Home Phone. When I specifically asked they said that they would indeed provide Fibre Home Phone as standard. They regard it as a " free upgrade". However you still pay the same line rental, despite the fact you are no longer using the old copper landline.

Yeah, I was wondering if it was a free upgrade, I did check the address 4 doors down that can get FTTP on the BT Site and I could see all the speeds that address can get but no mention of FVA or any options of phone lines being moved over to the fibre line.

I was also aware that we would still have line rental if we was using FVA instead of copper, our copper line is old and we are 3.5km for our exchange, so 3.5km of old copper that has very loud screeching noise on it.

In reply to a post by Tradewind25:

I wonder if anyone with experience of FTTP/FTTH and Fibre Home Phone could answer my question about the potential use of existing telephone extension sockets once your line has been switched to the fibre?

It "should" work fine, any extensions after the master socket will be fine and act as they would over copper.
I am not too sure if there would be any REN issues when using FVA instead of using copper.

Paul

Yeap that is what happens. You do have the option of wiring all the extensions to cope with the new ONT position, or put the corded phone in the cupboard for emergencies and invest in Dect handsets (usually suggest Panasonic which are on offer at the mo as use them myself and others rate them too) and just use the Tel1 socket on the ONT.

Andrew,
I have Dect handsets at the moment. Trouble is that the place I would like the ONT and the place I would like my Dect Base unit (with answerphone) are a fair way apart.

You also you mention keeping a corded phone for emergencies, though as I understand it the battery backup o the ONT only lasts for an hour or so. I happen to be in a bit of rural Cumbria (not flooded thank goodness) where we often get much longer power cuts than that!

In reply to a post by Tradewind25:

You also you mention keeping a corded phone for emergencies, though as I understand it the battery backup o the ONT only lasts for an hour or so. I happen to be in a bit of rural Cumbria (not flooded thank goodness) where we often get much longer power cuts than that!

So what do you do at the moment when the power fails and you want to make a telephone call?

Plug an old corded handset into any of the phone extensions. I won't have this option once the external copper is disconnected and I'm using the fibre.