FTTP did you move phone line over or keep it on copper

Was talking to the engineer who don't my ONT install the other day and he said it was up to me if i move phone line over to fibre or leave it on copper, I was thinking it was best to leave it as it is in case of a longer power cut of something, just in case batteries ran out on the new ONT bit of kit (sorry don't know all the right lingo, it's all new to me)

Can i ask what others have done and also why?

All1

I move my phone number to VOIP because:

Saves cost of line and BT's expensive usage charges.

More reliable as long partly overhead line was always failing.

Better voicemail fracilities, email with sound file.

Avoids need to speak to Indian call centre.

Allows me to have nothing to do with BT who failed to provide a usable broadband service, and always threaten to charge me whenever there was a fault.

I don't have battery backup for the broadband but I do have battery operated phones, though I might have to get into my car and drive somewhere to get a good signal..

If I was in your shoes I would keep the voice over copper, purely because it will be more reliable than FVA, ie will still work if no power or broadband. Yes FTTP is usually installed with a BBU unit but it will only last for a limited time in the event of a power cut. In a genuine life and death emergency at home, an always working landline is priceless.

Who is your new ISP for FTTP ? Only BT Retail do an FVA service AFAIK.

If there is a decent mobile signal where you live, then I�d not be too fussed about it.

Agreed. It's always a good idea to keep a phone line over copper active, and a corded landline phone to hand, just in case.

Edited by deleted (Fri 15-Dec-17 10:07:00)

We had everything moved over to Fibre, so I terminated my copper line in the BT80 Junction Box and connected up the supplied cable from the ONT to the NTE5A Master Socket which I moved closer to the ONT.

The main reason to moving everything to fibre was due to our copper line was that bad the line use to go dead when it was raining heavy, we also use to hear very loud screeching even when the Modem / Router was removed.

BT could never find the fault (so they say), they knew it was there so I was never charged when an engineer was sent out.

So moving it all over to new fibre and starting out fresh was out best option for us.

Granted the BBU might not last that long in a blackout, i.e. a few hours if that (not really had to try it yet), but we have packs and packs of rechargeable batteries to put in if the old ones go flat, so we are fine there.

What you really need to think about is would you benefit moving your phone line from copper to fibre (FVA), if not then don't, we benefited which was why we did.

Word of warning, if you move your phone line over to FVA you get a one off termination charge when you cease your copper line, I think ours was £35, hard to decode the stuff they put in our bill at the time (loads of refunds, discount's, compos, charges etc.), not too sure if they still do this charge so you might need to check before hand.

So its up to you.

Paul

OK thanks for the replies folks.
It seems some moved because of poor phone line and i have no issue with my copper so i'll keep it, it's not let me down and i do have a corded phone hanging around somewhere as well so belt & braces to be safe, once again thanks guys.

All1

In reply to a post by baby_frogmella:

If I was in your shoes I would keep the voice over copper, purely because it will be more reliable than FVA, ie will still work if no power or broadband. Yes FTTP is usually installed with a BBU unit but it will only last for a limited time in the event of a power cut. In a genuine life and death emergency at home, an always working landline is priceless.

We only have FTTC but there has never been a phone plugged into the copper. VOIP all the time for us, at least for the last ten years.

But even if not, the UPS will keep things going for a few hours in a power cut, but it is fairly irrelevant anyway. Who would use a wired (not cordless) landline phone in a life and death situation? We all have mobiles. Far more convenient!

In reply to a post by hoopla:

Who would use a wired (not cordless) landline phone in a life and death situation? We all have mobiles. Far more convenient!

Errrrr. Which United Kingdom do you live in ?? The one I live in doesn't have 100% mobile coverage.
More to the point, the house I live in doesn't have mobile coverage. I need to walk up the lane. Not very "convenient" in a life and death situation.

Also generally when there�s been a power cut in our area the mobile mast has also been knocked out so would definitely prefer to keep copper as redundancy.

Having a landline can save time for the emergency services because the address the call is coming from is displayed on the screens at the call centre. That sort of info isn't available if you call from a mobile phone.

Also I believe (thanks to Ofcom) if you JUST have line rental with BT you will be able to have it at a cheaper cost from April 2018.....

In response, BT has agreed to our proposal in full and is reducing its monthly line rental price by £7, from April 2018, for its customers who take only a landline from BT.[1]

Source - Ofcom

My bet is that there will be an exclusion clause, just like those who have broadband via say IDNet and line rental off BT all over copper where they won't see the reduction

Mr S,

I believe that IS the case..

I saw something on the BT Forum about this. (BT Retail)

If I can find it would u like me to link to it?

Too much going on and two weeks into flu to worry about that, and as in the past so many Ofcom things change or don't happen in the end

Sorry to hear you have the Flu, that's horrid!

Indeed they have a habit of changing..

I will be having a look next year (closer to April) to see what, if anything, happens.

Hope you get better soon

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

and two weeks into flu to worry about that,

Oh hell i'm only a week in guess i'll be in bed all crimbo

All1

In reply to a post by CJT:

Also I believe (thanks to Ofcom) if you JUST have line rental with BT you will be able to have it at a cheaper cost from April 2018.....

I don't pay much for line rental as i'm on their BT Basic tariff.

All1

Ah got you..

I was looking into that for a friend, and having the Broadband with it..

But BT's Basic Broadband is metered....

In reply to a post by CJT:

Ah got you..

I was looking into that for a friend, and having the Broadband with it..

But BT's Basic Broadband is metered....

No i have BT Basic as a line rental, which gives you a few quid worth of calls per quarter but my ISP right now is Relish, so i'm going to keep BT basic as my line rental on the old copper line as the phone side has never given me any issues and try to find a decent "ish" price ISP hopefully some kind of balance between price & value in another words the holy grail

All1

I believe (and I am not 100% sure) that PlusNet offer a "cheap" broadband only service with unlimited usage (PN BB Only)

That appears to be £13.49 a month, so I am wondering if my mate can get that, along with BT Basic.

Might be worth a look.

(sorry gone a bit off topic)