Some questions about full fibre installation

Hi, I'm in an area that can get full fibre and I have a few questions about the installation:

1. Can the Openreach engineer run a cable up the front of the house and install the ONT in an upstairs room?
2. The front of my house is white, will the engineer use a white (or grey) cable if I ask?
3. Does the ONT have to be installed where the cable enters the building or can the engineer run some internal cabling?
4. Can I keep my existing phone line for voice calls?

Thanks in advance.

In reply to a post by Kobrakai:

4. Can I keep my existing phone line for voice calls?

That depends on what product you're installing and from which Communication Provider (CP).

If you take a fresh FTTP service, then it's completely separate to your existing phone line and/or FTTC/ADSL broadband. In fact, some providers will only supply a data FTTP service without voice (e.g. TalkTalk)

If you take FTTP from BT and buy it as an upgrade from an existing BT FTTC+voice service, then they *could* keep the copper line for voice, but these days more commonly they will migrate the voice service to an analogue telephony adapter port on the SmartHub that they supply. Some other providers (e.g. Sky) do this too. This forces you to use the CP-provided router instead of your own.

You should be aware that the analogue telephony network is now in the process of being shut down, and it will be completely gone by end of 2025. So you're going to have to bite this bullet sooner or later anyway. Even users who still have copper lines in 2025 will have their voice service migrated to VOIP over FTTC or ADSL.

An approach you should think about is as follows:
1. take a separate VOIP service from a provider like Sipgate or AAISP. Initially you will get a new phone number. Buy your own ATA or DECT hub and test it all works.
2. install your new FTTP as a separate service
3. when you're happy that the VOIP is working over FTTP, request your VOIP provider to port your phone number
4. when the phone number port completes, this will automatically cease your copper phone service, including any attached FTTC or ADSL service that runs on the same line.

It's a bit more expensive as you have to buy your own VOIP device, but it completely decouples your voice service from your broadband. You can change broadband providers whenever you like without affecting your voice; you can accept calls on your landline number via your laptop or mobile; and you can keep your phone number if you move house to a different part of the country (or even a different country entirely!)

Do bear in mind that your broadband (and hence voice) will fail if your building loses power, unless you also have UPS backup power. If you have a mobile and good indoor coverage, that's probably all you need for 999 calls. If not, then consider buying a UPS.

As I say, everyone will be in this boat by the end of 2025 anyway. However if you're forced over to VOIP by your CP, and are also classed as a "vulnerable" customer, then your CP will be required to provide you with a UPS which can provide at least 1 hour backup power. Some CPs (Sky at least) are currently refusing to migrate people over to FTTP in this situation.

Thanks that's really helpful.

The main reason I asked about this is because I don't want to be tied to the provided router as you said. It also seems very difficult to buy VoIP phones for the home. At the moment I have a set of wireless handsets in several rooms, but the only VoIP phones I have found are the big wired office style ones. I expect this will change by 2025 though if everything is going that way.

Is there such thing as an analog phone to VoIP adapter, or some way that I can plug a VoIP phone into a network switch instead of directly into the router? I may be able to work around it that way.

In reply to a post by Kobrakai:

It also seems very difficult to buy VoIP phones for the home. At the moment I have a set of wireless handsets in several rooms, but the only VoIP phones I have found are the big wired office style ones. I expect this will change by 2025 though if everything is going that way.

Is there such thing as an analog phone to VoIP adapter, or some way that I can plug a VoIP phone into a network switch instead of directly into the router? I may be able to work around it that way.

An ethernet-wired phone can plug into a network switch (which in turn connects to your router); it doesn't have to go directly into the router. This also gives you the option of using a switch with PoE to power the phone (e.g. Netgear GS110TP).

There are plenty of other options:

1. You can get a VOIP DECT base station, then use it with DECT cordless phones - e.g. Gigaset N300A (forum link)
2. You can get a VOIP ATA adapter, which plugs into your router and give an analogue phone port that you plug your existing phone into. This will also work with existing phone extension wiring. (The advantage of using real SIP phones is that you can have multiple concurrent calls, inbound and outbound)
3. I believe there are a small number of rechargeable VOIP handsets that join directly to a Wifi network, although last time I looked the battery life on these wasn't great
4. You can use a SIP client on your existing mobile phone. The latest generation of these use "native push notifications" for incoming calls, so that the application doesn't have to keep running in the background using power - I hear that Acrobits Groundwire works well (forum link).

BTW I'm unclear what level of compatibility there is between DECT handsets and base stations, and whether you'd be able to use existing handsets with a Gigaset base station. But an ATA would let you plug in your existing analogue DECT base station.

In answer to 1 …… yes, it should be possible, but be prepared to have a hole(s) drilled in the exterior wall for the ladder safety system.

2. They will, unless you are incredibly lucky, be using an ‘inside out’ cable between the ONT and the exterior splice point. This, in exterior mode, will be black. But you could paint it after ?

3. A short interior run is allowed, but no more than ten metres (this may have changed) You can make it as easy as possible by having the chosen ONT location to where the fibre will feed through the wall, completely clear, unobstructed, and clean. (No one wants to kneel in your behind desk fluff to work)

This is great advice, thank you.

I currently have a Gigaset N300a with a couple of very cheap handsets.
Any recommendations for better (compatible) handsets?