FTTP, BT Digital Voice and Porting

I'm considering a BT Essentials FTTP product that comes with Digital Voice - I currently have FTTC.

Couple of questions:

1 - Is Digital Voice my only option or can I use an alternative VOIP provider like Sipgate - does the SH2 router allow third party VOIP ?

2 - If the answer above is that Digital Voice is the only option then does porting take place automatically when I order the FTTP ( I was planning to run FTTP and FTTC in parallel for a couple of weeks so I had a back-up if there were any issues)

3 - are there any big downsides to Digital Voice ?

Thanks

In reply to a post by mikegg:

1 - Is Digital Voice my only option or can I use an alternative VOIP provider like Sipgate - does the SH2 router allow third party VOIP ?

It's not your only option. You can use one or more independent VOIP providers (in addition to the BT Digital Voice) service over your BT FTTP service, as you could over any other broadband service.

If you wish to use BT's Digital Voice, then that is provided for exclusive use with their own SH2 router. However any other concurrent VoIP services, would simply run as Over The Top (OTT) services, to whatever other end point devices you wish to use.

You could NOT however use the SH2 as an end-point device for other indy VoIP providers. Hope that distinction makes sense.

2 - If the answer above is that Digital Voice is the only option then does porting take place automatically when I order the FTTP ( I was planning to run FTTP and FTTC in parallel for a couple of weeks so I had a back-up if there were any issues)

It's not the only option. As noted above the BT FTTP service itself is agnostic when it comes to carriage of any third party VoIP services which are delivered Over The Top of their FTTP broadband service.

You could also decide to contract with BT for a "data only" FTTP service.

As far as I'm aware if you intend the keep the FTTC service running (rather than migrate the service) - then any landline number associated with it stays as long as you keep running FTTC.

So whilst you kept the FTTC, if you were to contract with BT for FTTP (with Digital Voice) you would be given a new landline number for use with the digital voice service.

Bear in mind that the landline number on FTTC would get lost, at the point of service termination, unless you ceased it by porting that number to another VoIP provider.

3 - are there any big downsides to Digital Voice ?

I don't know if you'd consider these 'big, but the two I'd consider are:
1. if you decide in future to port out the number that is associated with Digital Voice to another voice provider, then the act of porting the number would cease your entire broadband service as well, because Digital Voice is contracted as a bundled service with BT. It's all or nothing.

2. Digital Voice is only able to be accessed/provisioned through the voice port on the BT supplied SH2 router. There are no other hardware devices that are compatible with their digital voice service. Most third-party VoIP providers are far more flexible when it comes to how you access their VoIP service, they don't tie you to a specific bit of hardware (or software).

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

If you wish to use BT's Digital Voice, then that is provided for exclusive use with their own SH2 router. However any other concurrent VoIP services, would simply run as Over The Top (OTT) services, to whatever other end point devices you wish to use.

You could NOT however use the SH2 as an end-point device for other indy VoIP providers. Hope that distinction makes sense.

Many thanks - just to be clear I assume you mean I would need something like a Gigaset N300A to 'handle' the VOIP as the SH2 can't be used ?

Correct Mike, you could use any one (or more) of the following as an end-point for a VOIP subscription:

1. DECT base with VoIP function (e.g. Gigaset N300A IP etc etc)
2. Softphone client on a laptop/PC
3. Softphone client on a smartphone
4. Analogue Telephony Adapter (ATA) <- This is much like option 1, except you plug either your existing PSTN handset in, possibly even a fax machine (although yuck)
5. A software PBX like Asterisk (this is getting into more advanced features/functions etc expected of business phone systems)

Edited by Pheasant (Sun 17-Oct-21 19:53:27)

To add a further option - A dedicate IP desk phone like a snom or Yealink .

And of course you can have one or more of the options above on your network.

Good pickup (pardon the pun)

There are also cordless WiFi iP handsets, but the battery life of them has generally been judged to be inferior to DECT handsets

Although there is a degree to which you can run simultaneous options above, the number of simultaneous SIP registrations is limited by the provider. For example sipgate supports two simultaneous logins. Beyond that you need a device to act as a SIP ‘concentrator’ (effectively a soft switch or PBX) - something like a VoIP supported DECT base can support multiple handsets.

So for example if you were to have multiple IP handsets (more than 2), then you need to configure them via something like an Asterisk box, which maintains the main SIP trunk registration(s) with the VoIP provider(s) and additional handsets and other extensions are configured and maintain their own individual SIP registrations (extensions) to the ‘PBX’.

Edited by Pheasant (Sun 17-Oct-21 21:00:10)

With the hosted VoIP service from Voipfone. I have yet to find any limitations or complexities you mention on their platform. Basically you form a single, or multiply groups, of phones and an incoming call will ring all the "extensions" in that group. Whoever picks the call up first, kills the ringing tone on the other extensions which may display a message "Call answered elsewhere".

Of course a very comprehensive VoIP setup may also have added an entry system intercom, a Broadcast facility, a help call point and extension bells. Been there and done all of that.

The icing on the cake is if you should every move, then you can take your number to your new abode. Staying put you may decide to run with another ISP in your home, then as soon as their broadband service is live, so will your VoIP system spring into life.

It must be a bomber for a BT customer using their Digital Voice Service to have a smooth transfer of their number to another hosted VoIP service, if indeed it is possible.

The downside to VoIP is that you should consider how you maintain a voice service when the power goes off.

Sounds great. How much are Voipfone charging for their hosted PBX service per month, including any geographic number?

You can have multiple device registrations on a SIP "line" with AAISP too. It is possible to roll your own call routing too - you need to rent a number for each group of phones / leg of IVR.

I did enquire if they had internal numbers for these, but they don't so everything effectively has a DDI number. IIRC the Daisy VoIP platform is similar in this respect.

Well, here is my last bill from Voipfone:
Renewal of UK Geographic Number 012527xxxxx £3.000
Renewal of UK Geographic Number 012527xxxxx £3.000
Renewal of UK Geographic Number 012527xxxxx £3.000
Renewal of UK Geographic Number 012527xxxxx £3.000
Renewal of UK Geographic Number 012527xxxxx £3.000
Renewal of 2 Virtual PBX Call Group £2.000
Renewal of 7 Virtual PBX Extensions £7.000
VAT @ 20% £4.80
Total £28.80
It is only recently that Voipfone increased their geographical number price from £2. You do get a free number but it is an 056 variety. All my devices have an extension number. All calls to a number, POTS style or extension number, registered with Voipfone are free.

I have a softphone phone on my mobile so that in addition to its usual 07 number it is also reachable through an 01252 number.

Voipfone allows you to have free calls to all of their subscribers. You might be unaware that they use Voipfone and therefore dial their advertised number but the call will be free.

They do have call plans but it is not economical for me to use any of them.

I have no idea what other hosted VoIP providers would charge for an equivalent service but I feel I am getting value for money with my setup. Now if another provider was cheaper, I would have to factor in the porting out charges from Voipfone and of course embark on a learning curve for their control panel, if indeed you get one.

My registrations are used via the ATA within the Vigor router, a Gigaset N510 IP PRO (with three wireless devices), a softphone (in the mobile) and two snom D375's. The use of any one device still leaves the other devices able to receive and make calls.

I accept that what I have is most likely OTT for most users of VoIP but there you go.