There is a shared rural 4G network being rolled out at the moment, which means 4G coverage over the most rural areas will increase significantly over the next few years.

At some point I would expect Ofcom would give permission to switch voice-only services to 4G where it is available. I don't know if the telephony USO even defines that it must be provided by a fixed line.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

I don't know if the telephony USO even defines that it must be provided by a fixed line.

Starting at Page 47 in this very old PDF Link found via Ofcom site.

I may have missed it, but I don't see any requirement on BT to provide telephone services everywhere in the country at BT's unlimited cost. I do see that everyone should be charged the same price wherever they are in the UK for a telephony service.

“Telephony Services” means either or both a single narrowband connection at a fixed location to the Public Telephone Network and access to Publicly Available Telephone Services;

(p46)

So as far as I can tell, they're entirely at liberty to provide a fixed 4G terminal. Also of course the obligation falls on BT, not Openreach.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Also of course the obligation falls on BT, not Openreach.

Or is it on the BT Group?? Is that something that should have changed with Openreach separation, given Openreach run the PSTN today, and will be switching it off in 2025, not BT ?

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Also of course the obligation falls on BT, not Openreach.

Or is it on the BT Group?? Is that something that should have changed with Openreach separation, given Openreach run the PSTN today, and will be switching it off in 2025, not BT ?

I don't see why it should change. BT sells services to residential users, Openreach does not. BT also took the broadband USO obligation, not Openreach.

It means BT is free to use non-Openreach services (such as 4G) to supply USO.

Arguably the wording around "Public Telephony Network" might need to change in that document, given that the wired PSTN is being switched off; but in a wider sense the Public Telephony Network will still continue to exist. That is, people can still make phone calls to each other, there's a managed numbering plan etc.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

I don't see why it should change. BT sells services to residential users, Openreach does not. BT also took the broadband USO obligation, not Openreach.

Like many, I find it hard to reconcile the simple "BT" with the various divisions, and the Group, and I thought it was group that was the legal entity "British Telecommunications plc".

It means BT is free to use non-Openreach services (such as 4G) to supply USO.

Makes a lot of sense, especially as they own EE.

Arguably the wording around "Public Telephony Network" might need to change in that document, given that the wired PSTN is being switched off; but in a wider sense the Public Telephony Network will still continue to exist. That is, people can still make phone calls to each other, there's a managed numbering plan etc.

I always though PTN was the integrated network including international links, mobile systems, and VoIP, so I guess the lawyers were ahead for once!

candlerb

It doesn't ., there have been lines for years that were provided over radio technologies These caused problems when people wanted ADSL as it wouldn't work and BT's (and LLU providers) order systems couldn't handle this. Caldy Island was a classic case of this. There were a couple of places that had ADSL sub muxes provided to overcome this but these had to have special OFCOM permission as LLU providers were thereby locked out.

There were quite a few smaller Scottish Islands that didn't have their own exchange and used various kinds of Mux over radio to serve them Also a few Welsh remote valleys with radio hops back to the exchange.