Backup connection

I currently have 900Mbps FTTP on a BT Employee package which involves me paying £21.10 for line rental and getting the broadband free.

My wife works from home (not for BT) and relies heavily on the internet connection. Nothing too taxing, just office based stuff like downloading spreadsheets, web based apps, video chat (a lot of this), all via a VPN connection. Outside of work, we stream a lot of TV - Netflix, Amazon Prime, iPlayer, etc.

While I have no reason to believe that the FTTP will go faulty, I know it does happen - ONT power supplies fail, contractors stand on fibre cables, head end equipment goes faulty, etc - so was thinking in investing in a backup internet connection, mainly to keep the wife working in the event that the worst happens.

At the moment, we still have the landline supplied over the copper pair. I understand that since the FTTP is tied to the landline, currently I can't order any sort of DSL service on this as it would potentially cease the FTTP. However I have had a letter from BT saying the migration to digital voice is imminent (no confirmed date yet).

Once the migration to digital voice has completed, am I correct in thinking that the copper pair is then free for me to order another DSL service from another provider on without it affecting the FTTP?

I can also get Virgin and soon City Fibre as well (cable was laid recently but its not live yet) however I would prefer to stick with DSL for a couple of reasons

1 - I don't see this backup service getting much, if any use so don't want to spend much on it
2 - I don't particularly want additional hardware. At the moment I have a Billion 8800 AXL R2 which has the DSL port sitting empty. The router can be configured to switch to this automatically if the FTTP goes down

I would welcome any thoughts on this plan. I was thinking of something like plus net ADSL at £18.99 a month, unless anyone has any other suggestions.

I have had both ADSL and VDSL before and downstream sync speeds were 14 and 67Mbps respectively.

Edited by troublegum (Sun 05-Dec-21 19:36:12)

If you need a backup you should run it on a different network. You say you will soon have a choice.
However little you spend, its still a lot for a very small chance of failure. I can't remember my internet going off recently. When/if it does mobile internet works well. Probably faster than ADSL.

Yeh. If that digger bucket or the rats chew through the spine cable that feeds the local cab (as well as the FTTP ag node), then FTTC is a bit screwed….

Why not a 4G/5G backup, esp. if it rarely used?

Migration to digital voice will mean that it will soon be disconnected at the exchange or cabinet too and underground cabling recovered.

In reply to a post by MHC:

Migration to digital voice will mean that it will soon be disconnected at the exchange or cabinet too and underground cabling recovered.

Migration to Digital Voice is a BT only thing and shouldn't have any bearing on the Openreach infrastructure.
All cabling will be left in situ.
There are plenty other ISP's who will be willing to sell the OP PSTN and/or FTTC.

BT's Digital Voice switchover is well ahead of any Openreach FTTP Priority exchanges or any WLR withdrawal exchanges.
BT have fully migrated all FTTP customers on my exchange to Digital Voice already and the main FTTP build isn't even due to start here until next year

Unless the OP is on an FTTP priority exchange that has already reached 75% coverage and had 12 months notice of a stop sale/no go back to copper policy then FTTC will definitely be available.

Apart from Salisbury and possibly Mildenhall I'm not aware of any exchanges that have actually reached either thresholds that trigger a stop sell.

In reply to a post by Woolwich:

If you need a backup you should run it on a different network. You say you will soon have a choice.
However little you spend, its still a lot for a very small chance of failure. I can't remember my internet going off recently. When/if it does mobile internet works well. Probably faster than ADSL.

You’re right enough I suppose. We can activate the WiFi hotspot on our iPhones, and we do have reasonable speeds on 4G with generous data amounts (I get discounted rates on EE as well).

There is the slight complication that the wife’s work provided PC which connects via WiFi is allegedly locked to the current SSID for security purposes. When she set it up the IT helpdesk helped her connect it and said it would be unable to connect to any other SSID.

But I suppose they could assist her with changing it temporarily if the situation arose.

I still have copper avaialble at my location as well as FTTP and it has been confirmed that nothing will be delivered over the copper pair. And I know of several other people who have been told that they are being moved to DV and have had it confirmed that any copper circuit will become inoperable and no service delivered over it.

I would like to see te success rate for anyone trying to get FTTC over a now obsolete line.

In reply to a post by MHC:

I still have copper avaialble at my location as well as FTTP and it has been confirmed that nothing will be delivered over the copper pair.

By BT maybe.
If it isn't an FTTP priority exchange you can order FTTC from anyone else.
Anyone who told you otherwise is incorrect.

BT don't dictate copper withdrawal, stop sells or no go back policies.
Openreach control that and it is very publicised, with 12 months notice given.

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

In reply to a post by MHC:

I still have copper avaialble at my location as well as FTTP and it has been confirmed that nothing will be delivered over the copper pair.

By BT maybe.
If it isn't an FTTP priority exchange you can order FTTC from anyone else.
Anyone who told you otherwise is incorrect.

BT don't dictate copper withdrawal, stop sells or no go back policies.
Openreach control that and it is very publicised, with 12 months notice given.

BT plc DO dictate PSTN withdrawal, no questions asked. It was approved at BT plc board level.

I have had it confirmed that I cannot get any service from pther providers over the copper pair and that was NOT from BT or OR.

The process has been agreed with OFCOM after years of consultation. It is well publicised.

If your exchange is not an FTTP priority exchange with sufficient coverage then any product is still available.

https://www.openreach.co.uk/cpportal/products/produc...

Anyone who told you otherwise is wrong, no ifs no buts.