In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

Just like other VOIP providers! Just provide the VOIP service without the physical connection.

I don't know what you mean by that. Please expound?

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

Just like other VOIP providers! Just provide the VOIP service without the physical connection.

Now that would be something. I've read back through this thread carefully as I fail to see how you will get VOIP to work on your Broadband service if you cut the existing phone line out of the equation.
Unless you have cable (Virgin) or FTTP you have to have some sort of telephone line connected for broadband to be provided over that. If you are thinking you can stop paying for the phone line and use VOIP you still need to connect to the VOIP service somehow.
I have VOIP via Sipgate, as I didn't transfer an existing number over but took a new one. Using a Camrivox UTA-151 connected to my router I do not need the computer on for it to work, but do need an Internet connection.
The Internet connection still includes line rental costs, even though I do not use the house landline.The majority of outgoing calls are made via mobile, as I have a good contract with unlimited minutes. I've tried using VOIP via the mobile but call quality is terrible due to the lag.
I had a business line with BT and took their Internet too on a project I worked on a few years ago. As part of the deal we get a second number, starting 05, which was VOIP via the router. Quite simply, it could not work without a phone line to carry the broadband.

In reply to a post by trolleybus:

4) The speed of your connection plays an important part in the quality of calls in progress.

How much speed do you really need to make a good quality call.

Just for the record, an emergency situation in our village saw ALL services lost except for the plain old telephone system, the only trouble being that few people had a basic telephone! Do have one of these connected toy your line just in case.

Fortunately the BT branded phone I have will make and receive calls without power, despite what BT told me before I bought it.

I meant accounts like Sipgate and Voipfone offer now. They offer a VOIP service, clearly to access these services you need an connection to the Internet.

The retail customers that use the above services might also use a BT service were it available.

I actually have the BT SmartTalk application on my mobile phone which is an IP service.

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

They offer a VOIP service, clearly to access these services you need an connection to the Internet.

So you will be retaining some sort of landline to access the Voipfone VOIP service and paying some sort of rental for it?

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

In reply to a post by trolleybus:

4) The speed of your connection plays an important part in the quality of calls in progress.

How much speed do you really need to make a good quality call.

My real life experience is that if a VoIP call is the only activity on your connection then the most modest of an internet service provision will suffice. Other traffic can serious impact on the quality of the call. You can limit that issue by giving greater priority to VoIP traffic through tweaks in your router but the only effective way to have a "nice" call every time, all the time, is a connection in excess of 1 Mbps up.

Our small office of five staff, and their VoIP phone and heavy internet usage is excellent on a FTTC service that has around 50 Mbps down and 8,5 Mbps up.

A real expert will probably come along soon to additionally respond to your question.

It could be using Gigaclear or B4rn in which case it would be pure fibre with no "additional" line rental.

Thanks. I have always struggled to make VOIP calls, but then I have never had a decent IP connection.

Ah - I was forgetting voipfone don't require you to take their broadband. Just like you to.

Gigaclear.

The prize is some pictures of the progress so far: http://ultrafastunderriver.com/