Analogue or digital ?

[scooby1]

You don't need to go full fibre to have your voice 'line' switched to Digital Voice (Voice over IP).
If you change supplier, or possibly even a new fixed term contract with existing supplier, this can trigger a migration to Digital Voice over VDSL (fibre to the cabinet).
BT are wanting everyone off analogue telephony as soon as possible.

Thank you very much for that @OwainDIYer. That was very helpful.

 

[scooby1]

I was moved to BT's 'digital voice' mid last year. No warning, I phoned up to report no phone service only to be told I had been switched over! The new service has been most unreliable, frequently can't dial out, just get error message instead of dial tone, the audio quality is really harsh and shrill too. You have to dial the local area code now too which is ridiculous, as when I forget it plays an automated message telling me to dial the area code. It knows the area code hasn't been dialed, it knows that the line is fixed at my address, there is no reason it can't add the area code automatically!!

Thank you for that @Echo the husky. May I ask if you are isolated and way out in the sticks because surely if you have a few neighbours they should also be experiencing similar problems ?

 

[Echo the husky]

No not isolated. Most people just use their mobile phones for everything and have now ditched the landline phone. I have FTTC internet. Though one of the neighbors accidentally booked full fiber to my house instead of theirs, so I've had a coil of unterminated fiber cable outside the front door for the past 12 months.

 

[scooby1]

No not isolated. Most people just use their mobile phones for everything and have now ditched the landline phone.

Thanks @Echo the husky. We have thought about doing the same bur our landline was also our business line back in the day and quite a few local people still use it to call us.