Fibre Broadband and the Copper Turn Off

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I am looking at being dragged into the 21st century by gettig fibre broadband. We currently have just the usual ADSL broadband via the copper BT network and it is woeful.

Two questions:
I presume that installation of fibre will mean we no longer have copper cabling to the house for telephone and will need a new phone (VOIP)?

Is the cabling for phone extensions now redundant? or can I connect phones to the router via an interface?
 
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That’s going to be a long time yet ..,. 2025 not a chance ….I’ve just done a new build and the phone line ( new install ) was a standard copper line …. How I read into this ….all the exchanges will be digital by this date and they can’t guarantee older equipment to work on this …
 
by gettig fibre broadband
You need to ask (or tell us) if this is fibre to the cabinet (which means you will still have ADSL+ along cooper wire into your house, but faster) or fibre into the house.


and will need a new phone (VOIP)?
You do not need a new phone (in most cases) as your BT WiFi box (for both fibre to cabinet and fibre to the home) has on the back of it a hole for a normal telephone.

So you unplug your phone from the redundant BT socket in the wall and plug your phone into the back of the BT WiFi box (sometime also called a modem). The WiFi box does the VOIP conversion to your phone and you keep your phone number.

Sfk
 
I presume that installation of fibre will mean we no longer have copper cabling to the house for telephone and will need a new phone (VOIP)?

Is the cabling for phone extensions now redundant? or can I connect phones to the router via an interface?
A1)
Not necessarily. I have 'fibre to the cabinet' FTTC that uses copper still. Much much faster than ADSL for me. There is some limited fibre to the home FTTH in the village (new build housing) but not to my specific address yet.

Check out what can be ordered for your telephone number and/or address https://www.openreach.com/fibre-checker/
(It says for me that build is planned by March, but said Dec last year so take any 'build' dates with caution)
Also check the BT-OR wholesale checker https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome for VDSL aka FTTC and speeds.

A2)
FTTH extension wiring and connectivity to such modem/routers may depend on the exact kit supplied and/or bough, but is certainly possible with some.
Not all FTTH ISPs supply VOIP and you have to get that separately (from what I have read).
NB if you lose power you lose the phone unless steps are taken to have a battery backup in place with FTTH but the fibre cabinets need power and are likely not backed up for very long...
 
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BT has taken the decision to retire its PSTN by December 2025 and this means other providers that use BT’s network must follow the same timescale. Other companies with their own networks such as Virgin Media plan to follow a similar timescale.
 
I am looking at being dragged into the 21st century by gettig fibre broadband. We currently have just the usual ADSL broadband via the copper BT network and it is woeful.

Two questions:
I presume that installation of fibre will mean we no longer have copper cabling to the house for telephone and will need a new phone (VOIP)?

Is the cabling for phone extensions now redundant? or can I connect phones to the router via an interface?
If you are getting/using BT to provide the Fibre then as part of the contract they will offer a couple of wireless (DECT) handsets. Hopefully you have been offered a small discount (£2 or £3 per month) for making the shift. Yes the wired cable to your home becomes redundant - expect it to be recovered at sometime in the future. The theory is that you can connect a wired 'phone into the socket on the router.

If it's BT you will now get 2 boxes in the house - the ONT which is fixed to the wall and a new Router with one Red and 3 Yellow LAN ports on the back (+ other sockets). Both require mains power from your house. The ONT box has a LAN cable to the Red socket on the Router. Think where you want the boxes to be fitted as otherwise OpenReach will fit such with the minimal amount of work leaving you with an untidy mess of cables. (my suggestions are that you ask them to put the ONT (and therefore Router) either behind the TV or somewhere close to the centre of the house. I had mine installed in the understairs cupboard close to the ceiling but I did a lot of prepwork for that to happen.

Don't forget you are now supplying the power to operate the Broadband and 'phone systems in your house. If you have an electric power cut you will loose service until power is restored.
BT has taken the decision to retire its PSTN by December 2025 and this means other providers that use BT’s network must follow the same timescale. Other companies with their own networks such as Virgin Media plan to follow a similar timescale.
Interesting... I thought I'd go and check before replying. The wording on HMG's website is, shall we say, indicating that it's an industry decision but is somewhat different to what was the briefing to my work area when I worked for BT. But of course had BT been allowed to progress with their original plans to provide FTTP from the mid-'90's on then the work would have been complete by now instead of this rush by several competing companies 'throwing' the cable in anywhere with the assistance of Government money.
That’s going to be a long time yet ..,. 2025 not a chance ….I’ve just done a new build and the phone line ( new install ) was a standard copper line …. How I read into this ….all the exchanges will be digital by this date and they can’t guarantee older equipment to work on this …
The rate at which I see Fibre being installed by companies - sometimes by competing companies in the same road at the same time - there is a good chance that it won't be much after.

Make I make one correction - All (BT) Telephone exchanges completed the changeover to digital by 1998 - principally System X and AXE family with one or two specialist systems for specific purposes (Operator Services for one). Other operators installed Digital exchanges from the time they started.
Digital to the customers premises is what is happening now.
 
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FTTH extension wiring and connectivity to such modem/routers may depend on the exact kit supplied and/or bough, but is certainly possible with some.
Not all FTTH ISPs supply VOIP and you have to get that separately (from what I have read).
NB if you lose power you lose the phone unless steps are taken to have a battery backup in place with FTTH but the fibre cabinets need power and are likely not backed up for very long...
Active (powered) equipment for FTTH/FTTP is exchange fed rather than cabinet fed so if you have fibre coming into the home it should stay up.
Openreach is planning to use some street cabinet fed copper for DSL only services (FTTC) in some areas which is at the mercy of whatever backup they have.
 
Active (powered) equipment for FTTH/FTTP is exchange fed rather than cabinet fed so if you have fibre coming into the home it should stay up.
Openreach is planning to use some street cabinet fed copper for DSL only services (FTTC) in some areas which is at the mercy of whatever backup they have.
Are you certain - mine and the neighbours certainly isn't. We have 2 'wall warts' supplying power to ONT* and Router.

*ONT - Optical Network Termination, the unit that converts the light signal to a LAN signal.
 
Are you certain - mine and the neighbours certainly isn't. We have 2 'wall warts' supplying power to ONT* and Router.

*ONT - Optical Network Termination, the unit that converts the light signal to a LAN signal.
Sorry, I was referring to the kit at the other end of the optical network as being in the exchange (protected power) rather than a green street cabinet (not so protected power)
 
@Deryck Tintagel
I forgot that I had written a method on how to use your existing home phones when you transfer to VoIP.
 
@SFK Thanks for that information. I have just got confirmation that FTTP will be installed at my property next week, so I will guess the copper will be at least disconnected or possibly removed. I have two additional sockets in the house so connecting the router phone outlet to the house wiring could be useful
 

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