End of landlines?

cereberus said:

For all the posts here, they ignore one basic problem in UK. The whole infrastructure of our telephone system is still basically based on the old British Telecom network before nationalisation.

The key problem is wiring new systems to users houses/flats etc. In essence, that is why 90+% of us in uk have hybrid broadband i.e. fibre to local hubs, and still copper wire to houses from hub. To put full fibre means going into every house and rewiring for fibre and the cost of that is far in excess of the revenue that will be gained.

It will be decades before the aging housing stock is updated. This means vast majority of users are tied to the old state network, and they charge a fee (line rental) to use it (more or less a monopoly).

I have a landline simply because very few broadband suppliers are prepared to subsume the rental cost into their deal e.g. broadband £X per month plus line rental. I rarely use it as the broadband suppliers extract the urine e.g. 10p / minute in peak hours, when I get unlimited landline calls from mobile for £10 per month.

So conventional telecoms will still be around for many years to come. It will gradually fade away but it will not "die" for many years.

Do you not mean during the time when they were nationalised and known as British Telecom and part of the wider GPO whereas now BT has been privatised and has the money to invest in the network. Totally agree though that the infrastructure is old and very expensive to completely replace.

The following reference says that a person can still use their old phones with the new system but they have to use a VoIP adaptor with them. How does hat work? Does every landline phone in the home require one of these adaptors?

Wouldn't it have been simpler like my ISP does and let you plug the router into the existing phone socket on the wall so all the old phone all over the house are plugged in like before?

What Does the Telephone Switchover Mean for You?

In short: from 2025, you will no longer plug your landline phone into its own socket on the wall. Instead, it will be plugged into your Wi-Fi router and work off your household internet connection.

When it comes to the actual telephone service, most people will likely notice little difference. Just 3% of UK households have a landline connection with no broadband. Eventually, everyone will need a broadband connection to make and receive landline phone calls. However, most people will be able to keep using their current landline handsets with a VoIP adaptor

If you don't currently have broadband, don't worry. The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has said that providers must offer basic internet connections for phone calls only. You won't need to fork out for a superfast connection that you don't intend to use.

The Digital Telephone Switchover and Its Impact on Lifeline Users
https://www.lifeline24.co.uk/digital...ne-switchover/

dalchina said:

What equipment will I get with Fibre to the Home or Fibre Home Phone? | BT Help

- includes battery backup and a standard connector box for an RJ11 connector to existing landline wiring.

The battery backup uses 4 rechargeable batteries and only gives up to 1 hour of backup time. Better than no backup at all but may not be enough for some people.

At least BT provides a backup power solution at no cost. In the US Google Fiber provides an optional power backup solution that gives 24 hours of backup time. All of this for only an additional $1230 US.

Traditional landline phone providers always prided themselves on 24/7 service including very few outages even during power outages. BT like other VOIP providers does not guarantee that and suggest people have alternate phone service such as cell phones to cover those times.

Here are some more information from that website

How do I connect multiple handsets?

Just connect the base unit of your main handset to your Smart Hub 2. Your other handsets will automatically connect.

If you have a number of normal phones (i.e., not Digital Voice phones) you'll need to use adapters. You can order one adapter for free from bt.com/DVequipment, or TEXT the word ADAPTER to 61998.

What if I use my phone line for something like a burglar alarm or health pendant?

If you have a monitored alarm that's connected to your landline (like a health pendant or monitored burglar alarm) you'll need to speak to your alarm provider before moving to Digital Voice.

Alarm providers are aware of the switch to Digital Voice and have a variety of solutions in place to make sure your services can continue. These might involve broadband or mobile technology; your alarm provider will discuss the best option with you.

If you need to speak to us after contacting your alarm provider please call us on 0800 800 150.

What happens to my Digital Voice service if my power cuts out?

If there is a power outage or your broadband fails, you'll be unable to make calls using Digital Voice, including calls to 999. Please use alternative means such as a mobile phone.