topic Re: No dual tone in Home Phone

No dual tone

LyndonE — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 13:51:33 GMT

I have had no land line for 4 weeks and despite fault being escalated (only recently) the fault has yet to be fixed.. Despite speaking to customer assistants who can I speak to get this resolved in a timely manner..

Re: No dual tone

jab1 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 13:57:14 GMT

@LyndonE Have they said what the fault is? Four weeks to rectify a phone fault seems excessive, to say the least - thes are usually resolved inside a week.

Re: No dual tone

LyndonE — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:11:40 GMT

Hi John,All they keep saying for last month was the fault is in the exchange, told various times that engineers are looking at it but yet 4 weeks gone by. Very frustrated, should have been escalated Cpl of weeks ago in my opinion but still nothing is fixed..

Re: No dual tone

jab1 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:23:46 GMT

Unfortunately, Openreach work to some rather antiquated procedures, and at the pace they want to, but an exchange-side fault should still be fixed in a week or less, unless it is a major one - which I can't see this being, to be honest. As the analogue phone service is being discontinued in the near future, it could be that they are having problems sourcing whatever needs replacing (doubtful) and OR only update their customers (in this case PN) when they feel like it.

Unfortunately, this means that all that can be done is for PN to request an update, which they get at OR's pleasure - there is nothing you can do except keep asking.

Re: No dual tone

LyndonE — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:57:00 GMT

I agree

Re: No dual tone

outcast — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:21:04 GMT

@jab1 wrote:

As the analogue phone service is being discontinued in the near future ...

... there is nothing you can do except keep asking.

Assuming that @LyndonE is on FTTC (broadband from an FTTC cabinet) and NOT on ADSL (broadband from the exchange)

@LyndonE could today start an 'upgrade' to SOGEA (AKA Plusnet 'Fibre') which should complete within a couple of days.

Once the FTTC to SOGEA change has been confirmed by Plusnet and the phone service is dead, @LyndonE could migrate (within 30 days) their discontinued landline phone number to a VoIP (digital phone) provider.

These changes result in the broadband continuing to work as it does today, and the home phone number now working via the broadband connection instead of from the BT master socket.

This would eliminate any ongoing and/or future telephone exchange related problems, and @LyndonE will have converted to VoIP before the discontinuation of residential landline phones by Openreach due at the end of 2025.

NOTES -

SOGEA is the same as FTTC (VDSL2) broadband except that there is no associated phone service on the same wires.

Recommended VoIP suppliers include A&A and Voipfone.

You will either need a new VoIP handset, or an ATA adaptor to convert the existing handset, in order to connect via the router.

The monthly cost of SOGEA broadband should be cheaper than what your in contract payments are for FTTC.

Upgrading from FTTC to SOGEA should have almost zero broadband down time, maybe a few minutes.

Upgrading Plusnet phone to third party VoIP, typically has a down time of five days, but worst case might be as much as ten.

Re: No dual tone

jab1 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:17:35 GMT

@outcast I know all that - but it doesn't help this case, particularly.

Re: No dual tone

outcast — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:27:28 GMT

@jab1 wrote:

@outcast I know all that .

@jab1 so why didn't you suggest that as a possible solution ?, instead of "there is nothing you can do" !

@LyndonE has already had no phone for four weeks, and has no timescale (if ever) for their problem being resolved.

My solution can be started TODAY and provides quick resolution of getting their phone working again, future proofs the home phone usage after 2025, saves money, and eliminates any problems with the exchange. No downside other than doing a couple of sign-ups that can easily be performed online, and plugging in an appropriate phone adaptor or new handset.

Re: No dual tone

RealAleMadrid — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:54:55 GMT

@outcast Yours is the nuclear solution which you keep pushing and it's not a particularly quick or easy one unless you are familiar with how VOIP works. All @LyndonE wants is to get the phone line working again, then any change to the landline/phone service can be considered in due course.

Re: No dual tone

LyndonE — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:37:53 GMT

I’ve been told there’s a fault at the exchange and this has nothing to do with going digital, I have not been advised by plusnet of this and also fiber isn’t available at my address as yet. Waiting for 4 weeks is down to open reach not repairing fault not line going digital…

Re: No dual tone

outcast — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:42:00 GMT

I would argue the strength of this forum, is that many people can propose different solutions.

If someone posts something that's not viable, then others have the opportunity to refine any misunderstandings.

With a selection of answers, some of which the original poster may not have been aware of, they can choose their next steps.

I don't see anyone else yet providing an actionable route forward, and "there is nothing you can do" doesn't help !

@jab1 wrote:

... Openreach work to some rather antiquated procedures ...

... it could be that they are having problems sourcing whatever needs replacing ...

Since around 2010, Openreach have been finding it difficult to get spare parts for the old Marconi telephone exchanges (including mine) that were built in the early 1980's. From 2015 Openreach have had to resort to salvaging used parts from other exchanges, and from scrapped systems, in order to keep the ancient voice systems working. You can appreciate the situation today is getting to the point where it is actually impossible to repair a broken exchange, and the need to get everyone away from landlines to VoIP in 2025 is urgent.

This might explain why @LyndonE 's exchange fault hasn't been repaired for more than four weeks so far, maybe it can't be.

Re: No dual tone

jab1 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:42:23 GMT

Exactly, @LyndonE - as @RealAleMadrid has said, all you want is your phone service back, but Openreach work to their own sweet way, and end-users like you and I can do little to make them keep us informed.

Re: No dual tone

jab1 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:48:36 GMT

@outcast wrote:

I would argue the strength of this forum, is that many people can propose different solutions.

If someone posts something that's not viable, then others have the opportunity to refine any misunderstandings.

With a selection of answers, some of which the original poster may not have been aware of, they can choose their next steps.

I don't see anyone else yet providing an actionable route forward, and "there is nothing you can do" doesn't help !

Since around 2010, Openreach have been finding it difficult to get spare parts for the old Marconi telephone exchanges (including mine) that were built in the early 1980's. From 2015 Openreach have had to resort to salvaging used parts from other exchanges, and from scrapped systems, in order to keep the ancient voice systems working. You can appreciate the situation today is getting to the point where it is actually impossible to repair a broken exchange, and the need to get everyone away from landlines to VoIP in 2025 is urgent.

This might explain why @LyndonE 's exchange fault hasn't been repaired for more than four weeks so far, maybe it can't be.

.

Unless this 'fault' affects a large number of customers on the exchange - and no-one else has reported an issue (on this forum), the chances are it isn't a, say, multiple frame failure - we don't know what it is - and considering the reducing number of the PSTN network, I'm surprised they haven't found some spare port/switch?

Re: No dual tone

outcast — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 17:25:39 GMT

@LyndonE wrote:

I’ve been told there’s a fault at the exchange and this has nothing to do with going digital,

Yes, that is correct. Nobody will have their landline phone cut-off by Openreach before 2026.

@LyndonE wrote:

... going digital, I have not been advised by plusnet of this

Plusnet are unlikely to do so until autumn 2025 at the earliest, as Plusnet won't be providing a digital phone service to replace their customer's landline phones when the Openreach switch-off happens. When the lines are due to go digital, Plusnet won't provide any support for moving your phone number to a third party VoIP provider, their only official solution is to move your broadband AND phone to BT or EE using those provider's version of VoIP called "Digital Voice". Given the choice, VoIP is a better solution than "Digital Voice" for many reasons. Note that moving to BT or EE will lose your Plusnet email account, whereas migrating your phone number to a third party VoIP supplier, allows you to stay with Plusnet for your broadband and email, etc.

@LyndonE wrote:

fiber isn’t available at my address as yet.

That is irrelevant, you don't need to have Full Fibre in order to pre-emptively convert your home phone handset to digital.

If you currently have an FTTC broadband connection, then you can choose to go digital at any time.

If you currently have ADSL broadband, then currently there is no clear understanding of how landline phones will operate next year.

All I'm suggesting is that if YOU choose to convert you phone to digital now, then you will quickly have a working phone, and any issues at the exchange will no longer have any affect on your phone service - because your phone calls would be coming via your broadband connection (which I am assuming is still working).

Anyway, I've said all I'm going to say so will stay quiet now (unless asked or provoked).

Re: No dual tone

LyndonE — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 17:25:13 GMT

Thanks for everyone’s comments. For me it’s simple , IF it can’t be repaired then open reach need to be honest and say, IF plusnet has been told this then they need to be honest and say so, neither of these has happened as far as I’m aware, but still after 4 weeks we’re no further forward. Unfortunately no one from open reach or plusnet seem that concerned. Thanks again all …

Re: No dual tone

iannewson — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 22:06:46 GMT

Have sent you a PM LyndonE. Worth a try

Re: No dual tone

Marsh — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:11:32 GMT

Hey @LyndonE,

I am sorry to hear about your long on-going fault after reviewing the fault reports from Openreach and the case-handler. The current problem lies with the Openreach Exchange team, where the fault is currently stuck. Our case handler has escalated the issue internally to get an update. Once we receive more information, our Customer Assist Team will be in touch.

While I understand it is not ideal to have this fault ongoing for 4 weeks, we are unable to expedite this process and we are just waiting for the case handler to be in touch however this fault has resulted in a total-loss of service which you will eligible for automatic compensation for the total-loss of service

Re: No dual tone

jab1 — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:19:04 GMT

@Marsh Just out of interest is the 'case-handler' at Plusnet or OR? It will be interesting to see the explanation as to why it has taken 4+ weeks to resolve this case - as I have said above it appears to only be affecting one customer, unless PN have only that one customer at that exchange.

Re: No dual tone

Marsh — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:33:41 GMT

Oh sorry @jab1 if I wasn't clear the case-handler managing the fault is within Openreach.

It will be interesting to see the explanation as to why it has taken 4+ weeks to resolve this case

It should not have taken this long the main reason for the delay is it has been stuck with the exchange team within OR and it has been raised internally by the case handler for an update.

as I have said above it appears to only be affecting one customer, unless PN have only that one customer at that exchange.

We have not been informed of it affecting any other of our customers on that exchange.

Re: No dual tone

jab1 — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:44:35 GMT

Looks like the handles have fallen off the case, then. 😄