Slow broadband and landline switchover

[#1]

Hi, We have fibre to the cabinet, speed is 4 to 8mb download. The cabinet is 2 miles away. There is no fibre in the area and none planned by Openreach or any alt nets. How will the landline switch over work? We also don't have a mobile signal indoors. Really could do with some faster Internet. The only other option here is a wireless link, not especially fast compared to full fibre but we are not in a good line of sight (in valley, lots of trees). We could possibly put a mobile aerial on the roof but don't think that would be very fast either. I'm SG192EE postcode.

[#2]

@LouiseL You say you have 'fibre to the cabinet', and then say there 'is no fibre in the area'. Do you mean you have ADSL?

If you are concerned about the loss of the PSTN, you could explore the option - now - of a VoIP service, there are a number of firms who will supply this, and your current speeds, although very low, are sufficient.

[#3]

Yes we have ADSL and the fibre is in another village where the cabinets are. We are a family of 4 and I we use zoom and things like Disney+. I don't think we have much spare for anything else at our speeds. We already have to ration who does what on it. Will we be forced to cope with voip with our speeds as they are?

[#4]

Unfortunately - as things stand, but there could be changes between now and when the PSTN is finally switched off - in any case, unless you are constantly on the phone, it will have little effect on your situation.

[#5]

OK thank you. I was really hoping that the landline change would force us to be upgraded as this hasn't happened in very many years here. It seems that we will continue to be left with inadequate broadband 😔

[#6]

Having checked your postcode, it appears you do have FTTC (rather than ADSL), but as you say it is quite slow.

For PSTN switch-off, VoIP can be used over slow broadband connections such as yours - it works comfortably with only 0.1Mbps. However, Plusnet don't offer VoIP - so they are quite likley to offer to move you to BT or EE.

Alternatively you could choose to use a 3rd party VoIP company, or move to a non-BT family ISP that offers both VoIP and broadband.

Unfortunately, your broadband speed won't get better until some company builds FTTP to you - have you checked what mobile coverage the various companies provide?

[#7]

"have you checked what mobile coverage the various companies provide?"

@LouiseL 

Try putting your postcode into OFCOM's checker and then selecting your address:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/mobile-coverage

As you say, service in your area doesn't appear to be very good.

[#8]

Yes I have tried the Ofcom link, o2 is the only one that shows up as being marginally ok for data indoors on that link. However a lot of my family are on o2 and they get nothing at all indoors. Outdoors it's also very poor. We are surrounded by tall trees and in a valley so I think this is why. Thanks for the suggestion though!