cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Fiber more reliable than copper wire?

strider
Grafter
Posts: 59
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎24-09-2010

Fiber more reliable than copper wire?

Is Fibre Broadband more reliable than the bad old copper wire?

I ask because I keep having intermittent problems with my phone line. Basically noise on the line of the popping and crackling variety.  A few weeks back it was bad enough I had to abandon a call on my land line because the problem was so bad.

This has an obvious nock on effect on my broadband speed which can be up to 8.0 Mbps but this morning after several noisy phone calls yesterday is 0.3Mbps.

Is there much chance that switching to Fibre might cure my problems?  S

6 REPLIES 6
SpendLessTime
Hero
Posts: 3,000
Thanks: 928
Fixes: 86
Registered: ‎21-09-2009

Re: Fiber more reliable than copper wire?

If by fibre, you mean FTTC, then probably not. FTTC still uses the copper cable from the cabinet to your home to transmit the signal. So if the line is bad from the house to the cabinet then it will still be bad for FTTC fibre.

You need to get the phone line fixed due to the noise on the line.

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
Thanks: 600
Fixes: 169
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Fiber more reliable than copper wire?

Unfortunately as the phone line isn't with ourselves, there's not a huge amount we can do from here. I'd definitely advise reporting the noise to your phone provider (don't mention broadband) and getting that fixed.

Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
198kHz
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 5,730
Thanks: 2,773
Fixes: 41
Registered: ‎30-07-2008

Re: Fiber more reliable than copper wire?

@SpendLessTime is correct in what he says re the fibre.

 

As for the likelihood of phone faults, be aware that with FTTC, copper is still used all the way from exchange to house for telephony.

Murphy was an optimist
Zen FTTC 40/10 + Digital Voice   FRITZ!Box 7530
BT technician (Retired)
plusforums
Dabbler
Posts: 14
Registered: ‎31-07-2016

Re: Fiber more reliable than copper wire?

Yes 198 kHz is correct - you need to get that phone line fixed pronto before even thinking about broadband. You should have a nice quiet clear line - without long extensions all around the house picking up Radio 4 longwave etc LOLWink

strider
Grafter
Posts: 59
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎24-09-2010

Re: Fiber more reliable than copper wire?

OK, Thanks all for the replys.

The noise issue is a long term but intermitent problem I have had. I have been through the master sockets, new filters, new phone, wired phone. I did get a BT engineer out a couple of times. They both arrived on days where the system did not have any noise. One did replace the entry socket so I can now go through the pantomime of unscrewing the plate off to use the master socket and that seemed to give me a reasonable period of noise free running the other said he could
do nothing but at least I did not get charged for the callout. Any way I get the feeling this is dropping into content for another forum. Thanks again to those who commented.  S

PS - @plusforums In the early days a BT engineer gave me his test phone and you could hear a radio station through it and he fitted a filter for that.  That said these days there are no extensions in the house.

plusforums
Dabbler
Posts: 14
Registered: ‎31-07-2016

Re: Fiber more reliable than copper wire?

I had the exact same problem as you. An intermittent crackling line. I had 2 engineers come to the house on different occaisons and both times while they were there the line was clear! No fault found didn't get charged though. Usually the crackling happened when it had rained. On the 3rd engineers visit thank my lucky stars the crackling was there and the engineer could hear and see the problem on his line tester that time. He changed my D side and the problem has never returned. Keep at it good luck.