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FTTP trial and phone line?

YellaFella
Grafter
Posts: 45
Registered: ‎22-09-2010

FTTP trial and phone line?

I've been on the plus.net trial since day 1, but still pay line rental with BT. As its FTTP fibre, do I actually need the phone line? I don't have a phone as have it purely for broadband purposes.

 

If this isn't required, then what do I need in order to stay and keep the FTTP active? Thanks.

38 REPLIES 38
Minivanman
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

I'd be interested to know the answer to that as well @YellaFella and surprised that nobody has answered also, to piggy back onto your question (and call me dumb here) I was unsure how my phone would be connected once FTTP is installed and presume voice calls will now be carried via fibre?

Been going through the info supplied by plusnet here and following the links, but still scratching me head Crazy2


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Herman Melville
Darkfire
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

Good Morning! Smiley 

 

To answer both of your questions, once FTTP is installed you can have your standard(PSTN) phone line switched off by your provider, if this is us, just let us know otherwise please contact your phone supplier to have this removed.

 

At present we cannot offer a voice service over FTTP and would suggest looking at VoIP services if you do not wish to have a traditional landline phone

pjmarsh
Superuser
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

I'm sure I've seen it asked for and done a few times on this board.  Plusnet don't do the Fibre Voice Access (FVA), I think only BT do that, so you would be left without voice at all, so you would need to make your own provisions for that if you needed.  There are plenty of VOIP providers around.  I've got accounts with Sipgate, Gradwell and LocalPhone, but there are many more around.

You may need to pay a little more to Plusnet for not having a phone with them (depending on your product, and if you even use them for phone in the first place), but that is only £2.00-£2.50 off the top of my head.

 

Edit: @Darkfire beat me to it!

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Minivanman
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

@Darkfire

Thanks for the answer, much appreciated.

I guess a quick look at that ViOP is in order as presumably that will use the FTTP.

Cheers  


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Herman Melville
MisterW
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

To answer both of your questions, once FTTP is installed you can have your standard(PSTN) phone line switched off by your provider, if this is us, just let us know otherwise please contact your phone supplier to have this removed.

@Darkfire, in the case where the phone supplier is not PN, is it also a good idea to let PN know that the PSTN line is being ceased, so that it doesn't close the PN FTTP account ?

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HarryB
Plusnet Help Team
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

@MisterW It certainly is.

 

It's almost like you pulled that directly from my post here Grin

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 Harry Beesley
 Plusnet
Mal08
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

I for one actually prfer to have the old fashioned analogue copper line - just in case of emergencies and the power goes off, so I'm pleased PN dont force us over to digital phone.
Our mobile radio coverage here is only patchy - so still value good old POTS. I just think that it is grossly overpriced by BT OR

pjmarsh
Superuser
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

Doesn't the OTN have a battery backup for that very reason with the FVA?

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Minivanman
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

Ah yes, that's a good point @Mal08 and one I'd forgotten.

We keep a spare 'just plug in' el cheapo phone for when we have those power cuts.


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Herman Melville
bmc
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

While not directly related to PlusNet "B4RN" run a FTTP network. They have a Resources page which gives info on two VIOIP providers and battery back ups. Might be worth a look.

 

https://b4rn.org.uk/resources/

 

Brian

 

Mal08
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

Yes it does have a battery backup but it only lasts a few hours

RobPN
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?

The BBU for my ONT contains standard re-chargeable batteries (4 x AA) so it wouldn't be too difficult to put fresh ones in if necessary. Wink

RobPN
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?


@Minivanman wrote:

 

 

 

I guess a quick look at that ViOP VoIP is in order as presumably that will use the FTTP.

 



@Minivanman  Yes, VoIP would use your FTTP connection.  Wink

Presumably one of your aims is to reduce costs (possibly by ditching the copper line-rental), if so here are a couple of suggestions to save money;

 

1. Keeping the copper

You could transfer your line from PN to BT then apply for 'BT Basic' (which includes a small amount for some calls and free Caller Display) - Cost £5.10 per month

You could use VoIP for outgoing calls in excess of those covered by your BT Basic package at a small extra cost.

 

2. Ditching the copper

If you want to keep your existing landline number you could port it to somewhere like Voipfone which would incur a one-off fee of £20 then £2 per month (both plus VAT).  If you don't like their call charges, you could use any other cheaper service such as FreeVoipdeal (just one of many clones in the Betamax/Dellmont group, e.g. prices on FreeVoipDeal are 1p/min to UK mobiles ), to make your outgoing calls and just use your ported landline number to receive incoming.  It's simple to configure your FreeVoipDeal account so that your landline number is presented for outgoing calls so if callers wish to call back they can do so.

If you don't wish to keep your existing number (and thereby save a bit more cash), then you can get one free from the likes of Sipgate with no on-going charges (unless you wish to make outgoing calls via Sipgate). Then just do as described above, and set your Sipgate number as your outgoing CLI on the FreeVoipDeal account.

There are no call set-up fees on most VoIP services, and you get Caller Display included, as well as possibly other free features.

 

If you want to be able to use multiple VoIP accounts in this way then you'll need to purchase suitable equipment, e.g. a DrayTek VoIP router or a Gigaset N300IP(A), I use both and they are both reliable and fairly versatile.

 

 

 

 


 

edwh
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Re: FTTP trial and phone line?


@Mal08 wrote:

Yes it does have a battery backup but it only lasts a few hours


I get about two hours from mine and it then takes about twelve hours to recover.

BT suggest "up to an hour" http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/36953/~/fibre-home-phone-service%3A-questions-about-t...

Openreach seemed to establish a one hour backup would be acceptable some time ago https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/63912/bt_group_plc.pdf

@RobPN wrote:

The BBU for my ONT contains standard re-chargeable batteries (4 x AA) so it wouldn't be too difficult to put fresh ones in if necessary. Wink

 As indeed we will need to do from time to time!

I'm with @Mal08 for keeping the POTS on the metallic path.