Imminent end of landline

[#1]

I have FTTC broadband and a landline with PN (I believe the premises is suitable for full fibre though). I wish to retain the LL number once the digital VOIP change has happened. My end of contract date is in 3 weeks (at which point the out of contract price goes up to over £50).

I've read through many threads, which have been really helplul. For practical reasons (and also with a view to having to repeat the process with my 81-year old mother, who has a similar set up and is easily confused) I plan to retain BB and landline with one provider rather than stay with PN for BB and move elsewhere for VOIP.

I have 3 DECT phones with an answerphone on the base unit. The extensions connect wirelessly, I think, just plugged into power. I also have a mobile phone.

I still have some queries, if I may, to decide which way to go in provider selection / type of fibre BB:

1. Two providers I've seen mentioned here (I know there are more) are EE, who PN will help me move to; and Zen internet. Both seem to offer FTTC (SOGEA) as well as FTTP, from their website. Would I get a choice over SOGEA vs FTTP when switching to them, do you think? When I look on the Zen website, input my postcode, it only mentions the full fibre options.

2. If I went with FTTP for either, am I right that a fibre connection would need to be physically installed into the house?

3. It seems that Zen internet's FTTP is via City Fibre. If I went with them, and later changed BB/VOIP provider, would that mean that a different fibre connection would also probably need to be installed? If so, is EE the same or is its fibre connection more compatible with other providers?

4. Would my DECT phones and extensions be equally compatible with either provider's set up?

5. I can't make a direct comparison of initial and ongoing costs, but hope they would be similar.

6. Any other practical considerations I should bear in mind in making a decision, please?

Many thanks for any thoughts.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

@Yorkie6 Your questions in order:

1) If you are not in a Fibre Priority area, then both should still be available. I would contact Zen direct to see of they still offer their service over BTOR infrastructure, although it will be more expensive.

2) Yes, if you go for FTTP, it requires a different set of cabling, and connection changes.

3) If CF is the only option available for FTTP, then, should You decide to move to a provider who does not use CF, then yes it would entail the installation of alternative cabling/ONT.  EE provide only over the BTOR infrastructure.

4) Yes

5) Get quotes and compare.

[#3]

@Yorkie6 just to add to Johns excellent answers

I have 3 DECT phones with an answerphone on the base unit. The extensions connect wirelessly, I think, just plugged into power.

I'm assuming you are thinking you can plug the base unit into the ISP supplied router and continue to use the existing handsets. Whilst the EE router does have that capability, there's anecdotal evidence that EE support have difficulty getting it to work and eventually supply other equipment. The Zen supplied router (Fritzbox 7530) has such a capability and in addition functions as a DECT base unit in its own right, so GAP compatible handsets can be connected directly to the router. 

[#4]

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@Yorkie6 wrote:

3. It seems that Zen internet's FTTP is via City Fibre.

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Zen use both the City Fibre and Openreach networks. If both are availkable you would need to talk to Zen regarding your options. Note that the City Fibre option is cheaper than Openreach.

[#5]

@jab1 many thanks for confirming my thought processes.

[#6]

@MisterW many thanks - I can only tick one 'Fixed' response, and @jab1 got there first!

Yes, that's what I had in mind.

The thought of having to re-enter lots of contacts into a new phone after technical issues (and even more so for my mum, at a distance) does make me think about that.

[#7]

@Baldrick1 many thanks - I also couldn't select 'Fixed' for your reply.

I think a phone call to Zen might be my best next step.

[#8]

@Yorkie6 

In answer to your questions in as far as I am aware based on my experience moving to Zen almost two years ago---

If Zen are quoting a price to you via their website that will be, i think, the only option they will use at that address. I doubt that they would want to use both CF and OR to service the same address and CF are, as the name suggests a fuil fibre network, If they are using CityFibre (CF) for your address then they will be offering that as it will be cheaper for them than if they were using Open reach (OR) (assuming OR FTTP is available). It will also be cheaper for you as most if not all of their saving will be passed to you - in my case, the price quoted for FTTP via CF in July 2024 was £7 cheaper per month that the price their website offered a few months previously via OR (before CF was available to my address). A friend who investigated Zen around that time who se house was only fed by OR was quoted the £7 higher cost. I suspect there is still a saving to be made if the service is via CF rather than OR.

Whether a FTTP connection is provided via CF or OR, you need a new full fibre connection to the premises as the old copper wire becomes redundant.

If you get FTTP via CF then you could still have a choice of ISPs in the futue as there are several that use CF if that is available. If memory serves me correctly you can see who they are by using the CF website to search on your address.

If in the future you wanted to move to an ISP that only uses OR (as PN, BT and EE do being in the same commercial group as OR) than you would need another fibre connection to the premises as the two networks are separate.

My Dect phone system (five handsets with one base station) is an oldish Panasonic one and all I had to do was plug the base station into the Fon socket on the Fritzbox router that Zen supplied . Zen include a very short adaptor cable to facilitate this. The phone was transferred across within a few hours.

As for costs you should be able to get prices from most ISP websites and see what is covered / included. With Zen (and I suspect those ISPs whose routers include the necessary Fon socket) there is no additional kit needed to get your existing phone(s) working. You do need to get PN to clarify exactly what any "transfer" to EE involves /includes /costs.

As for Zen, there basic phone package includes 1000 minutes of calls (the usual 01,02, 03 numbers and freephone numbers plus mobile numbers but not special numbers or premium numbers) per month for £7.50 if the price is the same as when I recontracted for another 18 months in January.

Zen have many short videos on the web showing various aspects of the router, set up,  etc which are quite useful.

As far as whether to go for FTTP or FTTC SOGEA if both options are available I would have thought that moving to FTTP gets the pain over in one move. 

Happy hunting!

[#9]

@jgb thanks very much for the details. I'll do a bit more investigating but that is really helpful.

Edit: interestingly, Mum's address isn't on the CF network. So it will have to be FTTC for her, if we choose Zen. I see that for me, various providers including Sky and vodaphone are available through CF.

[#10]

@Yorkie6 

Use the following (address version if necessary) to check for OR Full Fibre availability.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

It shows up as WBC FTTP. If available, what does it say below the window for Fibre Priority Exchange (Y/N)?

Brian

[#11]

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@Yorkie6 wrote:

@jgb thanks very much for the details. I'll do a bit more investigating but that is really helpful.

Edit: interestingly, Mum's address isn't on the CF network. So it will have to be FTTC for her, if we choose Zen. I see that for me, various providers including Sky and vodaphone are available through CF.

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If FTTP is available at your mum's address via OR, the chances are it will be available via Zen, but a little more expensive.

[#12]

For my address: WBC FTTP is available (speeds are cited). FTTP Priority Exchange - N.

For my mum's address: it says FTTP On Demand is available (WBC FTTP not mentioned) - but in the comments below the boxes, it says FTTP not available. FTTP Priority Exchange - N

[#13]

@Yorkie6 Out of interest, how far away is your mum, and is she on the same BT exchange? Ignore the 'FTTP on demand' - that is a very expensive option, aimed at businesses who are desperate for it.

[#14]

She's 200 miles away - I'm up north, she's not far from the M25.

[#15]

Ah, OK, so totally different then. 😀