They are turning off landlines in 2025!

[Berwhale]

Ofcom’s summer 2023 study of UK fixed broadband and mobile coverage has reported that “full fibre” (FTTP) now reaches 52% of the UK (up from 48% in Jan 2023), while 75% are within reach of a gigabit-capable network (up from 73%) and 76-85% of premises can get an outdoor 5G signal from at least one operator (up from 73-82%).

More here: https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.p...udy-full-fibre-broadband-covers-52-of-uk.html

I had a phone call from my ISP - Aquiss - a couple of days ago. I've been paying for a 500Mbps FTTP connection from them for the last 12 months, however, i've been getting a 1Gbps connection due to an error on their part (they submitted my order incorrectly to Openreach who own the fibre network). I knew that I was getting 1Gbps, but assumed this was because they were not capping my speed, rather than being in the wrong profile. Aquiss have offered to put my profile back to 500Mbps and keep the same monthly charge, or I can opt to pay the higher charge for 1Gbps. Since, i'm at the end of my 12 month contract, I will move to another ISP (probably Plusnet) to benefit from the heavy incentives that 'new users' have available to them on the UK broadband market (e.g. Aquiss was half price for the 1st 6 months of a 12 month contract). I have nothing against Aquiss, they're service has been flawless, but I feel compelled to move due to the price incentive - If I stayed on Aquiss, 1Gbps would be £55 per month, I can get the same connection from Plusnet for around £42 after factoring in some cashback (so around £300 cheaper over the 24 month Plusnet contract).

 

[Digby]

Since, i'm at the end of my 12 month contract, I will move to another ISP (probably Plusnet) to benefit from the heavy incentives that 'new users' have available to them on the UK broadband market

How do you find this chopping and changing. I had some awful experiences with 'chasing the cheapest' 15 years or so ago and since have just stuck with those who prove themselves to be excellent (price a secondary consideration). What has your experience been like more recently?

 

[fpitas]

To their credit, Vermont (right across the river) has been striving to improve high-speed internet access for that state's small and rather diffuse population, against substantial geographic constraints. New Hampshire, though, is pretty much in Live Free or Die (Sucka) mode when it comes to improving high-speed internet access.

Virginia seems complacent. Luckily, out my way All Points Broadband will hang a router on your chimney which enables sort-of high speed internet. Since my phone lines don't work at all, it beats dial-up very easily.

The cable company spams me frequently, but when I call they assure me I'll never get cable where I live. Welcome to corporate America.

 

[Berwhale]

How do you find this chopping and changing. I had some awful experiences with 'chasing the cheapest' 15 years or so ago and since have just stuck with those who prove themselves to be excellent (price a secondary consideration). What has your experience been like more recently?

I've not had any problems when changing provider. Once you are on FTTP, it's just a flick of a software switch in the exchange (assuming you are staying on Openreach fibre). I am scheduled to switch to Plusnet next Monday, so we shall see!

I was a Plusnet customer a couple of times before going FTTP (which they did not offer at the time). I haven't had any issues with them in the past. When my copper connection was playing up, they were very good and keeping Openreach honest.

 

[Snoopy]

How do you find this chopping and changing. I had some awful experiences with 'chasing the cheapest' 15 years or so ago and since have just stuck with those who prove themselves to be excellent (price a secondary consideration). What has your experience been like more recently?

No need to change. I just renew my contract with the current isp every 12 months and they give me the "new customer" discount.

Currently I'm paying 14.99 per month for 200mbit dl , 50mb upload (no limit)

 

[Berwhale]

No need to change. I just renew my contract with the current isp every 12 months and they give me the "new customer" discount.

I couldn't get this from my existing ISP (Aquiss). Their 'new customer' discount was funded from an Openreach marketing budget (Openreach own the fibres in the ground). This 'bung' was used to offset the wholesale cost of the connection which Aquiss pay to Openreach.

My understanding is that Openreach are obliged to charge all ISP the same wholesale price due to them previously being part of the state telco British Telecom (AKA BT). This is to stop Openreach giving BT preferential pricing (i.e. it's an anti-monopoly thing).

 

[Berwhale]

The change from Aquiss to Plusnet went fairly smoothly this morning. I was offline for a couple of hours which would probably have been shorter but for an issue with my pfSense firewall and the peculiarities of BT/Plusnet connections (nb. I would not have had this issue with the router supplied by Plusnet)...

In pfSense, you setup a gateway to allow access to the WAN/PPPoE interface from the LAN interfaces. By default, this gateway is monitored using the IP address of the gateway on your ISPs network (i.e. can it be pinged). For some reason, BT/Plusnet gateways do not respond to pings, so when I first made the PPPoE connection, pfSense treated the link as down. pfSense's response to this was to pass some, but not all traffic, which led to some confusing behaviour when checking connectivity from my PC. I resolved the issue by suppling the gateway monitor with another address on the internet (pingbox1.thinkbroadband.com - 80.249.99.164).

 

[Willem]

Our wired phones go through the cable company's router that also handles the internet and the TV signal. This has been our situation for ages, and it has been very reliable. The phone company is now about to install a fiber connection for the same set of uses, allowing us to choose between them and the cable company. We shall see. Mobile 5G coverage in the Netherlands is similarly stable and extensive. In both cases, monitored reliability and coverage standards are part of the concession.

 

[DonH56]

Just got notice our landline service is being discontinued by our provider at the end of the year (Dec 31, 2023), and they do not offer alternatives in our area. The lines are owned by AT&T so need to call them, though their website indicates they do not service our area even though our current provider said they use AT&T lines.

Our cable internet service is unreliable, usually 2-3 outages from a few minutes to a few hours each month, and we are in a cell "hole" so cell service is poor at the house. We have an internet-connected cell phone relay (or whatever they call it) but of course it does not help when the internet is out. Our rural'ish neighborhood is between some larger subdivisions that have fiber but we do not -- not enough customers for them to bother.

Really hoping they keep POTS, or at least the hardline, available to us. Have to call AT&T to see if they have anything. The local'ish phone service says they have landlines, but require internet access, which they do not provide in our area (small group of houses among larger subdivisions, no fiber, no "landline").

I have rural friends here and all over the country who are unable to get decent internet or cell service. Another example of new technology being pushed and the old phased out before everyone has access. Wish "they" would realize not everyone lives in the city, but maybe that's all they need care about for profit etc.

 

[Willem]

Over here companies need a government concession and they only get that if they provide complete coverage, including for rural areas. It is all or nothing for them, although admittedly there are fringe arguments and occasional disagreements. For mobile phone and internet, 95% of the country now has 5G, and counting. The last 5% at least have 4G.

 

[Offler]

In october 2021 my provider decided to upgrade to VDSL2 (yes, you are reading the year correctly, there was an active ADSL2 here until 2021), and the phone went dead.

When I asked about it, I was told that old line will no longer operate, even when the regional code was B, and there was still bandwidht for POTS (Plain old Telephone System). They sent us a splitter/router which would made old phones to work, but honestly nobody could bother to maintain it.

Probably, if I would dig more into settings of my VDSL router, correct VoIP settings would make the phone line work again.

 

[AnalogSteph]

In october 2021 my provider decided to upgrade to VDSL2 (yes, you are reading the year correctly, there was an active ADSL2 here until 2021), and the phone went dead.

That timing wouldn't be considered too unusual around these parts. We're very heavy on copper on the last mile, and while FTTC and super vectoring with up to 250 MBit/s are now very common, I bet a lot of people with modest needs / budgets are still on ADSL. Though not that many with "real" POTS / ISDN, I assume.

Probably, if I would dig more into settings of my VDSL router, correct VoIP settings would make the phone line work again.

Most of all, the phone needs to go into the corresponding output provided by the router. A quick search for "<ISP> voip settings" should turn up some hints if needed.

There should only be a single telephone connection now. Any branch lines going to other telephones throughout the house should have been disconnected by the ISP's tech during the switchover to VDSL at the latest. It's fairly sensitive stuff that is not particularly tolerant of RF sins.

 

[Offler]

That timing wouldn't be considered too unusual around these parts. We're very heavy on copper on the last mile, and while FTTC and super vectoring with up to 250 MBit/s are now very common, I bet a lot of people with modest needs / budgets are still on ADSL. Though not that many with "real" POTS / ISDN, I assume.

Most of all, the phone needs to go into the corresponding output provided by the router. A quick search for "<ISP> voip settings" should turn up some hints if needed.

There should only be a single telephone connection now. Any branch lines going to other telephones throughout the house should have been disconnected by the ISP's tech during the switchover to VDSL at the latest. It's fairly sensitive stuff that is not particularly tolerant of RF sins.

I would agree, but I live in a capital city of a country . Also quality of service however depends on location and coverage by network, while ISP sells three packages (cheap/medium/expensive), but based on location you can pay same money for different data rates.

Provider did make those settings available. Unfortunately they also publicly posted default logins for their devices, so chinese bots keep knocking on my firewall quite often. For the same reasons I would not like to open ports they use.

 

[fpitas]

Wish "they" would realize not everyone lives in the city, but maybe that's all they need care about for profit etc.

The companies don't care in the slightest. I've been told I would never see cable or fiber where I live. My solution is All Points Broadband, who runs a rural wireless internet service. Not great, and not cheap, but better than nothing.

 

[Willem]

The companies don't care in the slightest.

Just make them care by including conditions for this in the concession.

 

[fpitas]

Just make them care by including conditions for this in the concession.

Since I can't do business with them, I have zero leverage.

 

[Willem]

This is what you need governments for.

 

[fpitas]

This is what you need governments for.

Agreed. Once upon a time, companies with monopolies had certain obligations. Those days seem to be gone.

 

[Blumlein 88]

The companies don't care in the slightest. I've been told I would never see cable or fiber where I live. My solution is All Points Broadband, who runs a rural wireless internet service. Not great, and not cheap, but better than nothing.

I was in the process of starting a WISP where I live as we only had slow DSL. Fortunately before I had gotten to the point of spending real money out of the blue ATT comes in with fiber. Would have been interesting to have a WISP, but probably headaches I didn't need. So symmetrical gigabit fiber now. Before that I would have been happy to have a 20 mbps wireless provider. Now you can get 5G based internet at home that provides better performance than WISPs usually are able to give you in my area. Might be an option for you even if you have to use one of the 5G cell boosters. Those can get you a good connection from quite far out if there is much of any signal at all.

 

[fpitas]

Now you can get 5G based internet at home that provides better performance than WISPs usually are able to give you in my area.

Is that wireless I guess, from a cell tower?