Landline Cancel - Page 2

WillyHeckaslike · 22nd May 2020, 19:47

Our landline service via the BT/Openreach network is not immune to failing. Often of late it has happened after they have accessed a cabinet in a nearby street and somehow managed to disturb/disconnect our connection. We too tend to just use our landline for broadband and have done so for some years now even though we pay for inclusive anytime calls. We do so not least because the line quality for calls is poor and has been for some time even though Openreach insist it is ok.

alanaslan · 22nd May 2020, 23:01

This takes me back. When we bought our current house I had it wired Cat5. The problem with the domestic line was that the cable from the exchange was a 500tp cable to the Lucy in the main road. The cable was old and degraded. Every intact cable had a shunt on it to try to carry the traffic demands.
Then God saw our need and put in fibre from the exchange to a new Lucy on the main road that would be five years ago. I contacted BT or whatever they call themselves and asked to be connected to the new system, they told me it was not available in my area. So I gave Sky a call they had me connected to the new Lucy within 3 days, work carried out by BT. Sadly the speed was very slow. I am talking dial up speeds. Contacted Sky who gave me the if the problem was in my houses wiring then I would be charged. BT came out and knocked on my door telling me that the fault must be in my house as thy had tested the line and it was fine .
I spoke nicely to the BT man and explained that all he had done was test the speed to the Lucy. I invited him in made him a coffee and opened the patch panel detached the two incoming copper wires and asked him very nicely to check the speed on the incoming wires. Yes he did and the speed was not fast it was very slow. So I got free internet for the next 3 years until the copper cable to the street and to the house was replaced. At last now we have broadband speeds. Though the patch panel has a 3/4G wireless router on the Smarty network part of 3. More than half the time the house is running on the 4g system as it is faster and more stable than the BT wires Sky charge me for.
If it was not for the fact that we have had the same phone number since we got married. We would not have the land line. The service on the Smarty SIM card is fantastic and their customer care is great for a company who don’t have a customer care dept. They have resolved any issues or services I have been looking for by email within 10 hours. Including providing me with a mobile number that is the same as my house number with the exception of the first two digits the house is 01 the new mobile is 07.
I see land lines to be a thing of the past within the next twenty years.
Alan

WillyHeckaslike · 6th June 2020, 11:04

After mulling it over I made up my mind and decided to renew with Plusnet again for broadband and line rental only. No call package like previous years but mobiles are our preferred choice for calls anyway and have been for some years so a call package while nice to have won't really be missed. We will be paying ~ £18/mth on a 1yr contract for broadband and line only which apparently is a discounted price given to us as long-standing customers on the standard price of ~ £20/mth. Not as cheap as the mobile options that I've been looking at such as one from 3 who were and might still be offering unlimited everything for £16/mth on a 2yr contract. But we get to keep our familiar landline number which I'm not really happy to part with atm if ever and I take some satisfaction in knowing that with Plusnet the money will be supporting jobs in the UK and our economy and taxes.

The mobile options however have given me food for thought and I think BT/Openreach might be thinking of pulling analogue services in 2025. So with impending change afoot it is likely that I will revisit the options sooner rather than later as will I suspect a growing number of people. But for now, I've given myself another year to think about it and to weigh up the pros and the cons.

WillyHeckaslike · 27th June 2020, 13:18

All changed and new contract cancelled under the cooling off period. Plusnet presented a bill for the previous contract which was patently wrong to any person who benefited from going to school. I've refused to pay it, it is so far out that it is difficult to dismiss it as a billing error. The bill will be determined by the contract and not by a figment of Plusnet's imagination, of this there will be no doubt whatsoever. The matter is awaiting review by a manager and I look forward to hearing their response.

I tend to think that they have done me a favour regardless as it forced the issue of whether to go without a landline or not. Having cancelled it together with the broadband service I won't be going back. I'm going to give the 4G sim-card option a try and if it doesn't work out then I will probably opt for a high speed fiber connection - no more copper wire routed through a tree in the road outside. I'm currently getting on the net via tethering my mobile phone to my laptop but I've been looking at sim-card routers with a view to buying one soon. Although the tethering option is working ok for now I have read that it is not good for your phone as a long-term solution.

steve-45 · 27th June 2020, 17:51

This is next on my list of “to do’s” - get rid of the landline as i’ve not used the home phone for over 2 years now.

Current thinking is to go with the Vodafone fibre deal for about £20 a month.

WillyHeckaslike · 28th June 2020, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanaslan

Including providing me with a mobile number that is the same as my house number with the exception of the first two digits the house is 01 the new mobile is 07.

Many thanks for this info Alan. It prompted me to check if this service is available with Sky who provide my mobile service. I didn't need to speak to anyone, just navigated to the area where you can edit your number and, BINGO! The house number was accepted with the 07 prefix.

Of course, it was my second choice. I did try the 007 prefix first but it was not accepted as a valid number. Lol.

Edit: Tried calling my new 07 number and ... it wouldn't work. Although accepted by Sky when I changed to it the main network sees it as an invalid number. So back to the drawing board for me on this. My 07 number when combined with our house number only comprises of 9 digits, I suspect this is only part of the reason it fails as UK mobiles I believe have 11 digits.

WillyHeckaslike · 29th June 2020, 20:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanaslan

Including providing me with a mobile number that is the same as my house number with the exception of the first two digits the house is 01 the new mobile is 07.

Speaking of digits, how many are there in your subject mobile number?

I know why my 007 first choice of prefix was not accepted, all UK mobiles are assigned 07. But could it be that some systems might possibly reject a caller's number because it might not meet the standard expectation of 11 digits for a UK mobile?

22nd May 2020, 19:47	#11
WillyHeckaslike This is my second home Rovers 75 & 25 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Wearside Posts: 4,522 Thanks: 543 Thanked 709 Times in 511 Posts	Our landline service via the BT/Openreach network is not immune to failing. Often of late it has happened after they have accessed a cabinet in a nearby street and somehow managed to disturb/disconnect our connection. We too tend to just use our landline for broadband and have done so for some years now even though we pay for inclusive anytime calls. We do so not least because the line quality for calls is poor and has been for some time even though Openreach insist it is ok.

22nd May 2020, 23:01	#12
alanaslan Gets stuck in 75 Tourer Automatic conn, 75 Saloon Automatic Conn, The Monograme Spice Tourer Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Johnstone Posts: 670 Thanks: 57 Thanked 231 Times in 151 Posts	This takes me back. When we bought our current house I had it wired Cat5. The problem with the domestic line was that the cable from the exchange was a 500tp cable to the Lucy in the main road. The cable was old and degraded. Every intact cable had a shunt on it to try to carry the traffic demands. Then God saw our need and put in fibre from the exchange to a new Lucy on the main road that would be five years ago. I contacted BT or whatever they call themselves and asked to be connected to the new system, they told me it was not available in my area. So I gave Sky a call they had me connected to the new Lucy within 3 days, work carried out by BT. Sadly the speed was very slow. I am talking dial up speeds. Contacted Sky who gave me the if the problem was in my houses wiring then I would be charged. BT came out and knocked on my door telling me that the fault must be in my house as thy had tested the line and it was fine . I spoke nicely to the BT man and explained that all he had done was test the speed to the Lucy. I invited him in made him a coffee and opened the patch panel detached the two incoming copper wires and asked him very nicely to check the speed on the incoming wires. Yes he did and the speed was not fast it was very slow. So I got free internet for the next 3 years until the copper cable to the street and to the house was replaced. At last now we have broadband speeds. Though the patch panel has a 3/4G wireless router on the Smarty network part of 3. More than half the time the house is running on the 4g system as it is faster and more stable than the BT wires Sky charge me for. If it was not for the fact that we have had the same phone number since we got married. We would not have the land line. The service on the Smarty SIM card is fantastic and their customer care is great for a company who don’t have a customer care dept. They have resolved any issues or services I have been looking for by email within 10 hours. Including providing me with a mobile number that is the same as my house number with the exception of the first two digits the house is 01 the new mobile is 07. I see land lines to be a thing of the past within the next twenty years. Alan

6th June 2020, 11:04	#13
WillyHeckaslike This is my second home Rovers 75 & 25 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Wearside Posts: 4,522 Thanks: 543 Thanked 709 Times in 511 Posts	After mulling it over I made up my mind and decided to renew with Plusnet again for broadband and line rental only. No call package like previous years but mobiles are our preferred choice for calls anyway and have been for some years so a call package while nice to have won't really be missed. We will be paying ~ £18/mth on a 1yr contract for broadband and line only which apparently is a discounted price given to us as long-standing customers on the standard price of ~ £20/mth. Not as cheap as the mobile options that I've been looking at such as one from 3 who were and might still be offering unlimited everything for £16/mth on a 2yr contract. But we get to keep our familiar landline number which I'm not really happy to part with atm if ever and I take some satisfaction in knowing that with Plusnet the money will be supporting jobs in the UK and our economy and taxes. The mobile options however have given me food for thought and I think BT/Openreach might be thinking of pulling analogue services in 2025. So with impending change afoot it is likely that I will revisit the options sooner rather than later as will I suspect a growing number of people. But for now, I've given myself another year to think about it and to weigh up the pros and the cons.

27th June 2020, 13:18	#14
WillyHeckaslike This is my second home Rovers 75 & 25 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Wearside Posts: 4,522 Thanks: 543 Thanked 709 Times in 511 Posts	All changed and new contract cancelled under the cooling off period. Plusnet presented a bill for the previous contract which was patently wrong to any person who benefited from going to school. I've refused to pay it, it is so far out that it is difficult to dismiss it as a billing error. The bill will be determined by the contract and not by a figment of Plusnet's imagination, of this there will be no doubt whatsoever. The matter is awaiting review by a manager and I look forward to hearing their response. I tend to think that they have done me a favour regardless as it forced the issue of whether to go without a landline or not. Having cancelled it together with the broadband service I won't be going back. I'm going to give the 4G sim-card option a try and if it doesn't work out then I will probably opt for a high speed fiber connection - no more copper wire routed through a tree in the road outside. I'm currently getting on the net via tethering my mobile phone to my laptop but I've been looking at sim-card routers with a view to buying one soon. Although the tethering option is working ok for now I have read that it is not good for your phone as a long-term solution.

27th June 2020, 17:51	#15
steve-45 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon CDTi Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Belvedere Posts: 4,076 Thanks: 108 Thanked 1,089 Times in 774 Posts	This is next on my list of “to do’s” - get rid of the landline as i’ve not used the home phone for over 2 years now. Current thinking is to go with the Vodafone fibre deal for about £20 a month.