Don't want a fibre optic landline.

[AwkwardBroccoli]

Hello, 

Like many people, I don't want to change to a fibre optic landline. There's nothing wrong with the existing system and it's going to be incredibly inconvenient to swap over.

Our traditional landline is due to be disconnected next month and an engineer is coming next week.

I turn our router off overnight when it's not in use, to save on energy. I won't be able to do that now because the new landline won't work if I do, and we have caring responsibilities and telecare equipment.

Our local services are always going down, which means the landline will be down a lot more frequently and will be switched to emergency calls only when that happens.

Our area suffers from terrible congestion and over subscription, so we only get about 50mbps on a 150-200mbps (I forget which) package as it is. Running the landline through the router is surely going to create more congestion and reduce bandwidth even further?

We have home care equipment connected, which is going to have to be relocated to a child's bedroom.

We had Virgin Media installed downstairs in the living room some fifteen years ago when we moved (we've been with Virgin Media since it was Comcast or NTL). The V6, the router and the landline were all installed in the living room. A Ti-Vo was installed in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

The speeds and connectivity were misrepresented by Virgin Media and the WiFi was utterly dreadful. Even sitting in the room above the router, the WiFi was dreadful. The house is a new build, there's no lead in the paint, no aquarium or anything like that. Virgin Media said it's the best we can get in this area due to over subscription and congestion.

We even tried those power socket things to try and increase the speeds upstairs, to no avail.

As a result we were advised by tech support to move the router upstairs so that the main user could connect his PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles via ethernet connection, as the WiFi was absolutely terrible for gaming - he couldn't even play WoW without terrible ping and regular disconnects.

So now the V6 and landline are downstairs and the router and Ti-Vo are in the bedroom. That's what works best for our household.

We do not want the landline or the telecare equipment moving into the bedroom.

From what I've read on here though, it seems like we don't have a choice, even though Virgin Media couldn't provide what was advertised and we had to move the router as a result of misrepresentation of speeds.

So, I guess this is mostly feedback. 

I do have two questions though, which are:

1) Does anyone please know of a cordless landline phone where you can mute the base unit without muting the handset that docks with it and,

2) Are BT and other providers going to start (from 2025 I guess) taking down the supposedly obsolete telephone poles and masses of overhead wires connecting each house, since they'll no longer be used?

I think this is a dreadful idea. There's nothing wrong with the existing system and this new system is wholly dependent on Virgin Media's already terrible broadband and router. Every time the internet goes down - which is weekly here - the phone will go off. We don't even get the service that we pay for now. Running the landline through the broadband is just going to make a poor service even worse. I won't be able to turn the router off overnight in case the  elderly or young relatives have an accident or there's an emergency. All of the telecare stuff is going to have to go into the child's bedroom, because the WiFi doesn't work with the router in the living room.

Thinking it might just be best to cancel the landline part of the package and just use the mobile, but then we can't use the telecare equipment in an emergency.

It's not ideal really. 

Thanks in advance for any recommendations on handsets with a silent base.

[SubmarineRob]

Well, I can understand why VM want to do it, as it means old telecoms kit can be decommissioned. The issue I have is that my router is in a incredibly inconvenient place ("We have to put them just inside the wall, mate, we're not allowed to put them in any room of your choice") and consequently I've had to organise the TV round it, and now I'll have to put the telephone behind the TV where it's completely inaccessible. Is there a way of getting a tech out to do some re-cabling for us?

[Adri_G]

Hi Bastet2018, thanks for posting on our help forum with your issue.

We're sorry to hear how you feel about this change in regard to how the landline connects to the network, please rest assured our engineer will ensure upon the visit that all your equipment and home devices are up and running before leaving the property.

Also, apologies for the inconvenience caused by this and that we will have to set up your home care devices, we would provide you with an EBUL device too (Emergency Back Up Line) to cover you up for a case of emergencies, if you don't already have one.

Unfortunately, it is not our area of expertise to advise on the type of handset you asked about.
We can confirm that this change from copper lines to fibre-optics will be applied by all providers until 2025 in the UK, so the old copper cables and structures will be removed further down the line.

Thanks for the feedback, we take this seriously and work on improving the experience for many customers due to it too.
Let us know of any further questions or concerns you may have, happy to help.

[goslow · Accepted solution]

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@AwkwardBroccoli wrote:

Hello, 

Like many people, I don't want to change to a fibre optic landline. There's nothing wrong with the existing system and it's going to be incredibly inconvenient to swap over.

<snip>

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Refer here

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/landline/switchover

and the section

Do I need to book a technician visit?
You’ll need to book a free technician visit if...

* You rely on your landline for accessibility needs or don’t have a mobile to make an emergency call – we’ll provide you with an Emergency Back Up Line so you’re always able to call emergency services.
* You’ve got connected devices such as a burglar alarm linked to a control centre, use a telecare device, or have other phones connected to extension sockets. You’ll need to contact your provider and let them know about the switch if you have any of these to make sure they’re compatible with a fibre service.
* The Hub and your home phone can’t be placed near each other.

VM should install a telephone extension socket from the hub to your phone location free of charge which should allow you to keep your existing layout of equipment.

[AwkwardBroccoli]

Thank you, that's reassuring. Sounds like the engineer will have to help us with some sockets. 

[goslow]

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@AwkwardBroccoli wrote:

Thank you, that's reassuring. Sounds like the engineer will have to help us with some sockets. 

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See what hapeens when the VM tech comes. A lot might depend on the individual person who turns up; whether they know they have to deal with phone extensions as part of the job; whether they have sufficient time allocated on the job to do all the tasks and if they actually know how to wire phone sockets!

Sometimes customers have to come back on here to arrange a second separate visit to deal with phone extension sockets.

[Adri_G]

Hey Bastet2018, thanks for your replies. Please, rest assured our engineer will set up all your devices to work via fibre optics and ensure everything is up and running.

We can also relocate some equipment or install extension sockets if needed.
Let us know if you have any more concerns, happy to help.

[AwkwardBroccoli]

Just as an update, everything went great. 

Our house was built in 2008 and we were the first owners. When we moved in, there were unbranded telephone sockets in all of the rooms at the front of the house (but not the back).

These were installed randomly when the house was being build and were already here when we moved in, before we moved our services from the old house to this one.

We've never used the sockets as we assumed that they were BT, since in those days only BT or Virgin Media could provision new lines. We just assumed the contractors built all new homes with BT wiring because BT wiring was needed for landlines with so many other providers that simply used their lines (Sky, Talk Talk etc.).

Anyway we covered the sockets with furniture as we never used them. I told the engineer about them and she plugged her device in and got a dial tone!

She checked and it was our landline. 

So either Virgin Media wired the telephony stuff as the house was being built (seems unlikely as the builders had no idea if we'd use Virgin Media or BT and installing BT wiring would be less restrictive as Virgin Media is the only provider that uses different lines, everyone else uses BTs) or when we moved in and Virgin Media came to move our services, they intercepted the wiring at the front of the house and connected it to their box without telling us.

Either way, I have the router upstairs, a 1m cable going from the router to the socket in my bedroom, then that travels to the other sockets in the house through the internal wiring, meaning we can keep the V6, the telephone and the telecare downstairs and it all works fine. Just to verify it, I turned the router off and the telephone line went offline too.

It's working great.

My mum raised a good point though. If we're already paying for the internet package, and the phone now runs through said internet, why do we have to pay for the landline or for free calls?

WhatsApp, Telegram, etc., make VoIP calls for no additional cost on top of what you pay your mobile provider for data - or you can use your WiFi and call with apps without limitation. In fact I can set my phone to call using VoIP via my WiFi without using my SIM or free minutes and Virgin Media don't charge, so why are Virgin Media still charging us for a landline that's internet based when we're already paying a lot for a 150 or 200 mbps Internet package (I forget which)? 

[Ilyas_Y]

Hi there @AwkwardBroccoli, thank you for the update and for the reply.

I'm glad to hear that everything has gone well with the appointment and that everything has been set up right for you guys. The new fiber line is the way which majority, if not all, providers will use for the landline services.

So the reason why the landline package still costs is though the landline still goes through the broadband hub as a mere connection point, when it goes through the network, the network still has it's own designated areas within the green cabinets and exchanges, it still has it's own section, the fact that it goes through the hub has not removed the physical side of the landline.

The network has been updated to cater this and so it still charges because it is still a physical landline and line rental is applied for that service.
However, weekend calls have always been free, any landline package you take out with us, the standard package that comes with the landline, free of charge, is the package for weekend calling.

Also please bare in mind when reviewing the broadband / landline package or bills, you will see majority of the time that the two services are merged as one, as they usually come as a two for one bundle.

Kind regards.

[AwkwardBroccoli]

I'm sorry this doesn't ring true to me, pardon the pun.

You say the two are different and that the hub is just a mere connection point, but that's not true at all. At the network, green box side, if your internet service goes down in my area, the phone line goes off also, regardless of whether my hub is on or off. At the Virgin Media side the two aren't separate but the landline is entirely dependant upon the internet working, because the landline won't function without the internet being on in the area. Any fault with the internet in my area at the exchanges will knock the landline off too. So no it's not a case of the hub being a mere connection point. I'd be interested to hear what Ofcom think of this point tomorrow.