Phone switchover to 21CV

[endure]

I've just had an email (not had a letter) telling me my phone will be switched to 21CV at the end of March and I need a technician visit as I have an old (V2 I think) router,

1. Can someone arrange for a letter to be sent to me please?

2. I use the Virgin router simply as a modem and have my own router equipment. Will this still be possible with the new router that Virgin will be fitting?

[stephenbrowning]

And I see Openreach is providing Fibre right to premises - quite invasive in some cases!! 

https://help.business.bt.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/55143/~/how-is-fibre-to-the-premises-installed%....

Does that 'take out' VMs current advantage?

Regards

Steve 

[cymru123]

All communication providers be that if they use fibre or copper, are on Virgin Media network to Openreach network, KCOM or an AltNet are moving off the current phone system (PSTN) to Digital (Internet based) voice services (maybe called VoIP, Internet Calls, Digital Voice or 21CV).

The majority of mainstream providers require you to use their routers and plug phone into phone socket on back of router. Some like Virgin may offer engineer visit to install a extension. There are also DIY ways to do voice reinjection.

As for the Emergency Backup Line, this is a hybrid phone that falls back to use mobile network when the main broadband connection is down/a powercut. Other providers are now also looking at using these Motorola phones too.

Find out more about the digital landline switch over: https://landlinesgo.digital

[stephenbrowning]

We know what is happening, it is the practical logistics as how fibre to the premises to Modem/Router to phone (or in the case of Virgin Coax to premises to Modem/Router Hub to Phone) is installed.

Govt have decreed that PSTN is replaced and shuts down by 2025.  And thus given the job on the Regulator.

Who in turn has written the rules and passed the job to Openreach and Virgin. 
With the requirements (links I posted earlier) for Emergency Communications in the case of Mains failure. 

But does use of the Cellular Network for Emergency comms actually meet the requirement. 
There is no clear information on backup facilities at the thousands of cellular masts. Some of which might fail in the case of a large scale Power failure
(9 August 2019 @1700hrs 5% Low Frequency Demand Disconnection across GB although only for a short period)..
I note that the first Off Grid Cellular mast has been commissioned in South Wales; PV and a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine plus batteries.  It is breezy in that location. 

Regards

Steve

[cymru123]

Yes under the regulator's own guidance on the move off the PSTN, using the mobile network meets the regulations:

"If you are dependent on your landline phone – for example, if you don’t have a mobile phone or don’t have mobile signal at your home – your provider must offer you a solution to make sure you can contact the emergency services when a power cut occurs. For example, a mobile phone (if you have signal), or a battery back-up unit for your landline phone."

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/future-of-landline-calls

[jem101]

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@stephenbrowning wrote:

We know what is happening, it is the practical logistics as how fibre to the premises to Modem/Router to phone (or in the case of Virgin Coax to premises to Modem/Router Hub to Phone) is installed.

Govt have decreed that PSTN is replaced and shuts down by 2025.  And thus given the job on the Regulator.

Who in turn has written the rules and passed the job to Openreach and Virgin. 
With the requirements (links I posted earlier) for Emergency Communications in the case of Mains failure. 

But does use of the Cellular Network for Emergency comms actually meet the requirement. 
There is no clear information on backup facilities at the thousands of cellular masts. Some of which might fail in the case of a large scale Power failure

...Snip

---

Although it is often quoted on here, that, 'this is a government mandated change, all providers have to.... sorry but our hands are tied', strictly speaking this isn't true. As per the last paragraph of the OFCOM statement linked to above;

"The decision to close the PSTN has been made by industry, not Ofcom or the UK Government. Our aim is to make sure customers don’t face undue disruption or harm from the changes. For example, we have rules to protect customers in power cuts, and to require phone companies to provide access to emergency calls at all times. We have published a detailed policy statement (PDF, 647.9 KB) setting out our approach to this."

What OFCOM did was to facilitate negotiation between the various suppliers and get an agreement on timescales and coordination, after all, there's no point in, say, VM deciding to continue with copper-based connections, if BT were to pull the plug in 2025.

It was recognised that having 100% availability to call the emergency services in every single case, just wasn't feasible; 100% reliability doesn't exist; but as the vast, vast majority of power cuts are short term (less than 60 minutes), a compromise, minimum requirement of having some means of using a cellular connection with a battery-powered phone, with a battery life (talk time) of at least one hour, was mandated.

Now what happens in the event of you living in an area with no cellular coverage whatsoever - isn't clear! Possibly such a scenario is so rare that it was deemed irrelevant? The only way I could think of to cover that would be satellite communication, but that needs line-of-sight to the sky, they don't work well indoors at all.

Similarly, it appears that the chances of a power cut also taking out all of the local towers, has been rated as so low that it again could be ignored.

But yes, by the OFCOM regulations, what VM are offering does indeed meet their minimum requirements.

[stephenbrowning]

Thank for clarifying it is Industry driven. Hence OFCOM required to issue regulations of the process.

And indeed VM are in the lead as they already have non copper broadband to premises..

As regards emergency comms existing copper PSTN has historically had serious 48V battery capacity at the exchanges with backup generation required to be charging within 30 seconds (friends of mine joined GPO telecoms way back).  Wide area failure rare (except in Westminster when Edward VIII abdicated and a Strowger rack fell over at tge exchange!!)

So, will the emergency phones with VOIP need to be able to connect to any one of the four cellular Networks on failure? Perhaps in badly served areas they could have just 1 with sharing agreements?

Needs more careful thinking. Tge Industry won't want an expensive solution.... 

Steve

[stephenbrowning]

Not sure if this was posted earlier but it seems to be a useful summary....

https://landlinesgo.digital/powercut/

With any battery system in the premises with a Grid connection, such as PV installation backup including Tesla Powerwall and LG Li-Ion batteries ( up to 6kWh)  Note there is a large recall out on a lot of LG units.   Also EVs which much larger Batteries.

Under Mains Failure all internal 'Active' equipment must cut out and stay off until the Mains is restored. .

There is of course the possibility these batteries could be configured to run some premises loads (Islanded operation) as long as a Mains isolating relay is fitted which locks open if the Mains fails.  Then will not allow reclosure unless the premises side of the relay is dead.  Dead bar re-energisation principle to avoid mis-synchronisation between Grid and Premises Generation destroying the premises equipment (very big Bang!!).

For premises with PV.  There are already whole system controllers which can modulate a connected EV Onboard charger to avoid Premises Export when the PV output exceeds the premises Appliance demand.  And the EV onboard charge units can be made reversible.  Thus we have the concept of Vehicle to Grid as well as Grid to Vehicle (G2V and V2G).  So, lots of changes on the Electricity Delivery side.

Regard

Steve