Have you gone digital yet?

[thecaretaker]

I keep reading about full fibre to the house and how traditional copper phone lines are going to be obsolete and I am fully aware that my road will probably the last in the UK to be upgraded. But have any of you got the newer digital phone line?

I don't think I'd bother getting a new digital landline. I'd just use the mobile. The only reason I pay for the line now is I have to, to get the internet.

Openreach have emailed me to say my house is now down on their list to be converted but can't say when. I just wonder how it went for you?

[Dragonrider]

I don't think I'd bother getting a new digital landline. I'd just use the mobile. The only reason I pay for the line now is I have to, to get the internet.

I wouldn't either, like yourself, I use my mobile for calls, mainly 'cos calls are included in my £3.99 a month SIM card deal. The landline is used solely for having t'internet.
Late last year, my line into the house actually corroded and the OpenReach engineer came and installed a new line directly to my computer room, bypassing the house phones downstairs. He did say that BT have a internet only option but didn't explain any further, and honestly, knowing BT rates, it's probably cheaper to stick with Vodafone and my mobile deal with ID Mobile as it will be massively cheaper.

[twiglets]

We didn't use the landline for so long, I even didn't charge the handsets. We used to be with sky for phone and internet and switched to Trooli (other companies out there). They added a new direct fibre to the house. We have the old telephone poles, and they have big boxes at the top which are the connection points. Never even took notice about the old copper line, assume it is still live and I never give out my old landline number.
Just re-contracting, will be £39 month for 500mb download- possibly not the best deal but all straight forward and runs fine. Not into the technical stuff, but there is a box inside the line connects to, then I have cabled about 5m to the centre of the house and put the transmitter/router box there. Seem to get just enough to run ipad etc on the patio outside without boosters.

[steveg]

We didn't use the landline for so long, I even didn't charge the handsets. We used to be with sky for phone and internet and switched to Trooli (other companies out there). They added a new direct fibre to the house. We have the old telephone poles, and they have big boxes at the top which are the connection points. Never even took notice about the old copper line, assume it is still live and I never give out my old landline number.
Just re-contracting, will be £39 month for 500mb download- possibly not the best deal but all straight forward and runs fine. Not into the technical stuff, but there is a box inside the line connects to, then I have cabled about 5m to the centre of the house and put the transmitter/router box there. Seem to get just enough to run ipad etc on the patio outside without boosters.

If you are just about to re-contract with Trooli give them a call - they have their winter offer on at the moment, you can get the 900 meg package for 30 a month for 24 months (15 for the first 3 months) you should be able to swap to this offer if you are out of contract or re-contracted within the last 14 days.

We've been with Trooli for just over 2 years now, my parents live in an annexe off our house and wanted to keep a land line so i have a small vopi gateway that connects to and pay for a cheap SIP trunk, no rental on it, just pay for calls at a cheap rate - haven't used up £20 of credit in 2 years.

[Vera]

They are in our estate at the moment upgrading they started laying cables last year and Openreach are now connecting and upgrading the street cabinets. I don't yet know when it will go live but as we are on a cul-de-sac off a cul-de-sac, I expect we will be last.

Although it is a moot point as we are on virgin fibre anyways.
The copper cables were put in in the late 60's and are all underground so I know the cables were very poor for data (it's why we switched to virgin)
so at least we will have different options soon.

Interestingly virgin have now dropped having separate phone connections and the phone is now connected directly to the router and uses VOIP.

[Keyolder]

Sort of, I got rid of my landline around 5 years ago because of multiple cold calls, and anyway friends and family would ring my mobile. I have a sim dongle in my router for the internet, it’s not the fastest but its unlimited and not too expensive.

[Obelix27]

I use Virgin Media and in November my phone line using the old copper line was discontinued and my land line now plugs into my router. No noticeable diffrence to the call quality. The only thing i have noticed it that when making a call, it takes a few seconds longer for the call tone to start. I would do away with the land line but for a few reasons it is still needed in my household but I do feel that land lines will become a thing of the past very soon. We all use our mobiles most of the time anyway.

[OXSET]

Went digital 18mo ago. 0 issues. mobiles are the primary contact number anyways.

[twiglets]

Steveg- thanks for your post, I contacted Trooli and switched to 900mb for £30 month and a free booster.

[adonis2]

I have just gone with youfibre, I have the 1000 package with 900mbps average upload and download speeds at £27.99 per month and another £3 per month to keep the landline with evening and weekend calls included.

2 year contract with no price rises.
It was done in a morning and they ran a new cable from the pole outside to the house, just waiting for the phone number to port over and I can cancel the overpriced slow broadband I had before with another company.