Everleigh (well parts of it) can now access the new Fibre to the Premises broadband service. There has been some chat on the village Whatsapp group , BT have run some workshops locally but here is a non technical rundown and some things you may not have thought about.
It was meant to be quite short, as to be fair, there isn’t a lot (without getting too technical) to explain about the new internet options. The telephone side does take a bit of getting your head around. Based on dealing with business customers moving to VoIP, I’ve expanded this out, hopefully, to make you aware that you may be paying too much money on your phone bills!
TL;DR Version (Too long, didn’t read)
- FTTP is significantly quicker than what is currently available. It is not available to everyone.
- If you upgrade/change your broadband, odds are you will be moved to Digital Voice; you can move to VoIP for more flexibility. You should still be able to use your current telephone with a suitable adapter (both for digital voice or a VoIP service)
- Even if you don’t have broadband, eventually, your landline will be moved to the new voice system.
- You have 30 days under Ofcom rules to claim your number if it gets “lost” after moving to a new phone service. You can move your number (porting) to alternative suppliers.
- Everleigh suffers from power cuts (not as bad as it used to be), this will affect your ability to make calls unless you have a backup power supply in place to keep your internet and telephone powered.
- Whilst the mobile signal is “okay” around the village, in the event of a power cut and everyone switching to mobile use at the same time, this does impact the level of mobile service/signal.
- Call bundles – these could be costing you more than you think.
Disclaimer – my company, Hightrees Organisation Limited, has been offering IT and VoIP Solutions for 20+ years. This isn’t a sales pitch, but I’ve used examples from my business pricing as I know all the details and small print, which makes it easier to compare.
If folks in the village are interested, I can look at putting some VoIP packages together and get pricing for bulk purchases of backup power units and other hardware.
Murphy’s law states that “something” will change, there will be a mistake or I’ve oversimplified BUT it should give you the background info on what is going on.
What on Earth is FTTP?
The Basics
FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) is the new way of getting internet and phone services into your home.
Instead of using copper wires (the same technology that Alexander Graham Bell used – yes, really), FTTP uses tiny glass fibres that carry light signals. Imagine the difference between driving a narrow country lane and a motorway – that’s the kind of upgrade we’re talking about.
Some areas already have what’s called FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet), where the fast bit stops at those cabinets (the green things around the village), and then it’s back to the old copper wires to your house. FTTP takes the fast bit to your property – so no more slow bits in between.
Why Should I Care?
The Good Stuff
First off, it’s fast. We’re talking:
- Download a full HD film in the time it takes to make a cuppa.
- Everyone in the house can be online at once without everything grinding to a halt.
- No more “Sorry, you’re breaking up” during video calls with the grandkids.
Let’s Talk About Speeds
What You Can Get
With ADSL (all copper)
- Speeds vary greatly depending on how far away from the cabinet you are. On ADSL, you have a top download of 8Mbps, on ADSL2+, the max download speed is 24Mbps.
- Everything runs over copper lines.
With FTTC (part fibre):
- Usually between 30-80 Mbps download speeds
- Upload speeds of about 10-20 Mbps
- Speeds drop the further you are from the cabinet (a bit like a pub quiz – the further you are from the quiz master, the harder it is to hear the questions)
With FTTP (full fibre):
- Usually offered 75Mbps up to 900 Mbps (some providers even 1,000 Mbps or more!)
- Upload speeds can be just as fast as download but are usually restricted.
- Speed stays the same no matter where you live.
What Speed Do You Actually Need?
Everyone will have different needs, but let’s try and keep this simple:
For 1-2 people:
- Light use (emails, browsing, bit of Netflix): 50-100 Mbps
- Working from home or gaming: 50 -300 Mbps
For a family of 3-4:
- Normal use (streaming, gaming, browsing): 150-500 Mbps
- Heavy use (4K streaming, multiple gamers, home office): 500+ Mbps
For 5+ people or tech-heavy households:
- Consider 500+ Mbps, especially if you have a lot of uploads as well, i.e. remote backups, remote file synchronisation, video creation and publishing, running your own servers, etc.
Remember: These are like pipe sizes – the bigger the pipe, the more water (or, in this case, data) can flow through at once. So if you’ve got four people all trying to stream Netflix in different rooms while someone’s on a Zoom call and another’s downloading the latest PlayStation game, you’ll want a bigger pipe!
Guaranteed Speeds
You may find that your internet provider has a minimum guaranteed speed, normally less than the service you are taking. If you are getting less than the promised speed, you may be entitled to downgrade your service or switch suppliers if they can not resolve the problem.
This is the speed at the router, i.e. where the line comes into the house, not on your mobile at the end of the garden.
NOTE: After talking to a few suppliers, you can typically upgrade your speed by adjusting your current contract, BUT downgrading your speed may mean clearing your current contract and taking a new one. This will vary by supplier, so it is worth asking the question before you commit.
When I have given some “typical” internet scenarios of usage, BT, Plusnet and a couple of providers have been pretty good at suggesting the best, not necessarily the fastest, options.
Real-Life Examples
What can you do with different speeds?
150 Mbps:
- Download a HD film (4GB) in about 15 minutes
- Run 6-7 Netflix streams at once
- Perfect for a small family
500 Mbps:
- Download that same film in about 1 minute
- Run multiple 4K streams while gaming
- Everyone can do video calls at once without issues
900 Mbps:
- Download a 4K film (40GB) in about 6 minutes
- The whole street could be on Zoom, and you wouldn’t notice
- Future-proof for whatever technology throws at us next
But it’s not just about speed:
- It works in any weather (unlike current lines that can go wonky when it rains)
- It’s more reliable (fewer engineer visits are needed as a lot of issues can be fixed remotely)
- It should be better for the environment (it uses less power)
Future-Proofing
Remember when we all thought 1GB was a massive hard drive? Technology moves on, and FTTP is built to handle whatever comes next. Whether it’s virtual reality, 8K telly, or whatever else they dream up, your new connection should be ready for it.
Installation
Your internet provider should give you full details on what happens on installation day. If you want your ONT socket completely different to where your current telephone socket is, you may need to pay for an upgraded installation, but this does depend on a number of factors.
An ONT is an Optical Network Terminal. The ONT is what allows the fibre optic cable to be connected from inside your home, out through your property and to the fibre network on the street.
Your internet router and maybe your telephone will plug into this ONT box. This will need to be near a power socket.
Talk to your supplier prior to installation so they can advise.
Some common “moans” about Internet services
“Their speeds are cr*p, I’m paying for XXX and only getting YYY on my phone.”
Think of your home internet connection like water flowing through pipes. Your main internet connection (from your provider like BT, Virgin, Sky) is like a big water main coming into your house – let’s say it’s capable of delivering 100 Mbps, which is fairly typical in the UK.
Now, here’s where people get confused:
- Your WiFi router broadcasts signal like a speaker broadcasts sound – it gets weaker the further away you are. Most households just use the router they were given by their internet provider. Most are OK, but they are all pretty much “cheap and cheerful” units.
- While you might pay for 100 Mbps if you’re connected via Wifi :
- In the same room as the router: You might get close to 100 Mbps
- Upstairs through a floor: Might drop to 40 Mbps
- At the bottom of the garden: You might only get 10 Mbps
- Common things that mess up WiFi :
- Older properties with thick walls
- Overlapping WiFi networks from neighbours
- Concrete, glass, and metal fixings can mess around with WiFI signals.
- The physical location of the router & aerial position. Most of the time, this will be where the telephone used to be before the internet came along!
When you run a speed test:
- On a device connected directly to the router with a cable, it should show close to your 100 Mbps
- On your phone upstairs, it might only show 30 Mbps, depending on your WiFI signal strength.
Most people immediately think, “I’m paying for 100 Mbps but only getting 30!” and blame their internet provider, when really it’s just that the WiFi signal is weak in that location.
It’s like blaming the water company because the pressure is low when you’re using a watering can with a partially blocked sprinkler head – the supply is fine, it’s just the final delivery method that’s causing the issue.
There are various options to improve the wireless signal, it all comes down to trying to work out what the problem is and what the best fix is.
Why are you paying £XXX per month when I only pay £YYY?
Internet service, mobile phones and streaming services are great at advertising wonderful introduction offers for new customers, but these prices do not necessarily apply if you are already signed up. Check with your current supplier to see what discounts/benefits they can provide for you as a current/long term customer !
Shorter contracts do tend to be a little more expensive, but it does mean you can switch elsewhere if pricing drastically changes or you find the levels of service do not match the hype.
Watch out for hidden “freebies” – things like free routers, wifi extenders, software subscriptions, etc, are great, but check the small print. If you change service, you may need to return any hardware.
Now for the tricky bit – phone lines and telephone numbers.
Goodbye Old Phone Line
As you have probably seen online and by some of the chatter in the Whatsapp group – switching to the new FTTP (and even FTTC) in some cases has raised the issue of how your landline telephone will work.
In some cases, people have lost the telephone number that they have had for years. This may be due to not fully understanding or some poor explanations from suppliers on the switch to the new phone system.
These changes apply immediately to FTTP and new FTTC connections as everything moves to digital. There is no avoiding this; it was scheduled to be done by 2025, but this deadline has now moved to 2027.
Understanding the Difference Between Old and New
Let’s break down how these two systems work…..
The Old Way (PSTN)
PSTN stands for PSTN is Public Switched Telephone Network.
Imagine your traditional phone line as a really, really long piece of copper string between two tin cans (but a bit more sophisticated):
- It’s basically a direct electrical connection between phones.
- When you speak, your voice creates electrical signals that travel along copper wires.
- There’s a physical circuit connecting you to the person you’re calling.
- Your phone is powered by the telephone line itself.
- If you want more than one phone number, typically, you would have extra lines added to your house.
- If you want extra handsets, you can add extension cables or cordless phones, but you can typically only have one call-in or one call-out at a time.
Real-world example: It’s like having a dedicated railway line between two stations. The train (your voice) can only go back and forth on that one line, and nothing else can use the track while your train’s on it.
The New Way (Digital/VoIP)
Now, digital calls work more like sending a WhatsApp or Facebook voice message, but instant:
- Your voice is converted into digital data.
- This data is split into tiny packets
- The packets travel across the internet to their destination
- They’re reassembled into your voice at the other end
- No physical restrictions (there may be service restrictions) on the number of phone lines and numbers you can have.
As the service is digital and internet-based, less restrictions and more functionality in theory.
Key Differences You’ll Notice
Sound Quality
- PSTN: Can have background noise or crackle (like an old radio)
- Digital: Usually clearer, like a good mobile phone call
- But: Digital quality depends on your internet connection
Power Requirements
- PSTN: Works in a power cut (powered by the phone line)
- Digital: Needs electricity and an internet connection)
Extra Features
- PSTN: Basic features like caller ID and call waiting
- Digital: Loads more options like:
- More than one call at a time
- Transfer calls to different devices
- Video calling
- Call recording
- Voicemail sent to your email, along with a message transcription.
- Add new phone numbers in seconds
- SMS
- and more….
Reliability
- PSTN: Can be affected by weather and distance
- Digital: Not affected by weather but does need a stable internet
Why’s It Happening?
The current phone network is getting a bit long in the tooth:
- It’s been around since before the First World War
- It’s about as energy-efficient as a chocolate teapot
- Can’t handle the modern features we’ve come to expect
- Costs a lot to maintain (which affects our phone bills)
What Does This Mean for My Home Phone?
The Changes
Here’s where it gets interesting, as it is quite a major mind-shift from something that has been around your entire life.
Your current phone won’t work directly with the new digital system because that needs the electrical current from the old phone line to work.
You’ve got two main options:
Keep your current phone, switch to Digital Voice service, but add an adapter (called an ATA).
- It’s a small box that lets your old phone work with the new system, think of it like an adapter that lets you use UK plugs abroad.
- It may be provided by your internet provider if you go with them for your telephone service, or maybe built into their routers, BUT you could be restricted to using their telephone offering rather than being able to shop about.
Get a new VoIP phone (Voice over Internet Protocol – a fancy way of saying “internet phone”) and look at switching provider to a true “VoIP Service.
- Looks and works just like a normal phone
- Plugs into your internet router instead of a phone socket
- Often comes with cool new features.
- or you can get an ATA adapter, use your current phone and use a VoIP Provider.
Other Things You Need to Think About
Power Cuts
Here’s the main thing to know: unlike your old phone, which worked in a power cut, the new digital system needs electricity. It’s a bit like your mobile – no power, no chat.
What you can do about it:
- Get a backup power supply (like a big power bank) – shop around as it should meet the Ofcom recommended backup time of one hour backup time. You might want to consider a computer UPS (big battery bank) so you can also power other devices, i.,e charge your mobile as well as keeping your internet connection powered).
- Keep a charged mobile phone handy
- If you’re vulnerable or need guaranteed access to emergency services, talk to your provider about special arrangements.
Emergency Calls
Speaking of emergencies:
- Your VoIP phone provider needs to know your address (for 999 calls). Technically, you could be anywhere in the world with a VoIP telephone number.
- Keep a charged mobile as a backup.
- Consider a battery backup if you’re dependent on your telephone.
Keeping Your Phone Number
The Good News
Yes, you can keep your phone number! Odds are your internet service provider will do this for you if you go with them for their Digital Voice service.
If you want to go to VoIP, the process is called ‘porting’, and it’s a bit like moving your mobile number to a new provider. Porting should take up to 21 days to move numbers between providers – fees vary, but typically £15 ish to move from “landline” to VoIP.
Digital Voice providers tend not to charge, but as you will probably be taking their internet and phone services on a contract so, they can take the hit !
I’ll explain a bit more in a bit…..
The tricky bit(s)
Most complication comes from your phone number being tied to the physical line that you use for your current internet connection (and, in some cases, really bad sales information from providers) To be fair, the few suppliers I’ve contacted have been pretty switched on and have given the correct advice.
- If you try to port your number before you have FTTP installed, you will lose your current internet and telephone connection. It will get very messy!
- If you have been moved to FTTP/FTTC but were not given the opportunity to keep your number, you have 30 days to claim it from the “pool”. If anyone tells you differently, ask them to look at Ofcom General Conditions of Entitlement, section “B3 Obligations to enable number portability”, which basically says you have the right to move your phone number to another provider (i.e. a VoIP Service provider).
- Some Internet Service Providers who currently supply Internet and Phone services are stopping supporting telephony on the new digital broadband system. Some are offloading combined internet and phone packages to other providers. One example is PlusNet, they are stopping their telephone options but will continue providing internet-only services. If you want to keep both, they will switch you to EE for a combined Internet & Telephone service.
Confused?
With the new phone technology, it can be quite confusing to understand the term digital when it comes to telephone service with all the new marketing.
Digital Voice
Digital Voice is the term being used for the phone service aspect that BT (and other large internet service providers) are offering customers.
This is a new version of a traditional landline phone system, but instead of coming over the copper line, it comes via your internet connection digitally.
These Digital Voice services tend to be tied to your provider; you can’t currently, as an example, take your internet connection with BT but use the Digital Voice service from Virgin. You are, in effect, tied to your internet provider and their pricing.
You will likely be offered a “call bundle”, typically PAYG (Pay as You Go) or X amount of minutes “free” for an additional fee per month. More on this in a minute……
Whilst you may have access to some new call features, there are often features that you need to pay extra for and fundamentally, the telephone service is still tied to your physical location by internet connection rather than a physical copper wire.
VoIP Services (sometimes called Cloud Telephony)
VoIP (Voice over IP) is a standard way of enabling digital telephone calls over internet connections and has been around since 1995. It is a completely standalone service for running telephony and isn’t tied to your internet service. This means you can have your internet service with one company and your phone service with someone different.
VoIP Services tend to be based on user rather than telephone lines, giving more flexibility on how you use your phone. Typically, they can appear to be business-orientated, but there is no reason why they can not be used in a domestic setting.
You are not tied to a physical location for your VoIP service. If you have reasonable internet access, you have a telephone service.
You typically have access to a wide range of features and call packages, and you have more control over how you deal with your calls.
You can have a VoIP handset (think office-style telephone), or you can use your existing telephone with a suitable ATA adapter. Using a VoIP handset can make access to new features a little easier, like transferring calls, accessing voicemail, etc.
VoIP handsets can be physically wired or cordless using DECT or a specific WiFi phone (these can be expensive!). You can also use free or paid apps on your mobile devices, so there is no need for an actual telephone at all !.
As an example, the office number for Hightrees Organisation Limited rings a physical phone on my desk, but also the app running on my mobile. I only have to give out one number for work, I know that is a work call vs a personal call, and if I can’t answer the phone, the voicemail is emailed to me. Oh, and the same number can also be used by Whatsapp for Business as well – making it easier to keep work/personal life apart.
But they sound basically the same ?
Yes and no – it is all in the detail and, more importantly, the costs. Fundamentally, both allow you to make and receive calls digitally.
Digital Voice services provided by your Internet Provider (i.e. BT, Virgin, EE, etc.) tend to be tied to your Internet connection, and the telephony services are often fairly basic (in the grand scheme of the new digital telephone age!). The two services tend to be tied by contract, so in effect, you are stuck with keeping your internet and phone services together.
A VoIP Provider will typically charge you a “rental” fee for your telephone number (s) and a Call Plan per “user” per month. You can use this service on practically any decent internet connection.
The “per user” sounds confusing, but think how your Netflix subscription or mobile phone family plan works – it’s for £X amount per month for X amount of devices/handsets with shared benefits.
Some providers work on a 12-month contract, others, like my company, work on a rolling 30-day contract.
So what? A phone is a phone, it’s only an extra £5 per month……
Bear with me; it’s going to get a little bit “mathy”……
It can be hard to get the pricing for Digital Voice packages unless you sign up or do battle with the salespeople on the phone, but as of 10th Feb 2025, BT has the following pricing :
- 150Mbs Internet Only – £29.99/month – 24-month contract
- 150Mbs Internet & Digital Voice – £34.99/month – 24-month contract
The £5 difference is a PAYG telephone contract, meaning you will have a digital phone service, a telephone number and some of the basic call features, but you will be charged for any calls you make. BT’s call rates (on the new digital platform) are almost exactly the same as their traditional “landline” rates, i.e. around 20p/minute for a landline and a little bit more for UK mobiles.
So straight off, it costs you £5 to have a phone number and receive digital telephone calls at your home (excluding any hardware)
Current BT pricing is UK Unlimited calls at £18/month, and Unlimited + International calls at £22/month. Plus, your internet connection fee.
Things to watch out for
- Some providers apply “fair usage limits”, i.e. unlimited but they only expect you to make XXX minutes worth of calls, so reserve the right to charge you if you exceed our expectations.
- It appears that most call bundles on offer just give you “free minutes” rather than any extra functionality, and you are tied into a contract. As an example, extra features such as “enhanced voicemail” are available for an extra monthly cost (£4.03)
- Watch out for “you can divert your home number to your mobile” – you may be liable for call charges depending on what call tariff/mobile provider you are with. This could be a double whammy if you are out of the country and you are paying mobile roaming fees as well!
It’s only a couple of quid extra – why wouldn’t you go unlimited?
Monthly Cost Scenario
Let’s consider someone who makes the following calls in a month:
- 100 minutes to landlines
- 50 minutes to mobiles
- Monthly total: 150 minutes
For simplicity, I have standardised the Digital Voice call rates at 20p/minute.
With a “Typical” Digital Voice (PAYG):
- Landline calls: 100 × £0.20 per minute = £20.00
- Mobile calls: 50 × £0.20 per minute = £10.00
- Total: £30.00 for calls + monthly broadband & PAYG Digital Voice service at £34.99 = £64.99
- Total over 24 month period = £1559.76 (not including standard £3/internet uplift per year)
With a “Typical” Digital Voice (With UK Unlimited Bundle):
- Monthly bundle: £18.00
- Additional charges: £0
- Total: £18.00
- Unlimited at £18 + monthly broadband & Digital Voice service at £29.99 = £47.99
- Total over 24 month period = £1151.76 )not including standard £3/internet uplift per year)
With Independent VoIP, using Hightrees VoIP PAYG rates as an example:
- 1 x telephone number and 1 x PAYG Service @ £5.97/month
- Landline calls: 100 × £0.01 per minute = £1.00
- Mobile calls: 50 × £0.075 per minute = £3.75
- Total: £10.72 + monthly broadband-only service at £29.99 = £40.71
- Total over 24 month period = £977.04 (not including standard £3/internet uplift per year)
From the example BT PAYG vs VoIP PAYG could save you around £20/month!
It is VERY important to take a look at your call usage over a few months to get an accurate idea of what you actually need to see if any call bundles are actually worth it, especially if you are committed to a long contract.
If you take the above example but include 2 months where you don’t make any calls, the picture changes…..
- Digital Voice PAYG + Internet = £134.97, over 24 months – £1079.76
- Digital Voice Unlimited Calls + Internet = £143.97 – over 24 months – £1151.76
- VoIP PAYG + Internet = £112.63 – over 24 months – £901.04
The same principle applies to your mobile call usage as well, so it might be worth taking a look at your bills.
“Unlimited” options are only great if you use them to the full advantage otherwise, you are paying extra per month on the off chance you might make a lot of calls.
Summary
It can be very confusing, but hopefully, that has broken things down and made the options a bit clearer.
I’ve not covered mobile phone options for the internet, as that varies from provider to provider, weather conditions, different phone makes and geographical location in the village.
If you have any questions, drop me a message, and I’ll try to help if I can.
Please bear in mind that I’m not in a position to recommend any particular provider over another or to give definitive “you must buy this one” as that depends entirely on what you will be using the services for, budgets and specific requirements.
Cheers
Simon
—
Hightrees Organisation Limited
