Landline changes using router

[WonkyTrout]

Email today about changing to phone line over broadband and needing an adapter from router.  I chose not to go with a company who do this (probably all do it now)

Not what I want, is this enough to get me out of contract now?

[Jason]

Hey @WonkyTrout. It's disappointing to hear that you're looking to cancel your contract because of this change. In regards to being switched over to Digital Voice/VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), it's important to note that since 2020 Openreach have been closing down it's Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) - this old technology is used to direct landline calls over the traditional copper wires. 

Openreach refers to the sale of their traditional landlines as WLR (Wholesale Line Rental). This year Openreach will stop selling WLR completely and in 2025, Openreach will shut down the PSTN completely - this means customers will no longer be able to connect their landline this way. 

[WonkyTrout]

So I got my contract in 22.... surely they should have said then?

On phone now as they stated a number to call if issues.  Times like this you realise why its better just to stick with BT... heck even plusnet have better support.

It'll be great when my 81 year old dad has to reboot the rooter before he can call the emergency line.

So on the phone and they say there will be no phone change as the contract ends in July and I will be changing over to a different service.

In Conclusion 

Waste of my time but gives clarification I will be using someone else on my next contract,   I guess a happy ending (until they cut my phone line before the contract end which I'm now ready for that possibility)

[Jayach]

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@WonkyTrout wrote:

Waste of my time but gives clarification I will be using someone else on my next contract,   

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Good luck finding somebody who doesn't use digital voice. Now is the only ISP I know who doesn't.

[WonkyTrout]

It's not really about finding a landline, it's about not honouring the contract or as it turned out wasting my time.

[Jayach]

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@WonkyTrout wrote:

It's not really about finding a landline, it's about not honouring the contract 

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I doubt the contract actually said how the phone service would be delivered. (no I can't be bothered to check either)

[Jason]

We respect your view on this @WonkyTrout, however we do advise in our Terms & Conditions that "We may change your Agreement, our services or charges at any time in order to:

• Change the way in which we provide services to you (for example, by using a different technology to provide the service).
• Change the structure of our services, charges or equipment (for example, by changing the
  component parts of a service)."

[CrimsonLiar]

As I've posted elsewhere we were on notice from OpenReach that physical phone lines on this housing estate will be retired later this year - unless you are classed as vulnerable!  It also means that anyone cancelling a physical line cannot sign up for a physical line from a different provider.  Switching from VF to BT though, I would have run the 2 in parallel for a short time if that were possible but speaking to neighbours it's not possible as OR will remove the line when fitting the cable

[Jayach]

Ofcom, or whoever is supposed to be in charge of the retirement of the PSTN, (public switched telephone network) have realised there is a problem for those customers who need an "always on" connection.

They just haven't decided on what to replace it with, so they are just "kicking the can down the road" hoping some new technology will come along to save them.

Come the end of 2025, it will be very interesting.