To think removing Analogue phone systems by 2025 is too soon?

[bigbluebus]

I know many on MN don't have phones plugged into landlines but many of us who are in slightly older demographic probably still do as our older relatives like to ring on landlines and also mobile reception is not always brilliant in more rural areas.

We were one of the unfortunate households who suffered recent power loss for 3 days and nights in freezing temperatures so keeping in touch with elderly neighbours and relatives was quite important. Of course our cordless phones don't work without power so, as advised, we have an old phone which plugs into a phone socket in such circumstances.

BT plan to get rid of this option by 2025 and landline services will only be available via broadband. As far as I'm aware the plan is to bring in a cheap basic broadband option for those who have no broadband service. But broadband needs electricity. So all those elderly and vulnerable who only have an 'electrically powered' phone line will be totally without any means of communication if the power goes off and they don't have a mobile phone.

The last 3 days here have taught us that the powers that be don't give a shiny sh*te about those on their supposed welfare list in times of crisis. My elderly neighbour (all electric) was not offered any assistance by the energy company and if she had lost her phone line too it would have made life even more difficult.

Whilst we are rural enough to have so many overhead power lines that the storm caused major disruption we are far from being out in the sticks. I feel that once again those not in towns/cities are not being considered in the name of 'progress'.

I appreciate there will come a time when the 'new' older generation will all have mobile phones but don't think that time is here yet nor will it be by 2025.

And don't get me started on the all electric agenda being pushed in the name of global warming - without our open fire we would have been frozen at the weekend!

Battery packs seem the way to go.

I hope they are going to make sure everywhere has a decent broadband dpeed then. Where we were on holiday in Wales this summer it was click on a link and go and make a cup of tea while it came up speed.

@RandomLondoner

and also mobile reception is not always brilliant in more rural areas.

I think improving mobile coverage is a better option than keeping landlines.

Could we not do both?

We have multiple power packs for charging our mobile phones - we drained them dry. There were 3 phones to keep charged. Those of you who think a battery pack is a solution clearly haven't experienced a lengthy power cut!

@Artus

We are not elderly or vulnerable but we live on the side of a hill in a newly built housing estate. We have no mobile phone signal and rely on a landline or WiFi calling. In a power cut or broadband outage we would have to hope we are able to walk quarter of a mile to get a signal. My disabled neighbour would find that impossible.

This. ^ I know several people who are in new-build places, and their mobile phone signal is so shit that they have to walk 10 to 15 minutes before they can get a signal.

And these are on the fringes of a big town too.

@KrispyKale

It's all a bit "smart motorway".

LOL yeah so true!

The optical line termination box takes 4 X AA batteries which are recharged.

It does concern me that we are making our infrastructure LESS resilient in diverse ways.

@user1492771818

The optical line termination box takes 4 X AA batteries which are recharged.

Recharged by what? Oh yes, the electricity we didn't have for 3 days!

Also those who have ground source heating (not us but all the houses opposite) are still waiting for their houses to get back up to full temperature. Under floor heating is not responsive like oil/gas. The minute our power was back on our boiler fired up and the radiators warmed up quickly. They really will have to ban oil/gas before we switch to electricity.

I work with older people - I hope BT have an excellent scheme in place to assist older and vulnerable people with this otherwise it's going to be a nightmare. I also hope they are taking into account things like dispersed alarms (careline type thing) and associated assistive tech. They rely on a landline and electricity supply. Although, we can install units with a SIM card now, they still need electricity supply. The internal battery is only good for approx 48 hours, depending on the age of the unit.

@HelplesslyHoping

I'm rural and rely on landline for emergencies. We don't get perfect phone signal but landline never fails us. Lots of people find landlines and larger phones easier to use and as they're in one place are easier to find and get to physically.

Me too. We live in a large village but mobile reception is unreliable and I often need to stand outside to get or maintain a signal.

@HemanOrSheRa

I work with older people - I hope BT have an excellent scheme in place to assist older and vulnerable people with this otherwise it's going to be a nightmare. I also hope they are taking into account things like dispersed alarms (careline type thing) and associated assistive tech. They rely on a landline and electricity supply. Although, we can install units with a SIM card now, they still need electricity supply. The internal battery is only good for approx 48 hours, depending on the age of the unit.

Back up batteries aren't designed for this length of outage. Our burglar alarm back up battery was replaced 2 weeks ago - so brand new. It has had to be replaced again as it went flat after 30 hours - which is longer than I expected it to last!

Traditional phone services were turned off in Australia some years ago. My parents were deemed vulnerable / in need of constant phone service so were provided with a battery back up. Despite being in a fairly central Sydney suburb power cuts are not infrequent and my mother's been glad of the system. Was confusing when the battery started beeping that it needed replacing though (after at least 5 years), we'd checked / changed all the smoke alarms before working out what it was.

I think it is incredibly important that the proposed switch off doesn't happen until everyone has good connectivity and all vulnerable people and places have adequate back up systems.

@RandomLondoner

Neither a modem nor a router use much power, it wouldn't take much of a battery to power them.

You would need an inverter UPS to power a router with wifi and an NTE and if you wanted something that might last 72 hours, your looking at a lot of money.

However, its highly unlikely openreach will begin this switch off by 2026, they don't have enough skilled fibre engineers, can't get the exchange equipment and and have 100s of 1000s of miles of cable to replace, again, limited staff to do it.

The box needs power, so it won't work during a power cut

Right. And power cuts will likely become more common in the future, not less!

The switch off will be done by 2025.because they cannot carry the information any more & very expensive to maintain. It’s all digital info now, so yes 2025 is the switch off from analogue to fully digital sorry but it’s going to happen, and this isn’t news overnight it’s been about for at least 5 yrs.

@bigbluebus

Also those who have ground source heating (not us but all the houses opposite) are still waiting for their houses to get back up to full temperature. Under floor heating is not responsive like oil/gas. The minute our power was back on our boiler fired up and the radiators warmed up quickly. They really will have to ban oil/gas before we switch to electricity.

Absolutely. Had my wood burner on full blast, bbq and camping stove going and I ran my diesel suv into town to buy food for us and neighbours. No charging points for electric cars. I get it shouldn’t happen often but it happens often enough for us to have emergency kit like plug in phones, camping stoves, etc…

Well I do have a landline as well as two mobiles and I need it. The internet signal in my area is beyond shitty. I live in London, so it's a bit ridiculous - We think something is interfering with the signal, but the networks can't work out what.

I might get through a conversation, or it might keep dropping out. The internet is impossible during the day, IMs/Whatsapp etc works when it feels it.

So I really hope they don't shut off analogue in 2025.

@TheSecondMrsAshwell

Well I do have a landline as well as two mobiles and I need it. The internet signal in my area is beyond shitty. I live in London, so it's a bit ridiculous - We think something is interfering with the signal, but the networks can't work out what.

I might get through a conversation, or it might keep dropping out. The internet is impossible during the day, IMs/Whatsapp etc works when it feels it.

So I really hope they don't shut off analogue in 2025.

Would you not rather hope for a reliable internet connection by 2025?

I feel for people in rural areas! I live in a large town in the home counties but have intermittent mobile reception as I live in a dip and we have frequent power cuts. I don't know how we'd cope. It's bad enough not being able to cook or have a cup of tea but to not be able to phone out and find out what's going on!?
I get a bit scared thinking about not being able to charge cars in the future. We will be at the mercy of the national grid!

Mobile signal absolutely rubbish here and WiFi slow.
In a power cut I would be screwed.

Everyone of these reply’s is negative, everything in time will improve by the very nature of the beast, don’t forget once upon a time you had to book a call to let say Australia now you dial up which today is taken for granted, everything has to change & improve otherwise we would still be living in caves. Because of so much bandwidth required, copper cables cannot cope & that is the simple truth. People have asked for faster connections so the providers have given it, sadly it will upset some people. Such is progress

I live rurally. The mobile signal is non existent. i simply cannot make or receive calls.
Our broadband is........ temperamental, and thats on a good day.

BT announced the change over 2017 so that’s 8 yrs of work behind the scenes already