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Fibre Phone Service
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Old 24-05-2021, 22:10   #1
ScottishSteve
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Fibre Phone Service

Hi folks

I have known it is coming eventually but recently been informed that the new fibre phone service will replace my existing phone line from August.

I know my broadband service is very reliable, and till now if there were any issues with the TV & Broadband then the phoneline would still work which gives me great comfort.

But now moving over to the fibre service any internet outage would include the phone as well.

Reason being I run a business from home and need the phone service to be reliable. From what I can see it is not a true VOIP service that you can forward calls and work it through an app, so if it is down forwarding calls to a mobile is not an option.

I know it will come to others eventually but with risk of loosing business calls and/or poor connected calls I am for the first time ever considering moving away from Virgin (for phone at least)

What is folks general feelings and experience of the fibre phone service and any feedback from current users would be greatly appreciated.

Last edited by ScottishSteve; 24-05-2021 at 23:42.
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Old 24-05-2021, 23:43   #2
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottishSteve View Post
Hi folks

I have known it is coming eventually but recently been informed that the new fibre phone service will replace my existing phone line from August.

I know my broadband service is very reliable, and till now if there were any issues with the TV & Broadband then the phoneline would still work which gives me great comfort.

But now moving over to the fibre service any internet outage would include the phone as well.

Reason being I run a business from home and need the phone service to be reliable. From what I can see it is not a true VOIP service that you can forward calls and work it through an app, so if it is down forwarding calls to a mobile is not an option.

I know it will come to others eventually but with risk of loosing business calls and/or poor connected calls I am for the first time ever considering moving away from Virgin (for phone at least)

What is folks general feelings and experience of the fibre phone service and any feedback from current users would be greatly appreciated.
Your business has a mobile number does it not if not why not lol ? set up a custom voicemail to ask customers to call or text that and you call back
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Old 25-05-2021, 00:09   #3
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

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Originally Posted by Jaymoss View Post
Your business has a mobile number does it not if not why not lol ? set up a custom voicemail to ask customers to call or text that and you call back
The landline is all that has been required for the past decade and the number has been on all literature and adverts during that time.

It’s not a mobile based business, there is always someone to answer calls during business hours, I used to operate in an office but it made more sense to move to my home. Setting up a voicemail is not an option if the line drops.

It’s apparently progress but it’s not.

The point of my post was to find out how people are finding the service not to scrutinise the working of my business (but thanks for your input)

Last edited by ScottishSteve; 25-05-2021 at 00:18.
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Old 25-05-2021, 02:15   #4
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

So which provider are you considering moving to? Anyone using the Openreach network won't be of much use as their PSTN is being retired in 2025 and areas are already being moved over to VoIP.
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Old 25-05-2021, 03:43   #5
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

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So which provider are you considering moving to? Anyone using the Openreach network won't be of much use as their PSTN is being retired in 2025 and areas are already being moved over to VoIP.
Well that is the dilema, if you read my OP you will see I am aware of this but the Virgin service is very limited in what it actually offers.

It’s very backwards that a phone network which has been self powered for over half a century is at the stage that more equipment is required at the end to actually use it and any outage for TV and broadband going forward will also pull down the phone service.

It seems somewhat premature and not very well thought out unlike other actual VOIP services who have mobile phone apps etc.

When the Virgin broadband network went down here a few years back we all still had a phone service but no tv or broadband and the mobile networks went into meltdown. To think that if that was to happen again (and the chances are it may) then my business could loose out on some important calls.

Even the letter to say that it is coming starts off with a so exciting tone followed by if there is a power cut or loss of network then basically tough.

By their own admissions it is already an inferior service.

The point to my post is to find out how customers who already have the service are finding it and if it is as reliable as hoped for the quality and consistency expected from something as simple as a landline.

So any feedback or reassurances of the service is what we are looking for.

Last edited by ScottishSteve; 25-05-2021 at 04:39.
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Old 25-05-2021, 09:21   #6
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

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Originally Posted by pip08456 View Post
So which provider are you considering moving to? Anyone using the Openreach network won't be of much use as their PSTN is being retired in 2025 and areas are already being moved over to VoIP.
And the Openreach Digital Voice service has the same power supply restriction i.e. if the Hub doesn't have power then it doesn't work.

And where they are active, both currently replicate the equivalent PSTN service for Openreach and Virgin Media. Neither is aimed at matching VoIP services that sit on top of the broadband connection, although I can imagine that once the majority of customers on both Openreach and Virgin Media are on the respective IP voice services that may start to change.
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Old 25-05-2021, 14:17   #7
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

No mention of a 'fallover back up supply'.
(For those having a phone connection to a health monitoring service)
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Old 25-05-2021, 14:26   #8
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

OFCOM require providers to offer methods in access to emergency services where they offer IP based phone services, but it doesn't have to replicate the full service.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultatio...ions-power-cut

Currently where customer's say that require one, Virgin Media offer a battery backup until that will use a SIM card to allow a wired landline handset to dial 999.

The alarm industry is working on moving their services away from connecting to analogue landlines, and towards SIM cards and other updated digital methods - https://www.bsia.co.uk/blogs/98/bsia...-to-take-acti/
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Last edited by BenMcr; 25-05-2021 at 14:34.
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Old 25-05-2021, 15:44   #9
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

So glancing over the recommendations the 'special services' is the one of interest!
Due to an advanced age and living alone my mum relies on the services of an out of hours monitoring service. (paid for service)
The action is activated by using a pendant button whereby the service provider makes contact and dependent on the situation activates a responce by emergency services or makes contact with a named individual on a list of responders.
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Old 26-05-2021, 12:08   #10
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

Unfortunately any services like that will need support from the service provider to prepare it for IP voice services from any provider.

Even where the power is on there isn't a guarantee that they will work as they do on a pure analogue line.
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Old 05-07-2021, 11:57   #11
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

Just to update this, I opted to move the phone number to a full VoIP service from VoipFone which forwards to my mobile in the event of the internet being down.

Obviously through the new virgin fibre phone if it is for residential someone can try your mobile but for incoming business calls the new service I have signed up for is ideal and it logs any missed calls.

Overall I’m quite happy to have switched while maintaining my Virgin Broadband and TV service
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Old 05-07-2021, 12:06   #12
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

I did the same moved our phone line away from our ISP to sipgate best decision we made.
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Old 05-07-2021, 16:19   #13
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottishSteve View Post
Hi folks

I have known it is coming eventually but recently been informed that the new fibre phone service will replace my existing phone line from August.

I know my broadband service is very reliable, and till now if there were any issues with the TV & Broadband then the phoneline would still work which gives me great comfort.

But now moving over to the fibre service any internet outage would include the phone as well.

Reason being I run a business from home and need the phone service to be reliable. From what I can see it is not a true VOIP service that you can forward calls and work it through an app, so if it is down forwarding calls to a mobile is not an option.

I know it will come to others eventually but with risk of loosing business calls and/or poor connected calls I am for the first time ever considering moving away from Virgin (for phone at least)

What is folks general feelings and experience of the fibre phone service and any feedback from current users would be greatly appreciated.
So they do let people know they're being moved over to VOIP then, that's good. Our phone is going off shortly, which I thought might be for VOIP, but it's for a software update as per SP. I guess we have a fair amount of time left on the traditional system then or they wouldn't be bothering to do this.
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Old 05-07-2021, 18:59   #14
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

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So they do let people know they're being moved over to VOIP then, that's good.
Yes I got a letter in early May saying it will be switched in August

It gives you the chance to leave if not suitable to your needs. They could also just be upgrading the cabinet power supplies in preparation for future upgrades.
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Old 20-08-2021, 20:18   #15
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Re: Fibre Phone Service

Just an update on this in my local area.
I am so glad I moved my business number over to Voipfone (a full voip service)

A relative who lives round the corner had their phone service swapped on Monday and everything ‘seemed’ fine but turns out the line only accepts calls from Virgin Media customers, and calls from mobiles just ring out. From my VoIP number it just gives a dead tone.

Despite being a clear problem at their end they have an engineer visiting tomorrow.

I have read locally of a few businesses in the are loosing access to their numbers over the past few days and being given temporary numbers. One such business is a local Chinese takeaway who have had the same number for over 25 years and been told it could be up to 2 weeks till they get their number back.

So things haven’t got exactly to plan in this area.
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