The Broadband Plan - what to expect

BT, VOIP and 'Digital Voice'

The change of the telephone system to 'VOIP' ('Voice over Internet Protocol' if you want to bore your friends) is scheduled to hit us from Spring 2024. This will give you a little more information.

PLEASE NOTE THE PROGRAMME IS DELAYED DUE TO THE (AS PREDICTED) DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED - UPDATE WHEN I GET IT!

**** NEW DELAYED DEADLINE JANUARY 2027 ****

BT have announced that they will NOT be switching consumers who:

1) Have a healthcare pendant
2) Only use landlines
3) Have no mobile signal
4) Have disclosed any additional needs

In view of the lousy mobile phone signal in most of the village I think 3) will get a lot of use.

I assume that the reasons are:

1) The internet connection probably will not be compatible with the pendant alert system and will require a landline still.
2) I don't know why this is listed, unless it merges with 3) in that these consumers probably do NOT have a mobile phone.
3) This is because with a power failure consumers will have no way of contacting anyone except by mobile phone as explained below. PLEASE NOTE that having 'wi-fi calling on your mobile contract will NOT help as the router would die with a power failure, so no wi-fi!
4) Again, the detail is unclear.

So, when you are notified of the change in 'Spring' 2024, get your ducks in a row to make sure you retain some means of communication in a power failure. I was under he imprsession that 'vulnerable' consumers would be provided with some form of back-up power supply, but of course that is of no use if the broadband system is down as well.

NB: There are many options for VOIP telephony other than BT!

In my view this whole thing needs a lot of thought by government and I regret I am unconvinced that the current lot are capable of this!

So, keep your wits about you and 'watch this space'.

BROADBAND/FIBRE UPDATE

See the comment below - it is worth keeping your eyes open for any fibre in your area. Giganet and Trooli seem quite active. I am getting reports of development around the village.

The residents of Castlegate have given up waiting for Openreach to do anything to help and have clubbed together to ask a local company, Briant Broadband, to install fibre in the road and provide an excellent symmetrical high speed broadband feed. All at a very reasonable price which will 'future-proof' their houses.

Openreach have finally announced a plan to install fibre along a few major village roads 'in 2026'.

Things are moving more quickly in the fibre world now, and companies like Trooli' and 'Giganet' are working in our area. Do check to see if they can provide you right now using existing fibre, and if not, register your interest on their website.

Remember when you look at costs, that if you choose to use VOIP for telephony OR just rely on your mobile, you will be able to ditch your BT provided telephone, thus saving on the line rental. It is worth reading my other bit about that below. If you take off the line rental then fibre broadband becomes very competitive, not to mention the vastly improved speeds.

The latest I have on Telephone Plans

I'm not sure how many of you are aware that your familiar 'old' telephone (known as 'POTS' - Plain Old Telephone System in the communications world) is planned to disappear within 3 years?

It is the 'Grand Plan' of BT and the government that all telephone systems to domestic properties will connect via broadband after the end of 2026. All connections to properties via the existing technology ('POTS') will cease.

The telephone will then connect to a broadband supply via a 'router' with a special adaptation for a voice telephonic system known as VOIP - 'Voice over IP'. This will require electricity to operate. The actual functioning of the system is not going to be significantly different - you will be able to pick up the new 'phone' and dial out and receive incoming calls. The changes to 'traditional' telephone exchanges will take place up to 2025. Some exchanges have already changed over. It is assumed that telephone and broadband service providers will be contacting their customers in good time to help them with the transition and any changes needed. I am trying to find out if the WSCC broadband team have any information, but no luck at the moment. The costs of the new system should not be vastly different to current landline costs (there will still be some sort of 'line rental'), and you should gain several other services on the 'line' which you might have to pay for at the moment, and your number should not need to change. NB THERE IS NO NEED TO PANIC!

This means several things:-

1) Every property that wishes to retain a means of telephone communication will need a broadband connection - this can be either using a 'wired' broadband service or some sort of wireless broadband. BT are developing a 'new' system to use the old broadband supplies we had several years ago ('ADSL') to deliver broadband to premises that do not have currently have it - it is called 'SOTAP' (Single Order Transitional Access Product for anyone interested). It is expected to deliver the necessary broadband to premises using the existing copper/aluminium wires your current telephone ('POTS') uses. PLEASE NOTE the loss of the existing telephone system AND the move to a broadband-based system will be compulsory, but there will be no requirement to have an internet connection if you don't want one. You can have 'just' 'plain' broadband to provide the telephone service.

2) You will lose not only the POTS, but also the 'backup' that provides power in the event of a mains power failure, since BT have for years provided electrical supplies down your phone line to maintain the POTS. Your 'back-up' then will be either a mobile phone, wireless broadband OR a back-up power system in your property that will power the system if the mains fails.

3) By 2030 the existing mobile phone network will have closed down and it is planned that all mobile phone connections will be using 4g, 5g or whatever comes next, so if you don't have a 'smart phone' that does the internet with 4 or 5g you will need one then in order to have a mobile (and broadband) connection after 2030.

Your New Year's resolution?

Two things we need to badger our MP with (as long as he lasts.....)

1. The plan is to phase out landline telephones and replace them with VOIP internet systems by the end of 2025. That's only 3 years away....... STOP PRESS 29th April - BT ANNOUNCE AN UNSPECIFIED DELAY IN THIS.

The next part of the plan is to phase out the existing '2g' mobile network (the one you makes calls on) by 2028. ALL voice calls will then route via 4g/5g/?6g?/?7g?. This means that anyone who wants to make a phone call will need a broadband connection AND either a 4g(+) capable mobile OR a VOIP capable handset. Hours of fun for granny and grandad as they wrestle with the new technology.

All very tech and modern BUT think about those who do not have (or want) broadband - who will pay for their rentals? Now think about power failures. Ask the people of the north of the UK about that?

No power = no router = no phone. No 999 calls. OK says BT, you can use your mobile! What about the elderly, those who do not have mobiles, and those who cannot get a reliable signal anyway in rural areas? What about burglar and medical alarm systems that rely on the landline? How do you charge the mobile up?

So, you have to buy a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply). It runs off a battery which needs to be kept charged. Most of them run for about 2 hours max powering the router and your phone. After that? Speak to the north of the UK about that too - seven days plus. The likelihood of major storms and subsequent power failures increases every year with climate change. Ask the people of the north of the UK about that?

Next problem - even if you manage to get power to your router and phone, the masts that supply internet and mobile phone signals require mains power. Yes, some (not all) have a back-up system. After about 2 hours (if you are lucky) that dies too. No internet = no phone.

The 'old' landline system also requires power but will work with a grid power failure as the exchanges have their own back-ups. We will lose that.

Serious questions need to be asked about this government approved steamroller.

2. The next item is to ask WSCC and Mr Griffith exactly what they are doing to improve the dreadful state of fibre and high speed broadband in the Arundel constituency, which is by far the worst in West Sussex.

We are in a big broadband ditch!

The national figure for access to fibre broadband was around 29% of properties, and the figure for West Sussex as a whole is the same. HOWEVER, our constituency, Arundel and South Downs,, was a paltry 11.9% and West Chiltington, as many of you know, is far, far worse! I have asked our MP who claims to have been a staunch supporter of better broadband, and WSCC, why this is.

If anyone is bothered, I would suggest a contact with either/both to ask what they will be doing about it?

Fibre comes to only a few in West Chiltington

It looks as if the Government voucher scheme will work for some in Southlands Lane and East Street. Thanks to the valiant efforts of one resident, Fibre is being installed to 40 properties. There, properties will be the first to benefit from the 'Community Voucher Scheme' which is 'topped up' by WSCC.

The cost per property will be very low. It is worth reminding all in the village that this sort of scheme is, in my opinion, going to be the only way anyone here will get the higher speeds as I cannot see any commercial company, including BT/Openreach, running fibre around the village (but see the above). The unexplained Fibre run Openreach installed last year down Broadford Bridge Road will, I think, be the only fibre many of us will see. It is worth pointing out that while those in the village fortunate enough to have FTTC may well be 'content' with their current speeds, it will not be long before we are left well behind in broadband speeds. We are already poorly placed in the West Sussex league table and it will get worse - see Bottom of the league!.

The only other scheme I am aware of is for part of Harbolets Road which has for ever had dreadful speeds, like Southlands and East Street. This scheme has now progressed.

The 'Broadband USO' - that's 'Universal Service Obligation'!!

From March 20th 2020, all those who currently receive less than 10Mbps download and 1Mbps upload speeds from 'an affordable connection' will have the right to REQUEST a better service. NOTE the capital letters there - you are not 'guaranteed' one and it could take up to 12 months to sort and it must cost less than £3400 for your property. There is more information at ISP Review which will link you to the OFCOM Q&A page.

What does this mean for you if you are seeking better broadband?

You need to keep checking with WSCC about what they are doing. However, in view of the 'promise' by Boris, I recommend that if you are interested in getting a fibre feed to your property you do the following asap:

Satellite versus other schemes

I have covered satellite broadband before, but will repeat:
There are two primary issues with the system, apart from cost.
Firstly 'latency'. A normal request from your computer for something on the internet - eg a webpage - travels along the wires to a broadband 'hub', be it Brighton, London, Bracknell, whereever. The response is then accessed and the result returned to your computer along the same wires. Satellite is different - the request goes from your computer via the dish some 22,000 miles up to the satellite, which then sends a request back to earth for the information. The information is returned to the satellite and then down to you. Quite a distance. This means there is a significant delay in your receiving what you requested. The delay is sufficient to render internet telephony ('VOIP') very poor and any 'games' which involve fast reaction do not work, so any 'gaming' kids will be less than impressed.. Once a steady download link is established, of course, the delay becomes effectively irrelevant eg in watching a film or listening to music.

The second problem is 'bandwidth'. While this is improving every year, it is still possible for demand at the satellite to swamp the available system, and I have been told that sometimes a '20Mb satellite broadband' can slow to 1-2Mb at busy times. The loading on the satellite system can only worsen if 300,000 new users come on line.

The monthly cost can be expensive if you aim to use a lot of broadband, ie if you aim to watch movies etc. Once you exceed the smallish 'allowance', the costs rapidly escalate.

A wireless system still offers a better option, providing you can receive the signal. The delay I mentioned above is minimal on a wireless system.

If any of you are not sure how much 'bandwidth' you would need, an example from my 'Christmas' - two teenage grandchildren visited from 'up north' and got a Playstation for Christmas. Christmas day was spent 'setting it up' which meant a significant amount of downloads, and all 3 grandchildren, plus parents, ran IPads and mobiles on my system. My usage went up from around 800MB per day to almost 10 GB per day! The 'standard' satellite package appears to be about 10GB per MONTH for around £25 pm as far as I can see. Be warned!

Furthermore, as part of the UK government's response to the EU broadband survey I told you all about, OfCom have published this:
"Ofcom have found that the average household data usage has risen to 82 GB per month, with the figures for those with fibre-to-the cabinet (FTTC) or fibre-to-the premises (FTTP) connections being considerably higher (112GB). This compares with data consumption or 23 GB per month in 2012."

Think carefully before you embark on a low bandwidth contract!

I have 'archived' all the previous entries on West Chiltington broadband, including information on the cabinets and how to check your speeds (also see below). If you wish to re-visit this, see Archive.