Phone Service above 1Gbps and also using Smart Hub Pro and Smart WiFi Pro

[MichaelW901]

We have recently been notified by Openreach that we now have access to Ultrafast Broadband with availability of 1.6 Gbps from EE.   We have also been notified by Virgin Media that we now have access to Ultrafast Broadband with availability of 2.0 Gbps from them  We have 2 connectorised block terminals (CBT), one from each company, on 2 separate telegraph poles within 60 feet of our home in Norfolk.

We want to maintain our landline and keep our existing number, the other thing to say is that we have no need for speeds of 1.0Gbps +, I just want to future proof and if it is available and we can afford it, why not.

The issue is the provision of a phone line.  Virgin Media (VM) tell me that in my area they have a contractual agreement with BT/Openreach (BT/OR) that VM cannot provide a phone service, this is apparently part of the agreement that allows VM to use BT/OR infrastructure (the telegraph pole).  In other areas VM can provide phone service but not here.

I investigated the 1.6 Gbps service from EE, after much toing and froing with EE technical and sales staff it appears that because of a technical limitation (that no-one can explain) EE cannot provide a telephone service for any speed about 1.0Gbps.  So 900 Mbps is fine but nothing above that.

So I have "resigned" myself to the 900 Mbps service but with the Smart Hub Pro and and possibly the Smart WiFi Pro.

But then it occurred to me that perhaps the issue with the phone service is caused with the Smart Hub Pro, which of course is standard with the 1.6Gbps plan?

So after that long pre-amble my question is there anyone amongst this community who does have the 900 Mbps plan with the Smart Hub Pro who successfully transferred their old number from BT and whose phone is working?  From my many phone conversations with both EE technical and sales staff I have had lot of "oh yes it SHOULD work" but have found no-one who has personal experience of it working!  I am hoping that there is someone here who has had that experience and can help me make an informed decision. 

Also does anyone know why the 1.6Gbps plan does not work with a phone line?

Thanks in anticipation for any and all assistance

Happy New Year

Michael

[Matt_124]

Sounds like they're trying to put you on an All Rounder of Full Works package when moving across as these are the equivalent to Halo 3 and often there are roadblocks with downgrading off a Halo package even on BT once upon a time.

Generally this is the system doing this and not giving the option bizarrely. 

Are you fully out of contract on your BT package or how long do you have left to run? This could be the roadblock you're facing as the migration system often looks at the price minus any discounts if it is a mid-term migration but in your last 90 days you should have the option of the standard Essentials plans. And generally when moving to FTTP the system is usually more friendly than this.

[MichaelW901]

@Matt_124  My contract with BT expires in 3 days on the 09/01/25 and then I will continue out of contract with no price increases as that is part of the Halo 3 deal apparently.

[JimM11]

@MichaelW901 That would be good, but problem will be no upgrade path to FF from your fttc currently, do not think that BT would wish to deal with it, but as you say, you never know until you try it... Good thing is month/month rolling contract do as you need if you can get a good deal!

[Matt_124 · Accepted solution]

Yes that sounds correct, however just to be clear, you will still get the annual inflationary increases but you will not get an out-of-contract price increase. Essentially it means you don't have to recontract with the fear of a discount falling off and shooting your bill up in the short term.

So your bill will remain the same until the 31st of March 2024, at which point it will increase by CPI+3.9% on your next bill and going forward.

Would you have another family member at home that you would be able to put the EE Account in the name of? Would mean you could do a line takeover on the BT and keep the same number and get the new customer price.

The only issue with this is that if you have EE Mobile, the two need to be in the same account holder name to be able to link the EE One Multi Product Benefits.

[MichaelW901]

@Matt 

@JimM11 

So an update, 4 days ago I received a phone call from the BT Retention department.  They were "concerned" that I was leaving and wanted to work with me to  keep me within the BT family.  After a bit of negotiation they offered me the EE 900 Mbps plan for £34.99 pm, the Smart Hub Pro for the standard £10 pm and the Unlimited UK phone package for £11 pm a total of £55.99 compared to the £91  I was quoted a few days earlier.  So as it was nearly £40 less that that quote and around the same saving to what I am paying now, I accepted. 

So it should be installed on 28th Jan, fingers crossed.  So it does pay to be persistent, but it is a pity that an offer like this is not made in the 1st place. 

Matt and Jim thank you for all of your assistance, very helpful.  I now have  questions about Access Points, but I will raise another post for those.  Again Thank You.

[JimM11]

@MichaelW901 Hanging in there got you the deal, great saving's, start your planning now, were the cables coming of the pole anchored then down and through the wall, they like to have a double socket close by once they get through, ONT get's mounted, socket plugs for the ONT and the EE Smarthub Pro you are getting, short 5' ish RJ45 to link the ONT and router and hopefully off and running, do not expect the phone to instantly work, plugs into the back off the router takes a little time to bed in lot going on with it software wise on the EE side, they should get the number correct but have messed that up before.

The VM should stay up anyway if glitches happen along the way, normally those are installation but off a pole really cannot see that.👍

[MichaelW901]

@JimM11  Thanks for the response.  The Open Reach CBT at the top of the pole is brand new with no cables at all coming off of it, mine will be the 1st and hopefully the only one for a while!   At the recommendations of a Openreach Engineer who was working on an adjacent house recently I have requested, via EE, that Openreach have a hoist available which will apparently make the installation easier, this has been agreed.  

I have a double socket very close to where I want the ONT.  I assume that at a push an extension lead could be used as I also want to plug in the DECT phone hub.   

You recommended getting a 5 inch or so RJ 45 to link the ONT and Smart Hub Pro, is the one that they supply sub standard then?   I suppose that as this cable is the first link in the chain and everything will go through it, use the best possible, Cat 7 or Cat 8 perhaps.  Any recommendations as to a make? 

Not sure what you meant by "The VM should stay up anyway"  Just me being dumb I suspect.

Anyway again thanks for your response.

Michael

[JimM11]

@MichaelW901 No 5' 5 to 6 foot patch cable is in the box. nothing wrong with the cable spec wise, it's just the length, so determines where your router is going to sit, power cable is about the same length. Extension or adapter for the phone, wait see what is best with all the plugs etc.

If EE and you are doing the one switch, and i thought you may have been on VM, if not then forget that.. Current BB stay's up until the Fibre goes live, my fttc to fttp ugrade switch was instant once the OR engineer was happy that the fibre was good, swap out one cable to other, instant connect, then the old copper goes away into oblivion and OR happy fibre is up working, they may even pull out your old copper cable, for sure they NEVER want to go back to it. 

[MichaelW901]

Thought whilst I was on here trying to sort out the Smart Wi-Fi Pro, I thought I would give an update on the installation.  So the installation did take place on the 28th but not by Openreach but by one of their contractors.  Although we got there in the end, it was not a smooth process.  They damaged the wooden cladding on the outside of the house by drilling from inside to out rather than the other way round. 

They installed a 2.5Gb ONT which was fine but it had previously been registered to another property and so initially would not connect here until it had been de-registered and re-registered, which took some time.  Then it took 3 days and numerous mobile phone calls for the phone line to work, I think because of the registration issue (which is what the "guide" who eventually got it sorted thought as well) .  But the old copper service went away a couple of hours after the Broadband installation had finished, although none of the copper wires had been disconnected. So we had no land line for that period

But all is fine now (apart from the Smart Wi-Fi issue) and I can confirm that the phone line will work with the Smart Hub Pro with a 2.5Gb ONT and also the Home Phone adapters work well with both a DECT base state and a hard wired phone. 

Thank you to everyone on here for their advice and wise words.

Regards

Michael

[JimM11]

@MichaelW901 Going smooth is just not one of the guarantees that you get for sure, and used ONT will always throw a spanner in the works, OR do sort that out before they get to you install wise, and the contractor SHOULD have done the same but as they say doo doo's do happen, always an issue, copper goes away as soon as the FTTP FF goes live, just not allowed to have the service on both at the same time, the phone disappearing is NOT a shocker, NO one ever tells that DV takes a couple of day's to filter through all of the server's etc before it settles into action, for both outgoing and incoming calls, at least your core is up service wise, and you just got to sort the rest out now.👍👍

Keeping an eye on your other post.✔️