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

[XRaySpeX]

Just as an aside to your main query, the EE SH Pro is an extra £10 pm when you don't take the 1.6 Gig plan.

I think it is not the SH Pro that is preventing DV with the 1.6 Gig plan but some technical provisioning by EE itself.

[JimM11]

@MichaelW901 From reported on the Forum and also as XRaySpeX has answered, the 1.6Gb/s package has 2 issues currently, the DV and also the EE TV, EE are working on getting both issues fixed but there is NO timescale applied to when it will happen....  The DV landline, it appears that the BEST option is to have the EE Pro router package as it does seem to have fixed most of the landline DV issues, if you want to see those then Digital Home Phone section and start reading, with this all said and done EE Gigabit package is your limit currently, and IF/WHEN all is fixed later then you should have a path to upgrade should you wish to do so, but you may have to fork out the extra to get the Wi-Fi 7 router and smart wireless by paying the extra £10 / month, Anything else just post back up and hope it helps with your questions.👍

[MichaelW901]

@JimM11  Thank you for your reply, I have read all of the Digital Phone Phone service.  There certainly appears to be quite a few issues, but of course as always, users who have no problems do not post on these forums.  I could find no mention of the use of a Smart Hub Pro with the 900 Mbps plan so am still uncertain whether is will work or not.  I am happy to fork out the extra £10, although I would rather not it I do not have to.  I also note from other posts that the Smart Hub Pro seems quite temperamental with regard to Network cables and EE seem to acknowledge this in their Guide to connecting suggesting that the use of a Network Switch may be needed.

Something I have just remembered is that during one of my many phone calls to EE I said that I was intending to upgrade to the 1.6Gbps plan once they had sorted out the DV issue.  I said that it made sense to me to install the 2.5Gb ONT as part of the initial install even though I would only have the 900Mbps service as it would mean that once the DV was sorted the upgrade to 1.6 Gbps would not require an additional engineer visit to swap out the ONT.  After some consultation with his managers, my guide told me that they could not do this as they were uncertain as to whether the 2.5Gb ONT with work with DV irrespective of the speed of the plan.  This makes me wonder why someone in EE has not tested this and perhaps the issue is with the 2.5 Gbps ONT. 

It all seems very hit and miss with regard to the information that is available from the EE guides, with guides like these, there is a good chance of falling into the hole!

[JimM11]

@MichaelW901 Just upgraded from fttc 40/10 to FF500 myself, scheduled mid sept, happened 5th Nov, fitted the nokia ont with the 1Gb/s lan interface, not automatic as yet to get the 2.5Gb/s ont, did ask the OR engineers, you would laugh at the answer, but really speed is not going to be a problem there are way more issues down the pipeline than you know or suspect, and you are wrong about the Pro with your reading on the DV home forum, it is just hard to get those who now have the new router to stand up and be counted, they were happy to complain when it was not going good, but now they have it they have disappeared, and you will have seen me ask a few times for feedback, so trust it they would have been back on in a flash when the new Pro did not perform, and EE are reluctant to pony up any answers and who can blame them for that...

It's simple, the 1.6Gb/s gets high speed BB and the user's are over the moon, the NIC port's are still an issue even with the EE Smarthub+ and the Pro, FW updates may/may not sort it out, who cares, switch work around fixes the issue, just did it for an OP and many do not believe so who cares, it is what it is, and if you need to go get a work around that is what you do....

[Matt_124]

The EE Wifi 7 kit is almost certainly compatible with Digital Voice, but EE are not responsible for which ONT is installed at your property as it is Openreach who complete this and own the ONT. The package is likely what dictates the ONT installed (as well as what Openreach may have available to install at that time), and upon upgrading to 1.6Gb (whenever that may possible) Openreach will attend to swap out the ONT to the 2.5Gb model.

I have experienced Digital Voice working on the Smart Hub Pro alongside a BT 900 Mbps connection as a test to see if it was compatible.

I doubt it is necessarily the 2.5Gb ONT that would incompatible with Digital Voice, it is something to do with the platform upon which EE are providing the 1.6Gb service which differs to the packages up to and including 900 Mbps.

I'm not going to attempt to explain the ins and outs of this as I was told I was not using the correct terms the last time, but it's something between BTWholesale, Openreach and EE and different ordering and provisioning processes being required to launch the service faster originally.

[JimM11]

@MichaelW901 On the DV side, this is what is gathered, the EE/BT service is good no issues with either, the EE Smarthub+ can be or is a dog with the DV side, the Pro is good on the DV side, the DVA is all over the place, EE or BT style FW does not matter, the Back of the Router on the ATA port is the only safe place to plug a phone into and to get it to work, ringing issues are generally sorted out with a ADSL filter, and if you just wire up old way to existing why re invent the wheel.

[JimM11]

@Matt_124 You explained it all well enough, if it's NOT available then it's Not available, scheduled for whenever it happens and how long a piece of string that forever comes off the reel....

[MichaelW901]

@Matt_124  Thank you for response.  I assume from your sentence "I have experienced Digital Voice working on the Smart Hub Pro alongside a BT 900 Mbps connection as a test to see if it was compatible."  that it worked?

I think you are correct about the issue being with the EE platform as if I look at the Vodaphone website they are able to offer a me a phone service with their 1.6Gbps which is also using Open Reach infrastructure and presumably the same 2.5Gbps ONT.

[Matt_124]

@MichaelW901 It did indeed, worked using DECT as well with the BT Digital Alexa handset

Was going to quote their service as an example, but weirdly their 1.6Gb wasn't available in my area when I used their checker, despite being there previously so I couldn't confirm if the landline was an option or not. 

But yes, I think it may just be EE's ordering system just can't support the orders yet from the older packages to the "Next Gen" packages, and likewise doesn't support the supplemental services from those older packages such as DV and TV. Possibly stemming from being launched before Openreach had completed the last of the testing phases of these 1Gb+ products and performance couldn't be assured with Multicast etc thrown into the mix so they weren't featured in the ordering system.