BT Telephone Problem

[E55BOF]

No, not with BT, though it may turn into one. My telephone landline runs across my neighbour's drive (about fifteen feet up), and the support wire runs to a bracket attached to the fascia board.

I'm just about to have the fascias and soffits replaced, and the contractor will reattach the bracket to the new fascia. No problem there, but he hasn't considered (and neither had I, until I slept on it...) what happens while there is no fascia to which to attach the line. Firstly, is he legally allowed to interfere with BT equipment? More importantly, unless he's intending to put a temporary bracket on the wall, the line will have to be disconnected and come down before the fascia on that corner of the house can be replaced.

I suspect I'm going to have to get BT to disconnect and lower the line, then reinstall it after the work is done, which will be, erm, rather inconvenient because I'll lose internet access. Am I right that BT must do it, or can I arrange a private contractor who is likely to do the job much more quickly overall than BT?

Does anybody have any ideas?

 

[W1ghty]

Does your contractor have insurance ? If so I would just ask him if he has done it before , then keep out the way .

 

[Wearsthefoxhat]

Facing a similar dilemma, I intend to fix a temporary but sturdy anchor point on the wall below the fixing until the facials have been replaced; then re fix it to the facia…perhaps.

 

[E55BOF]

Does your contractor have insurance ? If so I would just ask him if he has done it before , then keep out the way .

He does have insurance, I suspect he probably hasn't had this particular issue before, and the objective is to lose internet access for the shortest possible time, so best to try to ensure that everybody has their ducks in a row before we start.

Facing a similar dilemma, I intend to fix a temporary but sturdy anchor point on the wall below the fixing until the facials have been replaced; then re fix it to the facia…perhaps.

Could work, but the distance from BT post to bracket would change, so it might need a specialist to do it.

 

[markjay]

Strictly speaking, BT owns the line up to and including the Distribution Point (DP), which is typically a grey BT box, outside or inside the property.

Having said that, I know of DPs that have been relocated by non-BT contractors with no consequences. But, again, strictly speaking, you shouldn't remove and reattach the BT DP yourself.

 

[StMarks]

Having said that, I know of DPs that have been relocated by non-BT contractors with no consequences. But, again, strictly speaking, you shouldn't remove and reattach the BT DP yourself.

Fwiw I too did ^ this myself, and with no problems or consequences.
Twice in fact, at this home that I built myself and in another property I have.
Note I'm neither encouraging or condoning, simply disclosing my actions as possibly relevant.
Hth.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Some years ago a bloke (I won't use the term contractor) in jeans and a T shirt replaced all the fascia's on the bungalow next door . He just pulled the bracket out of the rotting wood and let the wire take the strain hanging down.

he covered the rotting wood with the shiny new white plastic crap and mashed the bracket back up with a long screw or something.

Only it wasn't a BT line it was the main incoming power live line to the house , luckily the insulation on it was OK.

Note: the people who owned the place were notorious for using the cheapest and dumbest 'trades persons' they could find , some were distant relatives and some lived in tin houses that that wheels on them but rarely moved.

But I digress.

 

[W1ghty]

Some years ago a bloke (I won't use the term contractor) in jeans and a T shirt replaced all the fascia's on the bungalow next door . He just pulled the bracket out of the rotting wood and let the wire take the strain hanging down.

he covered the rotting wood with the shiny new white plastic crap and mashed the bracket back up with a long screw or something.

Only it wasn't a BT line it was the main incoming power live line to the house , luckily the insulation on it was OK.

Note: the people who owned the place were notorious for using the cheapest and dumbest 'trades persons' they could find , some were distant relatives and some lived in tin houses that that wheels on them but rarely moved.

But I digress.

That was one of my finest jobs

 

[ChipChop]

PSTN landlines are being phased out thanks to voice over IP internet based services. Not a BT user so have no idea what their position is but i would have thought it unlikely that BT would replace your existing PSTN landline like for like. If you are asked to convert over to a VOIP landline be aware your landline will only work with the router switched on and traditional landline phones, powered by the small charge the PSTN network carries, will not work on VOIP (they do not ring).

 

[Dippo]

PSTN landlines are being phased out thanks to voice over IP internet based services. Not a BT user so have no idea what their position is but i would have thought it unlikely that BT would replace your existing PSTN landline like for like. If you are asked to convert over to a VOIP landline be aware your landline will only work with the router switched on and traditional landline phones, powered by the small charge the PSTN network carries, will not work on VOIP (they do not ring).

Yes, but whatever service you have, it still comes down the wire which needs moving temporarily.

 

[pioneercollector]

My Fascia boards where replaced a number of years ago ( I live in a listed building ... sigh ) so had to be relatively careful about the type of board i was using to replace the existing - Anyway it was a doddle, no BT involvement at all, disconnected the line from within the loft, replaced the boards, secured the hook, and re connected the internal connection.
As for VOIP which we are now using, excellent! I can now run 5 pre 1940 telephones in my house! ( And i do ) .... just need the VOIP plug in socket for dial telephones ( £20 from BT ) And you can run up to 5 phones on the one system.

PS You have to convert the old phones for use on a modern exchange system which is not that difficult.

 

[ChipChop]

Yes, but whatever service you have, it still comes down the wire which needs moving temporarily.

Sorry yes got wrong end of stick, cable user so everything to do with my ISP is underground.

 

[ChipChop]

As for VOIP which we are now using, excellent! I can now run 5 pre 1940 telephones in my house! ( And i do ) .... just need the VOIP plug in socket for dial telephones ( £20 from BT ) And you can run up to 5 phones on the one system.

PS You have to convert the old phones for use on a modern exchange system which is not that difficult.

Thanks for that. An external power source for traditional landline phones is assume? The solution i was given by my cable provider was a powered landline phone with a 4G sim card built in so when the internet goes down i still have phone connectivity.

 

[markjay]

Yes, but whatever service you have, it still comes down the wire which needs moving temporarily.

Correct, PSTN is being phases out, and SoGEA is replacing FTTC, but the copper wire into the property remains (unless you live in an area where BT have already rolled-out FTTP).

 

[E55BOF]

My wire is copper. Not for the first time, I do wish cable was available in my road.

 

[JHS]

Do people still use landlines for a phone?

 

[E55BOF]

Phone not much, but for internet access, yes. Is there a better alternative for the latter?

 

[JHS]

Phone not much, but for internet access, yes. Is there a better alternative for the latter?

I understand for internet, indeed we have such a thing. But who still has a landline phone? Why would you? Surely everyone has a mobile now so landline phones are redundant?
Or am I missing something?

 

[SpikyMikey]

I understand for internet, indeed we have such a thing. But who still has a landline phone? Why would you? Surely everyone has a mobile now so landline phones are redundant?
Or am I missing something?

We still have one.

 

[Darrell]

I understand for internet, indeed we have such a thing. But who still has a landline phone? Why would you? Surely everyone has a mobile now so landline phones are redundant?
Or am I missing something?

We’ve got 2 landline phones. One is in the cupboard under the stairs and the other is under a pile of shoes and boots in the wardrobe in our bedroom.
After 6 years in this house I still don’t know our home phone number.