BT: Let us scrap ordinary phone lines. You've all got great internet, right?

Re: provide only internet services

Of course the copper line should be provided and maintained for free just like your mobile signal is......

Yeah, I'm totally sure it costs BT £192 a year to 'maintain' that bit of copper between you and the exchange, that is either buried in a hole somewhere, or strung along the tops of some long-dead trees (that last 30-40 years before needing replacement) for a mile or two.

Re: provide only internet services

to be precise, my "fuck you BT" (moving to Virgin), was related to BT:

a) charging a fee for "payment processing"

b) charging a fee for "low line usage"

d) charging a pay-minute "access fee" to some phone numbers, as of 1st July, ostensibly to "make the charges clearer", in effect pricing out those alternative cheap 08... calling services. Ah, yeah, it wasn't BT who introduced this charge, it was ofcom (I'm sure it had NOTHING to do with BT loobying , BT "only" put an arbitrary 8p per minute charge - because they could).

So, once again, FUCK YOU BT for your grand suggestion to do away with a phone line I subscribe to that, pronto.

The only thing that might be alarming is that Virgin works well - in general. But when it doesn't ... oh dear, their "customer service" is apparently on par with the worst.

Re: provide only internet services

> Of course the copper line should be provided and maintained for free just like your mobile signal is......

Well, that's what happens here in France. If you go for a Local Loop Unbundled package you have the option of ditching the France Telecom POTS altogether and then pay zilch in standing charge. Interestingly, this is true even if the "unbundling" is done by France Telecom itself.

-A.

Re: provide only internet services

I wonder how many people would be stuck in a power cut anyway because they only have a cordless phone?

Probably none really. They would call on a mobile like a normal person.

Re: One big problem

"Similarly, power outages were common in the 1970's, but are extraordinarily rare today."

Really? I live in a UK town. We get a power cut at least once a year.

Re: One big problem

I would suspect these days most households have at least 3 mobile phones capable of making emergency calls.

But can they do that in an area without a signal, or if the cell towers are down?

Similarly, power outages were common in the 1970's, but are extraordinarily rare today.

Power outages in the UK are still quite common in more rural areas, (where there is less likely to be a mobile signal) and are likely to get more common and widespread if the government policies on power generation continue.

Re: One big problem

"I would suspect these days most households have at least 3 mobile phones capable of making emergency calls."

Haven't there been problems with emergency calls from mobiles being routed to the wrong geographic area services?

Re: One big problem

Mobiles - yes in 20 years time everyone will have one and know how to use them.

There is still a generation that prefer the land line and may have bought a mobile for emergencies but then fail to use it once a month and so when they need it most their mobile phone is no longer registered.

Oh and guess what, it's the elderly who are most likely to need emergency medical help.

Re: One big problem

"I would suspect these days most households have at least 3 mobile phones capable of making emergency calls."

I live in a suburban area, and my mobile reception is "variable" - as in, one day I get reception in my lounge, the next day I don't. This is not withstanding incidents which render a mast inoperable, remomving service for a large area for substantial periods of time, such as this: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/04/17/falcon (yes, I was affected by this)

"Similarly, power outages were common in the 1970's, but are extraordinarily rare today"

I seem to experience one a year, with a few transient ones thrown in for good measure.

"So in general, if the USO were replaced with a universal obligation to provide an Internet connection of 10Mbps or higher, with an optional VOIP phone"

I'm pretty sure my connection would struggle with a VOIP session - according to my router, it's connected at a reasonable 21Mb/s (downstream), but only ~0.3Mb/s upstream.

Re: One big problem

You're getting mugged mate. VM sell 152Mbit for £32/m.

Re: One big problem

"I would suspect these days most households have at least 3 mobile phones capable of making emergency calls."

Only problem is that in an emergency the typical user will forget they purchased a Fermocell to gain mobile at home usage and hence not understand why suddenly there is no reception...

Re: One big problem

Mine can - and I've always had *one* plugged in that can, even when I basically only used DECT phones.

Re: One big problem

Spend £3 and buy one that can. Sorted.

Re: One big problem

"How many people have landline phones that can run without the mains?"

In the UK it is always advised that the phone plugged directly into the master socket is a very simple one. To prove to BT that a problem lies between you and the exchange you disconnect everything else.

If there is a power cut you still get ringing for incoming calls. You can make outgoing calls from any of those phones in the house even if the ring repeater is out of action.

One "help" line operator once made me try every phone in the house in the master socket before she would tick the box that allowed her to pass it to an engineer. The fault was interesting - if you dialled "1471" you heard two recorded messages giving different numbers. Finally tracked to some leakage between two lines in the exchange.

Re: Great! Even more load on my overstretched

$0, cos they won't and without the USO she also won't have a phone line either. That's the reason they should not be allowed to duck the USO ever.

"it's the JCB through the fibre optic cable."

Backhoe incident in US parlance. Very popular with the self employed guys who keep the network running.