Copper wire phone

M

Markievicz

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My contract with Eir for phone and FTTH broadband is coming to an end. Inclined to stay with it if I get the right price as as far as I know they are the only ones who still provide a copper wire phone ie not using the broadband. I want to stick with the copper because I have zero coverage in my area on any mobile network - and generally at least once a year there can be a power outage - I can use an old school phone to make any calls I need - just plug it into phone outlet when "modern" wireless phone goes off line due to no power. I am annoyed that I see copper will be phased out completely an this is supported by the EU in a bid to get more fiber out there, however I think there is a place of old technology. I have an elderly relative who will never use or need broadband - what will happen to their phone?
 
My broadband modem is powered off a 12 volt DC mains adaptor.
The adaptor has a standard size jack plug.
Following a recent power cut when internet and WiFi was lost, I have set up a small 12 volt battery with the same jack plug.
The next time there is a power cut I will change the modem over to the battery supply.
I will then have internet access to any battery powered tablets or laptops.
 
S class said:
My broadband modem is powered off a 12 volt DC mains adaptor.
The adaptor has a standard size jack plug.
Following a recent power cut when internet and WiFi was lost, I have set up a small 12 volt battery with the same jack plug.
The next time there is a power cut I will change the modem over to the battery supply.
I will then have internet access to any battery powered tablets or laptops.
Click to expand...
Even if your router is powered off your 12V battery (I presume that it can deliver the required amps? How long can it power the router for?) might not the local broadband infrastructure be impacted by a local power outage meaning that you're still offline?

Seems simpler to use something like 4G/5G mobile data/hotspot from a phone as the stopgap connection?

Or just use the outage as an opportunity to take a break and go out for a digital detox stroll... ;)
 
Markievicz said:
My contract with Eir for phone and FTTH broadband is coming to an end. Inclined to stay with it if I get the right price as as far as I know they are the only ones who still provide a copper wire phone ie not using the broadband. I want to stick with the copper because I have zero coverage in my area on any mobile network - and generally at least once a year there can be a power outage - I can use an old school phone to make any calls I need - just plug it into phone outlet when "modern" wireless phone goes off line due to no power. I am annoyed that I see copper will be phased out completely a this is supported by the EU in a bid to get more fiber out there, however I think there is a place of old technology. I have an elderly relative who will never use or need broadband - what will happen to their phone?
Click to expand...
I renewed my contract with Eir last week and was informed my house phone would be changed over in 24 hours. I was told I didn’t have any choice
 
Markievicz said:
generally at least once a year there can be a power outage - I can use an old school phone to make any calls I need
Click to expand...
FWIW I connect my fibre broadband to my solar battery if the power goes off, they use so little power it can run for days if the battery was full. Another much cheaper option would be a small UPS like this - https://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?manufacturer=APC&mancode=BE850G2-UK - which might keep your broadband going for 4-5 hours. Handy thing about these is you just leave your equipment plugged into them at all time, if the power goes off they'll automatically kick-in and keep the modem running.

Markievicz said:
I have an elderly relative who will never use or need broadband - what will happen to their phone?
Click to expand...
Not sure if the below offers any comfort. Having said that I think it is much safer for an elderly person to have a mobile phone these days so they can carry it with them around the house, to the garage etc.?

November 2023. Comreg says that the framework will make sure that “customers who have no choice but to migrate” from their copper service “will not have to pay extra one-off charges” as they migrate. It will also make sure that “Eir provides alternative services on the modern network of comparable quality to the copper services before switch-off of the copper network”.
Click to expand...
 
I renewed my Eir contract last month and was able to keep the copper wire. The first agent I spoke to said we couldn't unless we stayed off contract. Our home alarm alerts work via the phone point so I went away to think about it, then spoke to a second agent. This one said it was sometimes possible to keep the copper, and he wouldn't know until he tried to renew the connection. He did that there and then and it worked. So we got a good deal on the 12 month contract - it can't be a longer one because the final switch off for copper is 2025, but we hope to be moving house by then.
 
Markievicz said:
I have an elderly relative who will never use or need broadband - what will happen to their phone?
Click to expand...
I have an elderly relative in a similar position. When I looked at it recently they will save money by switching to broadband as eir have continuously increased the cost of POTS over the years.
S class said:
My broadband modem is powered off a 12 volt DC mains adaptor.
The adaptor has a standard size jack plug.
Following a recent power cut when internet and WiFi was lost, I have set up a small 12 volt battery with the same jack plug.
The next time there is a power cut I will change the modem over to the battery supply.
I will then have internet access to any battery powered tablets or laptops.
Click to expand...
You should patent that !!
 
eir want to close down all their telephone exchanges.
The government have delayed this planned closedown.
Broadband modens have a telephone socket built in.
This is presumably a voice over the internet set up.
Some form of modem would need to be supplied to keep the phone service working.
 
I know virgin media cable internet needs power, because ours has gone down when there's been power cuts nearby but we still have power, so a backup power source wouldn't necessarily help in that case

I'm not sure about fibre-to-home services - a lot of the infrastructure is passive (i.e. doesn't need power) and the exchanges presumably have backup power.
 
S class said:
eir want to close down all their telephone exchanges.
The government have delayed this planned closedown.
Broadband modens have a telephone socket built in.
This is presumably a voice over the internet set up.
Some form of modem would need to be supplied to keep the phone service working.
Click to expand...
There are many who do not have broadband, I would think, so they will have the ' older ' type telephone so unless they can look after those people, I can't see the Exchanges closing any time soon.. As well as that the wiring for customers who do not have broadband is different to those who do have it..... Well it used to be .
 
shweeney said:
I'm not sure about fibre-to-home services - a lot of the infrastructure is passive (i.e. doesn't need power) and the exchanges presumably have backup power.
Click to expand...
Any time our power has been off I was still able to get Internet over fibre, so I’d say you’re right.
 
We had internet whenever the power was off. I always hook the modem up to a 12 V battery and stay online with a laptop. So far the outages have not been long enough to drain the battery or the laptop. The longest was around 8 hours.
 
I'm surprised that power going off is so common that you've a backup battery.

Can't remember last time lost power. But on the rare occasion I have lost broadband, I just use my mobile as a hotspot.
 
We lose power about a dozen times per winter. The more storms- the more power loses. Outages can last up to 8 hours- but most of them are around 2 hours only.
 
mct1 said:
I renewed my Eir contract last month and was able to keep the copper wire. The first agent I spoke to said we couldn't unless we stayed off contract. Our home alarm alerts work via the phone point so I went away to think about it, then spoke to a second agent. This one said it was sometimes possible to keep the copper, and he wouldn't know until he tried to renew the connection. He did that there and then and it worked. So we got a good deal on the 12 month contract - it can't be a longer one because the final switch off for copper is 2025, but we hope to be moving house by then.
Click to expand...
Like you, I have an alarm that's connected to a landline (Yale DIY- it phones me if there's an alarm activation) . It is the only reason we have a landline (it never rings except for Nigerian princes or Microsoft telling us we have a computer problem). I resented paying €120 a year just for the line, when we moved over to fibre. So I got the number ported over to Irish VOIP and now pay them €20 a year for the same thing. I had to buy their gateway hardware up front (€79 + VAT), paid €5 in credit on my account (it's still there).
No connection with them, other than a money-saving customer.

The best value Irish VoIP service provider to home and business - Irish VoIP

www.irishvoip.com www.irishvoip.com
 
joer said:
As well as that the wiring for customers who do not have broadband is different to those who do have it..... Well it used to be .
Click to expand...
Lots of people with broadband here are still on fibre to the cabinet where the run from the local cabinet to the home is still on the old copper.
 
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