Now (Sky) PSTN LLU shutdown

[greyeyes]

All the talk surrounding the 2025 PSTN shutdown is centered around BT.

There has been no mention of a date for Now/Sky LLU openreach exchange customers that i'm aware of.  My mother has Now broadband (VDSL) & Now PSTN line.

She's has asked me how that affect her, anyone had this conversation with Now/Sky for existing customers?

[gavs82008]

@greyeyes 

From my understanding it's certain exchanges that are getting shut down at a time. Probably best to contact OpenReach to find out the timescale when they intend on shutting the exchange down for FTTC.

What I have seen is NOW starting to offer FTPP via Sky.
https://www.nowtv.com/broadband

So I would suggest checking the coverage as the offer for FTTP via Sky is pretty good in my opinion.

[greyeyes]

@gavs82008 surely that's BT's own equipment delivering PSTN, the copper isn't being replaced where she lives and runs to the exchange then to sky's own LLU equipment.

as i understand it, if there is no FTTP available, then BT are still ending PSTN by switching the copper line to a digital only line, no splitter (ADSL/VDSL + PSTN) required.  nothing mentioned about Sky's LLU.

where she lives, there are no current openreach plans for FTTP as fibre city got it, there is no room unless they dig the town up to run new conduit for fibre to each pole, the competition is already there.

[Jayach]

---

@greyeyes wrote:
there are no current openreach plans for FTTP as fibre city got it, there is no room unless they dig the town up to run new conduit for fibre to each pole, the competition is already there.

---

That won't stop Openreach "overbuilding". (but, yes they may not be planning to do so soon)

Sky have already stopped adding new connections to their "PSTN" service as they have been using digital voice on new connections for some time.

How long they will continue to allow Now to do so is anybody's guess. (Unless someone "in the know" can reply on here)

[greyeyes]

@Jayach It's for existing customers of Now's VDSL & PSTN line via LLU is the statement from Now/Sky i'm looking for.

If i check as a new customer, BT/Plusnet no longer offer PSTN via my pole (from September 2023) but Now still do same pole (line into my house).. that's why i wondered. 

This is for my mother on Now.

[chilli2]

I live in what is called, in openreach speak, a fibre priority area, on a full fibre exchange.

Now have recently offered me another deal for 12 months on a  copper based (not full fibre) package of calls and internet (technically known as vdsl)

while there is a lot going on behind the scenes to move everyone over to full fibre and voip call services, most of this is focussed on bt retail, which the media and public gets confused with opereach.

Sky and with it NOW use a slightly different openreach system known as LLU, if you have now broadband and calls and its working for you now then you don't need you worry about any switch off for the time being.

 And when the time comes to go with digital voice (voip) calls my suggestion would be go with a specialist company/ package for voice such as Andrews and arnold, or voiphone, and get your internet from somewhere else.

[greyeyes]

@chilli2 

---

@chilli2 wrote:

Sky and with it NOW use a slightly different openreach system known as LLU, if you have now broadband and calls and its working for you now then you don't need you worry about any switch off for the time being.

This is what i keep reading elsewhere, that's why i came on here.. the media is all focused on BT, nothing has come from Sky/Now for existing customers on LLU, which my mother is with her VDSL & PSTN line.

I personally ditched plusnet to get my landline back and went 5G being very close to a mast.. it's been flawless for a year now.. i joined Andrews and Arnold using a Grandstream HT801, i did have them to update something their end regarding calling ID for the my BT call blocking phones to work correctly.

It's what to do with my mother.. i deal with this for her, as there has been zero statement on how it's affecting Now customers on LLU, i kind of wondered if i'd missed something as this would have been the obviously place to come.

[RoyB]

@greyeyes 

https://business.bt.com/why-choose-bt/insights/digital-transformation/uk-pstn-switch-off/

It’s Openreach that will be switching off the PTSN in 2025, so nobody will be able to use it after that Sky, Now, LLUs, notwithstanding.

Your mother will be able to continue using her Now landline until then, or until Now start transitioning its PTSN users to VoIP, or until she decides to change ISPs, whichever is the sooner.

It’s difficult to know what advice to give; the switch to VoIP is inevitable, so it may be best to bite on the bullet and switch now, avoiding a final rush near the 2025 deadline, when VoIP phones and/or adapters may be in short supply; or it may be best to wait until near the deadline, when there may be more assistance for the last PSTN users still extant.

But certainly, I would wait until Now start publishing details of how they intend to transition their PSTN customers, which I think they must be planning to do (they ought to be anyway), and just maybe spend some time in the interim reading up about VoIP, so you know best how to help your mother when the time comes.

[greyeyes]

@RoyB Everyone is quoting BT.. there are other posts on here saying that LLU will continue beyond 2025  and therefore sky/now for existing accounts won't be affected  until Sky make an announcement...  I'm looking for Now's/Sky's actual statement on this.. does anyone know?  Like i said in my opening post, it's centred around BT, i'm seeing different posts saying otherwise for LLU.

[chilli2]

beware if you transfer an active copper voice service to FTTP/VOIP then this will also cancel the broadband/internet on the line.

If now didnt offer me a retention my plan was to sign up to an fttp service, (was looking at plusnet) keeping the now service also active for a short while and then transfer that number to voip,  was looking at voiphone on the £5 a month deal for 100 minutes

total cost would have been around £32 a month with some cashback (topcashback) and a reward card from plusnet taking n

some of that cost down