Up to now, home phone and internet services were received by being connected into a socket in the wall which connects to either standard copper wires between telephone poles or a coaxial/analogue cable in a city or town. Home phone and internet services may also have been received from wireless internet signal from a mast outside. The copper networks are old and are becoming harder and more expensive to maintain.
Replacing these networks with fibre will ensure that we continue to have reliable broadband and home phone services available. These changes are taking place all over the world.
This means, the technology that we currently use to make landline phone calls will be upgraded over the next few years. Landline phone calls will be delivered over a digital technology, called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Also referred to as ‘digital phone’ or ‘digital voice’.
Fibre broadband is a fast and reliable technology for the delivery of internet services. Fibre broadband enables the seamless use of multiple devices connected to the internet at the same time – smartphones, TV services, computers, smart speakers as well as your home phone service.
You can still keep your home phone service over your fibre broadband internet.
A home phone service over fibre broadband (Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)), can still use a standard telephone handset, but it will be plugged into the internet modem instead of into a socket in the wall.
Your provider should arrange to supply the equipment needed to keep you connected. If you need any new equipment to make your landline phone work – for example, a new modem, new telephone handset or if you need a new broadband service installed, your provider can arrange this.
Certain devices such as care alarms, personal alarms, security alarms and fax machines may be connected to your landline. If you have a device like this, it might need to be replaced or reconfigured to continue working once you move to a VoIP service.
If there is a power cut to the home and the internet stops working, the phone service and devices dependant on the broadband connection will not work either.
Your mobile provider should clearly disclose any limitations and impacts of the service including in the event of a power failure within the terms and conditions of your contract.
One option available to you to mitigate against a risk of temporarily losing a telephone or internet access during a power cut, is the use of a mobile phone. It is important to ensure the mobile phone is kept charged.
In addition, you can use a battery backup device to power your modem to be able to continue to use your home landline telephone service to make and receive calls, on a temporary basis, during a power outage.
There are currently battery backup devices available on the market that you can purchase or your service provider can advise you.