POT's service removal by Network Operators

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nzbsgfan

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#289936 10-Oct-2021 18:10

Hi all.

Not sure this is the correct forum. Apologies if I'm in the wrong area:)

My Dad's in his late 80's and has received a letter from his provider telling him is POT's service is going to be terminated mid November.

If i was more local I could help with the transition to VOIP for his home number, but there are other reasons why I'd like him to keep his POT's service for now.

I'm thinking the easiest thing to do is transition him to another provider that supports POT's.

People of my Dad's age don't understand technology that well - they just use it and hope for the best until it stops working. Making changes just creates stress he doesn't need.

In this particular case I don't care what sort of card he's on at the exchange - from a day to day perspective I just want him to have the same service at his house.

Can someone please point me in the right direction?

ironically I will soon be in the same boat, as the house I am renting has a monitored alarm via the POTs line.

When they retire that line I will need to replace my older panel (something i doubt my landlady will do).

Cheers for any migration suggestions.

Mark.

DjShadow

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#2792784 10-Oct-2021 18:14

Who is the current provider?

If landline only and no internet need then the likes of Spark and Vodafone are providing wireless routers (run over 4G) that the landline can plug into and the POTS as he knows it will continue but just through a different method, and after the experience with my parents the sound qual will be a little better too.

nzbsgfan

146 posts

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#2792785 10-Oct-2021 18:25

Thanks

He has internet via VDSL but he's hard of hearing so has a ringer in the house that works off the incoming POT's line.

I'd prefer not to mention the Vendor, but I'm hoping that some of the bigger players are allowing POTs service even if its via the new exchange cards.

I expect that in his case the Vendor is trying to reduce costs but only "paying for the line once" - moving to VoIP saved them $$$

Rather than trying to get him over to a VoIP phone service (for now) I'd prefer the status quo until I move back to the same area to make sure I could help his with any issues. The POT's line is his primary method of communication.

Cheers

DjShadow

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#2792799 10-Oct-2021 19:38

The ringer could work off the Phone port that would be on the router but the question would be how much power does it require as the router doesn't provide as much power to the phone port as a POTs line.

In saying that would a cordless phone with multiple handsets & the volume on them turned up to full do the job?

Also is Fibre available where he lives? If so then copper will be borrowed time.

sbiddle

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#2792856 10-Oct-2021 20:35

Depending on where he is that may not be an option - if he's somewhere where the NEAX is being decommissioned soon (rather than this being a RSP change in advance of the rest of the NEAX shutdowns next year) there won't be an option to remain on copper.

Linux

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#2792857 10-Oct-2021 20:38

Is his location Dunedin?

nzbsgfan

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#2792895 10-Oct-2021 23:11

The location is Dunedin - The local exchange would be Green Island.

The exchange doesn't show up in this list.

https://www.spark.co.nz/shop/landline/landline-migration/

nzbsgfan

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#2792896 10-Oct-2021 23:14

sbiddle:

Depending on where he is that may not be an option - if he's somewhere where the NEAX is being decommissioned soon (rather than this being a RSP change in advance of the rest of the NEAX shutdowns next year) there won't be an option to remain on copper.

Thanks Steve. I was wondering if that might be the case.

I found this link

https://www.spark.co.nz/shop/landline/landline-migration/

but - the exchanges they were decommissioning might not appear on this list.

As I mentioned to Linux - the local exchange would be Green Island (I believe)

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toejam316

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#2792951 11-Oct-2021 02:45

To my current knowledge, GID3 (Green Island) has been converted to an RLU from a 61E, but isn't going anywhere this year. If you move to Spark you should still be able to get POTS service, for now. If you can, find out what the ringer load is for the external ringer, it'll probably be somewhere from 1.0-2.0, and then find a SIP adapter that supports the load. Migrate it to 2talk, and you'll be away laughing. Bonus - you can have the calls forward to his mobile too (if he has one).

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

Goosey

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#2792968 11-Oct-2021 08:03

To make it eaiser down the track....

The "Normal" phone will plug into the ISP router and that router will plug into the Fibre ONT (assume you will convert to fibre... I wouldn't bother with 4G etc as it could be patchy around those hills).

To solve the ringer issue....

https://www.deafquip.co.nz/store/Telephone-Bell-Ringer-with-Flasher-p193699456

(you may want to enquire more about its suitability but one of the reviews suggests it worked well with a Vodafone ISP router.

Alternatively, there a many corded phones with specifically designed louder ringers

*** He wont have a phone service in a power outage anymore or if theres a fault on the router.... You may want to consider a mobile phone as back up....

EDIT: when fibre is installed you can request the house phone wiring is consolidated at the location of the ONT or router.... then you can still use the jackpoints around the house...but best to just use one jackpoint and run a cordless off that (and then maybe one of those ringer devices)

nztim

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#2792975 11-Oct-2021 08:37

Be Careful, ringers use large REN, and the old NEAX pumps out like 5 REN and the RGW oumps out maybe 1REN so you cant load up the lines - Its why Providers are using sell VOIP with one base station and multiple cordless handsets

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.