How old is your phone ?

[stockton]

In connection with the change to FTTP I am trying to get some idea o how many old phones are still use.
As I have not discovered how to set up a poll, would a few people mind classifying their phone into one of 3 categories:
Under 20 years
20 - 40 years
Over 40 years

Moderator Message:
A poll type post is not appropriate to DAK. I've moved this to Technology - Computers, TV, Phones etc. (chas49)

[scottnsilky]

Am I right in assuming you mean mobile phones? I bought my first and only smart phone 11 years ago, unfortunately not smart anymore, the Android system is too old to work now, but camera and phone work, I think.
So, under 20 for me, although I don't know what FTTP means.

[stockton]

I mean fixed line telephone.
FTTP stands for "Fibre to the premises", something to which all fixed line phones are supposed to be converted by 2027.

[DrFfybes]

I wouldn't have thought many people have non tethered handsets over 30 years old these days. Dect handsets came out about then, so the old ones with the long aerial on will be well past their best.

There will be a lot of fixed handsets still out there. We've got an 'emergency' one that just plugs into the landline that daes from 2009. I know a couple who went digital last week and found their handset didn't work as it was a fixed one which draws power from the phone line.

But our DECT handsets are pretty new, certainly last couple of years, so if they don't work when we switch over next month Ill be somewhat disappointed.

Paul

[doolally]

I mean fixed line telephone.
FTTP stands for "Fibre to the premises", something to which all fixed line phones are supposed to be converted by 2027.

That isn't quite true. Phones will move to digital VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) rather than the existing analogue protocol. VoIP can be via FTTP, or FTTC (Fibre To The Cabinet), or plain old ADSL broadband via the copper landline.
Not all premises will have FTTP
doolally

[scottnsilky]

I mean fixed line telephone.
FTTP stands for "Fibre to the premises", something to which all fixed line phones are supposed to be converted by 2027.

In that case, I think my handset is approximately 25 years old.

[stockton]

Having got a little more information it appears that I need to change the age categories.
Could people use 2 categories - simply more or less than 30 years old.

[UncleEbenezer]

Anything much over 40 years would be back into the era of pulse dialling. Is that even still supported now?

[gryffron]

Under 20 years.

But it doesn't matter. The router they provide has a BT socket. Though since it works off a 12v adapter it might struggle to ring a mechanical bell phone.

How may REN can a router support? DAK? Can anybody even remember REN? I can't find it listed anywhere. Though it's typically an obsolete question these days as most electronic phones are a tiny fraction of 1 REN.

[edit to note] VirginMedia routers at least don't support pulse dial. DTMF was rolled out in UK from "late 80s". So I guess that might prevent use of your 40yo phone. [/edit]

Gryff

[Alaric]

There will be a lot of fixed handsets still out there. We've got an 'emergency' one that just plugs into the landline that daes from 2009. I know a couple who went digital last week and found their handset didn't work as it was a fixed one which draws power from the phone line.

But our DECT handsets are pretty new, certainly last couple of years, so if they don't work when we switch over next month Ill be somewhat disappointed.

DECT phones are powered from the mains, so don't work during a power cut. There used to be advice to keep a landline powered phone for emergencies.

It's believed that BT etc will supply a router of some sort and you plug the DECT base station to it.. It's a problem with the rollout that phones will no longer work during power cuts. If there's a mobile phine as a backup, that may not be a serious problem. Where there isn't as with some specialist devices is the problem.

[88V8]

Anything much over 40 years would be back into the era of pulse dialling. Is that even still supported now?

One can buy a convertor.
And as we still have one dialphone, I will.

My mobile, c20 years.
Cordless, Binatone, c12 years.
Dialphone dunno, perhaps 50/60 years.
Bogus candlestick c20 years.

V8

[the0ni0nking]

What sort of person (other than my parents who are in their 80s) still have an actual fixed line telephone!?!

[BigB]

I know of a septagenarian gent who is just going through a major upgrade of his landline service with BT (I assume this means he's going from an old line to a new Digital Voice line?), and is having trouble getting his 7 handsets all working again.

He is reporting that he is running out of REN and can only get 4 of them working.

We don't use a landline any longer.

[UncleEbenezer]

What sort of person (other than my parents who are in their 80s) still have an actual fixed line telephone!?!

Big advantage over today's mobiles: you can have a phone on the same number in different parts of the house. One on each floor, for instance.

Or can one now get more than one handset on the same mobile number? It's been a while since I tried that.

[tjh290633]

We recently changed to Digital Voice. Prior to that we had two wireless phones plus one ancient handset plugged into the master socket. The ancient handset would not work with Digital Voice, but the one functioning wireless phone is plugged into the router. We now have two new wireless phones as well. I guess that the old phone is maybe under 10 years old.

The defunct phone had lost the use of its buttons, and would not connect to incoming calls, hence the decision to go to DV

TJH

[77ss]

What sort of person (other than my parents who are in their 80s) still have an actual fixed line telephone!?!

Anyone who finds it sufficient to their needs perhaps?!

[jaizan]

I mean fixed line telephone.

You would definitely need to specify fixed line, as most would assume mobile.

I have a free landline with my broadband connection.

However, I've not actually plugged in a phone for several years.
1 Nuisance call blocking is far easier on Android phones.
2 My £10 per month mobile contract comes with all the data, calls and texts I need. There's no way I would pay call charges on a landline.

[Stompa]

I have a free landline with my broadband connection.

Me too, and free calls, so I figure I may as well use it.

Mind you, they sent me an email telling me I was being switched to Digital Voice within 30 days. But that was 9 months ago and it's not happened yet.

[scrumpyjack]

My old Dect phone just plugs into the router supplied by Zen. No problem. We also ported our old number over when we junked the landline and went to internet telephone. Much cheaper and works fine

[chas49]

Moderator Message:
A poll type post is not appropriate to DAK. I've moved this to Technology - Computers, TV, Phones etc. (chas49)