Copper cable switch off

[BRIAN+GIBBO]

I have recently been informed by letter that my existing broadband package [ superfast 35 ] will need to be upgraded to

a different package [superfast 75 ] as the old copper network will be switched off August 2026 as i can only be served with a new 

Sky broadband and talk service on the new technology.

I am not satisfied with this [ recommended ] superfast 75 package and to my knowledge superfast 75 is an entry level FTTP full fibre

package and i can only ever recieve [ part fibre ] FTTC as an upgrade replacing copper from the cabinet to 4 tower blocks

will never be viable so my only option is a part fibre Sky package only so why are they recommending a full fibre superfast 75 package.

I am also curious about being told that the copper to my cabinet will be switched off August 2026 but as far as i know fibre has been installed from the exchange to my cabinet already and thats why i was previously upgraded to my existing superfast 35 package

as its part fibre FTTC .

And once again i am curious that FTTC will be replaced by a new technology [ SOGEA ] so FTTC is SOGEA and SOGEA is FTTC.

If my cabinet is part fibre [ SOGEA ] ready then where is the so called upgrade unless all those such as myself for who full fibre FTTP

will never be an option unless we move to homes that are FTTP ready are being included in a ficticious upgrade

simply to upgrade our packages and squeeze more money out of us.

I would appreciate the thoughts and comments from members on this matter.

[mormegil]

You have a part fibre analogue service so you have a copper wire from your property to the cabinet and a copper wire for voice and a fibre cable for data from the cabinet to the exchange

sogea is a digital voice service so with the upgrade it will replace to old analogue voice service that you currently have

superfast is the name used for both sogea and full fibre products

if openreach have run a full fibre cable in your street then they assume the building owner will allow them to upgrade the intervals for the block if the done then they would remove the listing so sogea is then possible 

[jamesn123]

Hi @BRIAN+GIBBO 

Without knowing the exact capabilities of the technology avaliable in your area I am just guessing but this is what I think is happening.

- You are currently on traditional FTTC which is part fibre to the cabinet, then copper to the premises. Your current package includes a phone down that copper cable. You have the 'up to 40mbps' package which is essentially 40Mbps down & 10Mbps up

- Sky are telling you the copper network will be 'turned off', this isnt strictly true. Essentially what they mean is that the current way your service is delivered will be obsolete.

- Your new service will still be delivered using FTTC and using the same cables, however it will be known as SOGEA. This technology essentially bundles your telephone via VOIP on your Sky hub. 

- The reason for the package name & speed change is that Sky no longer sell two individual speed tiers on Superfast. They now only sell 'Superfast' which will allow your line to just run up its maximum potential (up to 80Mbps). It was called Superfast 75. 

- Sky will not charge you for this change of package, infact depending on your current contract state it could work out cheaper.

- Regarding FTTP, once this becomes available to you (Its not down to Sky, its Openreach), then you would have the option to order Ultrafast, this is where the cabling gets replaced in your home/flat. 

Hopefully this explains it a bit?

[BRIAN+GIBBO]

Thanks for your input and excellent explaination of the facts

and regarding FTTP i once had a chat with a Openreach engineer during

a repair callout and he told me that our tower blocks will never be converted to full fibre

as firstly they are housing assosiation owned and secondly it would never be viable

due to the enormous cost of upgrading .

Once again being curious i used a nieghbours address whom i know who does not have broadband

to do a Sky postcode check of available packages 

and low and behold it shows part fibre superfast 67 ??

Or is this another package that will go after August 2026

[jamesn123 · Accepted solution]

@BRIAN+GIBBO 

Thats a little disappointing regarding FTTP, hopefully they change their mind on the building upgrade!

On the superfast thing, where are you seeing superfast 67? I did a check myself and the product is called 'Superfast' but it shows as the average speed is 67Mbps. This doesnt really mean much as everyones line is different and the speed you get its dependant on the length & quality of that line.

[BRIAN+GIBBO]

Found it on Skys post code check of available part fibre packages

still curious why they didn't quote superfast 75 like they did for my address

[TimmyBGood]

@BRIAN+GIBBO 

FTTP is sold wholesale at specific speed bands: these include 75, 100, 150, 300, 500 and 900Mbs.  Actual speed should be as specified, although contention can be an issue.

FTTC has only ever been available as 40/10 and 80/20 Mbs products, but actual speed is almost entirely a product of copper line distance from the cabinet to the address: for nominal 80Mbs the curve looks like this:

 

[jellytott]

In a Nut Shell, Homes with wired extentsions with the Master socket (Phone and ASDL split Off so NO micro filters) at the front of the House and Sky router at the back of the house. It would have been nice to be warned about those having wired extensions and phones connected this way !!!

Well I've stupily acknowledged Sky's nice email indicating "free upgrade to Superfast" email here  "free of charge" sent 2 cables in the post both about 1m long in readiness for the copper switch off August 2026 in my area, but the plot thickens!

As the upgrade went Live on the 7th May my LandLine on my existing Master Socket for phone is now dead (I was told that the Copper line would remain active it didn't) as a result I have NO PHONES:

1) main line Copper Land-line and ASDL for Openreach master socket is at the front of the house and,

2) my Sky Router is at the rear of my house which now has the Active VoIP telephone point of presence supplied by the Sky Router now and how on earth does this now connect with 1m cables into all the telephone sockets which were connected to the Master Socket at the front of the house......to me its a downgrade to what I had working satisfactory with all the cables hidden nicely away.

I've spotted suggestions getting DEC phone installed to the Telephone out on the Router or Splitter to break out to other handsets so having messy cables visible. Is there a solution getting the Router Telephone out to still connect to the existing Telephone sockets having multiple phones still and is the Telephone out on the router handle multiple REN''s (I think this is Ringer Equivelent Numbers ie telephones) still. Its been escalated in Sky and awaiting a Site Visit from OpenReach.

[TimmyBGood]

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@jellytott wrote:

2) my Sky Router is at the rear of my house which now has the Active VoIP telephone point of presence supplied by the Sky Router now and how on earth does this now connect with 1m cables into all the telephone sockets which were connected to the Master Socket at the front of the house

It doesn't, and isn't intended to.

to me its a downgrade to what I had working satisfactory with all the cables hidden nicely away.

Openreach apparently considered and rejected other solutions as being too time-consuming.

I've spotted suggestions getting DEC phone installed to the Telephone out on the Router or Splitter to break out to other handsets so having messy cables visible. Is there a solution getting the Router Telephone out to still connect to the existing Telephone sockets having multiple phones still and is the Telephone out on the router handle multiple REN''s (I think this is Ringer Equivelent Numbers ie telephones) still.

Research 'Voice Re-Injection' (VRI)

Its been escalated in Sky and awaiting a Site Visit from OpenReach.

Unfortunately neither offer a solution. Openreach did have one but has chosen not to deploy it: realistically they don't want to be responsible for such things.

 

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[jellytott]

Waiting for a response still to what will be offered in resolving this problem now, l'm probably not the first or the last to have wired telephone extension sockets master socket at the front and the Sky router located at the back of the house l hate  to think others ie everyday punters that suddenly find out when they find out too that aren't Tech-Savvy.
Also, interestingly here though what happens for the next future upgrade when l eventually get FTTP (fibre to the premises) is then  rolled out that possibly will open up another can of worms!

So with Sky (Open Reach) must knew this when this so called Upgrade was rolled out , so verses this waiting game lm confronted with to "as or what" will be done l hope there's an elegant digital solution 🤞🏻

[Me134]

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@jellytott wrote:

Waiting for a response still to what will be offered in resolving this problem now, l'm probably not the first or the last to have wired telephone extension sockets master socket at the front and the Sky router located at the back of the house l hate  to think others ie everyday punters that suddenly find out when they find out too that aren't Tech-Savvy.
Also, interestingly here though what happens for the next future upgrade when l eventually get FTTP (fibre to the premises) is then  rolled out that possibly will open up another can of worms!

So with Sky (Open Reach) must knew this when this so called Upgrade was rolled out , so verses this waiting game lm confronted with to "as or what" will be done l hope there's an elegant digital solution 🤞🏻

---

You've already mentioned it yourself, you need to replace (presumably) the old phones with a set of DECT phones, you can get a pack of 3 BT branded ones for around £50. You simply plug the base one into the back of the router and into a nearby power socket. The other units just need a power socket. There are no messy wires everywhere.

[jellytott]

I don't get why l should have to pay for it. 
Most DEC phones are poor audio quality so you have to pay extra for better quality ones. 

[Me134]

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@jellytott wrote:

I don't get why l should have to pay for it. 
Most DEC phones are poor audio quality so you have to pay extra for better quality ones. 

---

You need to take that up with your MP then as it's a government backed national roll out to replace the old analogue system with fully digital.

How much you spend is entirely your decision.

[TimmyBGood]

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@jellytott wrote:

Waiting for a response still to what will be offered in resolving this problem 

---

Neither an ISP or Openreach are obliged to offer anything.  Ofcom has signed off on the migration to fibre-optic, and strictly speaking internal extensions were always the remit of the householder anyway.

[TimmyBGood]

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@jellytott wrote:

 l hope there's an elegant digital solution

---

BT/EE has something on those lines, but as far as I know there isn't any other ISP offering anything similar: only BT has that heritage in telecoms hardware manufacture.

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/set-up-and-use-a-digital-voice-adapter 

Note this only works where BT/EE is the ISP