Hub 4 / Telephone
 

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

The Hub 4 doesn't change the Telephone type you've got. So if you've got a separate line you'll keep that until Virgin Media offer an option to move across to the Hub based line.

Only if you're joining now for the first time will you automatically get a Hub based line - and you'd get the appropriate adapter.

There is an exception to this where some areas are having their standalone (called TDM) lines switched off, and migrated across to the Hub based lines. But they've had specific letters about that so it's now something you'd miss.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

What would be the advantage of a hub based phone ? Seems to me best to keep the phone separate in case the hub goes down - not great in an emergency.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

Or if the Internet goes down

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

That's when your mobile phone comes in handy...

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

There isn't really an advantage of one over the other as such at present

However for full FTTP addresses it's the only way to get a fixed line as there is no metal cable to the address, and even in some HFC areas new connections are only now cabled with coax rather than the twin coax and telco cable.

The key long term advantage is that it will allow Virgin to offer better services on the Hub based lines - some of the kit running the existing telco network is many many years old and can't be updated to new features and services.

---------- Post added at 17:20 ---------- Previous post was at 17:19 ----------

The Hub based phone lines are on separate network with in the Hub. So it will be possible for there to be a Virgin Fibre fault that doesn't affect the phone line or vice versa.

---------- Post added at 17:21 ---------- Previous post was at 17:20 ----------

And for anyone that doesn't have one, Virgin will currently provide an emergency backup unit that will allow a call to 999 from a connected wired landline handset.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

If the fibre is broken you'll lose both, but there are other types of fault that may only affect one them.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

The only advantage I can see is for Virgin Media. Only one line to install/maintain. For the customer, it's 'all your eggs in one basket/hub' !

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

With a capital F. It's the trendy new name for VM broadband.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

But copper broadband is Fibre, Hybrid Coax is Fibre, Fibre is Fibre, a bowl of Muesli is probably fricking Fibre with Ooomph.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

Yes, sorry for any confusion there.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

Cost should be much lower as there's no physical line to maintain. Realistically, it's now a VoIP trunk which are cheap cheap and better quality, too.

But the price we pay for line rental is vastly inflated over the actual cost of those so I don't expect that saving to really impact customers.

It's something that would have been better 10 or 20 years ago but these days, mobile phones are everywhere and a better alternative to Landlines.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

Mobiles aren't much good if you run out of power, credit or can't get a signal. A landline can be a lifeline.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

For a lifeline (in name),you don't need credit to call 999. But for the lifeline service you do need a landline and that's a separate issue entirely.

For the majority of people, a phone line is unnecessary.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

It's not just VM, Openreach will begin a staged shut down of the copper network in 2025.

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

Surely with the tech available now people will have power banks, mobiles to keep their devices in case of an emergency as you don't need credit to dial 999

Re: Hub 4 / Telephone
 

Well, it's not so simple as there's an actual service called Lifeline which is an emergency button someone can push if they're in trouble. Now I agree, there's no reason in this day and age that it can't be completely wireless but reliability is absolutely the most important aspect.