TECHNICAL
network this conversion is done inside your router so instead of plugging your phone into the phone socket on the wall you will plug into a phone socket on your router. Most phones will work this way except for old rotary dial phones, but in reality, very few people have these. Some households might even want to do away with having to plug a phone into a socket at all and invest in a new VoIP phone; these work over WiFi without needing to be plugged in. However, the challenge goes beyond just phones; what about home alarm systems, and elderly care devices such as emergency “red button” systems and fall detectors? Again, the good news is that very affordable adaptor modules will enable almost anything with a standard UK phone plug to be connected to the digital IP network. The exception to this will be some really old alarm systems which unfortunately will simply need to be replaced. Already widely available are devices and alarm systems that will work over your full-fibre connection or a mobile phone connection; they will not need a convertor box. It is also expected that many providers of legacy equipment will provide ‘add-ons’ specifically for their devices. It is useful to be aware that at the time of writing a simple analogue-to-IP module costs less than £50, so beware of companies trying to use the Switch Over to sell over- expensive solutions.
What is going to be Switched Off?
At the turn of the millennium these same copper wires were being used to carry broadband signals into the home. Even today, most broadband connections on the island using BT, Sky, Talk Talk – everyone except WightFibre - are still carried on those century old copper wires. This old copper network is not fit for the future so the telecommunications industry is upgrading their old copper networks to fibre. For some time this work has been going on in the background to lay fibre street cabinets in the street, but the connection into the home is still carried by copper wires into the home. Having largely completed that work, the time has come to replace the aging copper connections into the home with fibre. This could present a lot of problems for old analogue technology as it will simply stop working when the copper line is replaced. Luckily the benefits of switching to digital makes a switch over very worthwhile as it can lead to longer term cost savings as well as increased flexibility. For those essential devices that are more difficult to change (alarm systems and elderly care systems for example) there are affordable solutions already available.
Ideally the analogue switch off would go hand in hand with universal full-fibre to the property. BT Openreach’s estimate is the earliest this could likely be completed is 2035 so for many the digital services will still need to be provided by a combination of fibre-optic cables and copper wires providing the final mile to the property. On the Isle of Wight, BT Openreach has not yet given any dates for their copper switch off but WightFibre have been already been working on their Big Copper Switch Off since 2018. The aim is to switch off the copper network to make all connections pure, full-fibre all the way into the home. The problem is that many older systems will not work on a pure, full-fibre connection.
The Switch Over in the Home
What are the implications for the analogue switch off in the home? The most obvious thing that will happen is that any analogue phones plugged into phone sockets will simply stop working. This doesn’t necessarily mean your old phone will stop working. It does mean that you may require some form of convertor box for your phone. On the WightFibre
May 2025 Volume 47 No.2
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