When will my home phone be converted to VOIP?

[Pedant]

My internet is City Fibre, but my home phone is still connected to Openreach copper. The home phone has started to have crackly interference. I tried to get line tested via th talktalk account, but got a message saying that the automatic test was disabled and I would be converted to VOIP in the next few months. I tried to start a chat but that failed, so I'm trying to decide whether to pursue the problem further or just wait for the conversion. Hence the question in the subject title.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

OK thanks 🙂

[Pedant]

Chris,

Thanks for organising this.

Here's the text from an SMS I just received from Openreach:

'Hi, it's Openreach. Your provider has reported a fault. An engineer will be allocated to investigate. Tests suggest the fault is outside of your premises. To discuss your fault or for any queries, please contact your service provider.

To learn more about us visit our website www.openreach.co.uk/support/'

I'll let you know when (and if) anything changes.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Line test is now failing with an error code that requires that we raise this as a non-appointed task which I have now done. Openreach will investigate over the next 72 hours and may contact you directly if they need to access your home

Chris

[Chris-TalkTalk]

OK, I'll take a look at this now and get back to you with the details

Chris

[Pedant]

Chris,

I've decided to go ahead with an engineering visit.

I will accept any justified engineering charges.

I can be available at home, if given some warning: Mon 17/3 am or pm, Tues 18/3 am or pm. Thu 20/3 am or pm.

If those aren't enough dates please let me know.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi Pedant,

The reason why we offered to send an engineer is that you have a problem with your service, but the line test showed - Loop fault, An electrical fault which causes current to flow more easily in one direction. Rectified Loops are most likely to be caused by wiring or equipment at the customer property.

Regarding the switch to VoIP, I can't actually see this, there's a dedicated team who will be able to help. They can be contacted via customer services

If you decide to go ahead with the engineer visit just let me know
 

Chris

[Pedant]

Chris,

Firstly, I made a mistake with the date of my chat with Jolly Vinya, it was on 1/3/25 not 3/3/25, so if they were correct and my VoIP will be live in 30 days from then, I might want to avoid wasting an engineer's time, and TalkTalk or Openreach's money, fixing a copper connection that will become obsolete in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for your reassurance about engineering charges, but I was really trying to get information on which to base my decision whether to just wait for VoIP, or risk wasting half a day of my time, and potentially some engineering charges on asking you to have the copper connection fixed.

The information I seek is:

1. What was the result of the line test, and why that has led to the need for a home visit?

2. How likely is it that my conversion to VoIP will take place on the promised time scale (i.e by the end of the month)?

Thanks again for spending your time answering my questions.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi Pedant,

As Gliwmaeden2 has said, we can't book  the engineer unless your agree to the potential charges. If a fault is found on BT maintained equipment then there will be no charge

Chris

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Pedant, engineer charges are explained in the link in the previous reply.

It's not possible for Talktalk to arrange for engineers without your agreement to accept potential charges.

If there's any doubt about charges, the engineer's report is carefully scrutinised. 

[Pedant]

Chris,

Just to be clear, the outcome I would like from this thread is the fully functional free upgrade of my copper connected landline to VoIP that I've been promised. (See screenshot earlier in the thread)

Unfortunately, I've been promised on several occasions that this would happen 'in 7 to 10 days of work' or in the next few days'. On my last chat (with Jolly Vinya) on 3/3/25 I was told 'it will take 30 days to switch your package'. If I trusted that timescale I would probably accept being without the landline number until the beginning of April and just wait. However, the activity to achieve the change (if there is any) seems to be invisible to almost everyone at TalkTalk, so I still have no evidence that anything is actually happening.

The only feedback I've had about the current fault with my copper landline connection is 'Line test it picking up a potential problem' from you a week ago. Has anyone investigated this potential problem, and if so what was the outcome?

I guess the engineering charges you refer to mean that someone suspects the problem is with the equipment / wiring in my house. I certainly won't be paying for that unless someone can explain why they think that's where the problem is.

Anyway, as you can see, I really need your help with explaining exactly why you want me to agree to pay for an unnecessary visit to my home and what investigation has been done into the wiring that leads to my home. Or preferably, help with  getting a reliable commitment to a date when the conversion to VoIP will happen.

Thanks for considering all this and your help.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

OK, if you'd like us to book the engineer can you confirm:

• That you accept potential Engineers charges
• Provide availability, either AM (8am to 1pm) or PM (1pm to 6pm) between Monday to Friday.

Thanks
Chris

[Pedant]

Chris,

I'm not sure what you mean by 'another engineer visit'. I haven't had an engineer visit my home for this fault, and I'm not aware of an engineer visiting anywhere else for this fault. If an engineer needs to visit somewhere in order get my phone working, I'm happy for them to do so.

Thanks for your help,

Rog

[Chris-TalkTalk]

To investigate further we'll need to arrange another engineer visit, if you'd like us  to do this please let us know and we'll confirm some details with you

Chris

[Pedant]

Is there any news of what's happening with this. The fault seems to be just about permanent now.

[Pedant]

I don't know if this is connected (no pun intended), but this morning at about 11:15 I saw an engineer working in the cabinet.

[Pedant]

Yes. as far as I can tell.

If I call the number using my mobile, it goes immediately to voicemail.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

OK thanks, and do you still have the same issue?

Chris

[Pedant]

it wasn't then, but it is now.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi Pedant

Line test it picking up a potential problem, is your telephone currently connected to your test socket - Your guide to main phone sockets - TalkTalk Help & Support

Chris

[Pedant]

I thought my last message had prompted some action when my son told me on Saturday that my landline was going directly to voicemail, so I started a long chat trying to find out when the VoIP would go live. I was eventually told that I would now need to wait 30 days. When I tried testing the landline connection again I found that there is an intermittent (much more not working than working) fault on th copper connection. I can't run a connection test because my broadband is FTTP and my landline is copper, so could someone on here run a landline test and report the fault please.