Internet without land line (no TV package either)?

Vanilla · 23 Feb 2015 at 09:58

Hi all,

I tried a search and there's not much talk about the topic unless it's hidden in the huuuuuge threads.

I hate land lines. I never use them, I hate paying for them. I'm also going to avoid a TV package and not pay the TV license.

Everything I watch is either streaming from my server on on Netflix and BBC iPlayer

As far as I can see the only feasible option for internet without a landline is Virgin? The down side being that it costs almost as much as having it with the line!

Are there any other providers out there who are pretty decent and offer 'naked' broadband as it's known elsewhere in the world?

Thanks
Tony

bremen1874 · 23 Feb 2015 at 10:22

If you really want to avoid having a landline then Virgin is going to be the only sensible option.

Vanilla · 23 Feb 2015 at 10:43

Looks like you're right. I can get Virgin 152mb for £41 a month on a 12 month contract.

Can't use one of those cashback referral sites as I had Virgin installed in my house recently (and this is for my flat).

Although I may use quidco instead of topcashback and see if they notice

Cadbury · 23 Feb 2015 at 10:57

No, not in the UK. Unless you have FTTP/H or Virgin, the landline is what your internet comes down so you need one. You can opt out of a number and a phone service but that's often more than having one.

Why not just have a service with a landline but don't plug a phone in?

Vanilla · 23 Feb 2015 at 11:02

Cadbury said:
No, not in the UK. Unless you have FTTP/H or Virgin, the landline is what your internet comes down so you need one. You can opt out of a number and a phone service but that's often more than having one.

Why not just have a service with a landline but don't plug a phone in?

I dunno, I just want to simplify my life if that makes sense. Why have them port numbers and give me land line numbers for something I don't want or use.

I could probably get an install faster also without the landline (used to have virgin in this flat so all the bits still there).

It is a shame we are locked into this landline crud. In Oz they had broadband via the phoneline but you didn't need a land line to be actually active. I guess this is the hold BT has on us

Cadbury · 23 Feb 2015 at 11:06

You seem to be under some sort of impression that a "landline" will cause you untold misery and frustration. Whether one existed or not, there may still be a delay in a new service depending on whether your line is physically connected in the cabinet.

I'm going to assume when you say "landline", what you mean is "phone number". You still need a physical cable to go from the cabinet/exchange to your house. Whether that has a phone number attached to it is mostly irrelevant. If you want want to use the number, just don't plug a phone in. It's really that simple. I'm fairly sure that unless you go with an FTTP/H provider, you'll be paying a line rental fee regardless. That's the charge for the maintenance of the cable and the network. Even VM charges that.

Vanilla · 23 Feb 2015 at 11:09

Cadbury said:
You seem to be under some sort of impression that a "landline" will cause you untold misery and frustration. Whether one existed or not, there may still be a delay in a new service depending on whether your line is physically connected in the cabinet.

I'm going to assume when you say "landline", what you mean is "phone number". You still need a physical cable to go from the cabinet/exchange to your house. Whether that has a phone number attached to it is mostly irrelevant. If you want want to use the number, just don't plug a phone in. It's really that simple. I'm fairly sure that unless you go with an FTTP/H provider, you'll be paying a line rental fee regardless. That's the charge for the maintenance of the cable and the network. Even VM charges that.

...but it will be there. Staring at me. Mocking me from it's tower of importance, that dirty phone socket :mad:

Cadbury · 23 Feb 2015 at 11:12

Vanilla said:
...but it will be there. Staring at me. Mocking me from it's tower of importance, that dirty phone socket

Haha. No one will know!

To answer your question in your first post, whether you take a service with a phone number or not, you'd still be paying for the line if it's an ISP that runs off BT cables. Someone has to pay for the upkeep of all that hardware and BT certainly doesn't do it out of the goodness of their tiny corporate heart. With Virgin, they could probably do a service without a phone number but I suspect there are many reasons as to why they don't. Probably monetary and software related.

There are a small minority of us who don't need a BT line any more. I have http://www.gigaclear.com/ FTTP and my traditional phone line is disconnected. Our phone service is provided by Vonage (VoIP).

Vanilla · 23 Feb 2015 at 11:14

Cadbury said:
There are a small minority of us who don't need a BT line any more. I have http://www.gigaclear.com/ FTTP and my traditional phone line is disconnected. Our phone service is provided by Vonage (VoIP).

This seems to be for rural areas. I'm about 8 miles from the center of London city, does that count as rural? I have a park near me and everything (Osterley). It has grass and horses and stuff.