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if you get cable / fibre internet, does this mean you have no phone line? (which is what I'm after, to make sure people are unable to make calls at my expense)
thanks
No. That was the case with dial-up in the 90's, or rather that the phone line was not useable when you were internet connected, but not any more.
Don't plug a phone into the line?
It is possible to sign up for Virgin broadband only. Though will probably cost more than getting a bundle of broadband with a phone line.
cable / fibre
Yes / no.
Virgin cable does not require a phone line. Anything else readily available domestically does.
"Fibre" is fibre to the nearest street cabinet ("FttC") and then delivered over what they call "the last mile" via the phone line. Direct fibre to the premises ("FttP") exists but it's hellishly expensive and only really viable for businesses.
which is what I’m after, to make sure people are unable to make calls at my expense
I'm really not sure what you mean by this, can you elaborate? Most phone packages have had free phone calls for a long time, the whole point of not needing a phone line is not having to pay BT / whoever £15-£20 a month for the privilege of having a few metres of wire strung to your house. Who do you think is going to be making calls?
I have "fibre" ADSL over the phone line via Sky. My actual phone stopped working 2 or 3 years ago, I used it so little that I couldn't be arsed to report it.
No. That was the case with dial-up in the 90’s, or rather that the phone line was not useable when you were internet connected, but not any more.
Hang on... are you thinking that "being on the Internet" equals "making phone calls?" As HughStew said, that hasn't been the case for a very long time now. You aren't metered by Internet connection time any more, it's always-on and you pay a flat fee per month.
rental property. I don't want people to be able to be able to call auntie agnes in Oz on my phone account.
And nothing to stop someone bringing in their own 'phone (although unlikely)
Every rental place I've been in, I've been responsible for sorting internet/phone and the associated bills, not the landlord.
But yes, you can get Virgin Cable broadband (assuming it's available at the address) without having a phone line installed.
I assume this is a short term rental?
Put a block on international or premium rate calls?
Move phone socket / router to a locked cupboard?
Rural broadband here, no phone line. A relatively unusual set up so not an option for everyone but it does mean you can ditch BT completely. We have a dish shaped microwave antenna pointing at a hill top mast a few miles away. Our telephone "landline" is VOIP over our broadband connection, but we kept our old BT number. We pay for a 20 mb/s package, you can have faster but that suits us.
We've gone 4g for home broadband so no more phone line. Depends how strong a signal you can manage though.
We're stuck out in the rural back and beyond here, got a 3 mobile mobile broadband box. £22 a month for unlimited internet, no need for a cable.
A possible solution would be to physically secure the access the master socket:
i.e. put a locked box around it with a cable coming out for the modem/router.
Or if you want to supply internet/phone use to your tenants on your account then you could do so but place a block on premium rate and international calls.
Or just write into the contract that all calls over and above bundled free calls are charged at cost + 20% admin fee.
The phone line doesnt need to be live for making calls though, a few ISPs now offer that service.