Broadband & Mobile

Duct and Pole Agreements for Broadband: What They Mean

Duct and pole agreements let rival broadband builders run fibre through Openreach's existing underground ducts and overhead poles. Ofcom's Physical Infrastructure Access regime sets the prices and rules that shape competition and consumer choice.

16 Jun 2026 · 7 min read

Overhead vs Underground Fibre Optic Installation: What to Expect

Full-fibre can reach your home overhead on poles or underground through duct. This guide explains how Openreach and altnets install fibre each way, the disruption and timescales involved, and what happens if they need to dig.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

Telegraph Pole Removal: Who Is Responsible and What to Do

Wanting a telegraph pole gone is common, but removal is rarely straightforward. This guide explains when removal can be requested, who owns the pole, how to apply to Openreach, and what happens if the operator refuses.

16 Jun 2026 · 8 min read

Wayleave Agreements for Telephone Poles: What Landowners Need to Know

A telephone pole or overhead line crossing your land is usually there under a wayleave. This guide explains what a wayleave is, how the Electronic Communications Code applies, what landowners can and cannot do, and the route to having a pole removed.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

Pole Damage: Who to Contact About a Damaged Telephone Pole

A storm-snapped or vehicle-struck telephone pole can drop live lines across a road. This guide explains who owns UK telephone poles, how to report damage to Openreach, when it counts as an emergency, and what to do if a pole is down.

16 Jun 2026 · 7 min read

Overhead vs Underground Phone Lines: What the Difference Means for You

A clear comparison of overhead and underground phone lines in the UK: where each is found, which is more resilient, how each type is repaired, and what Openreach's programme to bury more cable means for households.

16 Jun 2026 · 8 min read

Landline and Weather Damage: What Happens and Who Fixes It

How UK storms and floods damage overhead and underground phone lines, who is responsible for repairs, the timescales to expect after major weather events, and why Ofcom automatic compensation can still apply during widespread faults.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

Landline Outage: What to Do and What You Are Owed

A practical UK guide to landline outages: how to tell whether the fault is local or your own line, how to report it, the compensation rights that apply under Ofcom's scheme, how to cope without a phone, and VoIP backup options.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

How to Claim Landline Compensation: A Practical Guide

A step-by-step guide to claiming landline compensation in the UK, covering Ofcom automatic compensation, manual claims against non-participating providers, the evidence to keep, and how to escalate to an alternative dispute resolution scheme if refused.

16 Jun 2026 · 7 min read

Landline Compensation: The Ofcom Automatic Compensation Scheme

Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme covers landlines as well as broadband, paying set daily amounts for delayed repairs, late installs and missed appointments. Learn the trigger events, the amounts, which providers take part, and how the payments reach you.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

How to Report a Landline Fault: A Step-by-Step Guide

When your landline stops working, report the fault to your communications provider, not Openreach directly. This step-by-step guide covers who to contact, what to have ready, what to say, and what happens after you report.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

Extension Sockets and Internal Phone Wiring: Your Responsibility

Extension sockets and the wiring beyond your master socket are the householder's responsibility, not Openreach's. Learn how ring wiring and star wiring differ, how internal cabling affects broadband speed, and when a provider engineer is worth calling.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

Inside vs Outside Phone Wiring: Who Is Responsible for What

Openreach maintains the line up to and including the master socket, while internal wiring beyond it is the consumer's responsibility. Understand where the boundary sits, what ring wiring is, and how faults are split between Openreach, your ISP and you.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

The Openreach Network Boundary: Where Their Responsibility Ends

The Openreach network boundary is the master socket, or Network Termination Equipment, on your wall. This guide explains what sits on each side, what Openreach owns versus what you own, and when Openreach can enter your property.

16 Jun 2026 · 8 min read

What Openreach Engineers Can and Cannot Fix

An Openreach engineer fixes the network line from the street to your master socket, but not your router, internal wiring or handsets. This guide explains the scope of an Openreach visit, what your ISP covers instead, and when a visit can be chargeable.

16 Jun 2026 · 8 min read

Phone Line Damage: Who Is Responsible: Openreach, Your ISP or You?

Responsibility for a damaged phone line depends on where the damage sits relative to the master socket. This guide explains the Openreach boundary, what falls to your provider, what you own inside the home, and who to call for each kind of fault.

16 Jun 2026 · 8 min read

Landline Phone and Home Insurance: What Is Covered

Home insurance rarely covers the landline cable running to your property, because the network up to the master socket belongs to Openreach. This guide explains where the boundary sits, what tenants and landlords cover, and how storm damage is handled.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

Call Blocking Devices for Landlines: How They Work

Standalone call blocking devices sit between your line and phone to screen nuisance calls. Learn how they work, the features they offer, how to set one up, and the calls they cannot stop.

16 Jun 2026 · 9 min read

BT Call Protect: How the Call Blocking Service Works

BT Call Protect screens nuisance calls at network level before they reach your phone. Learn how it classifies calls, what the junk calls list does, how to manage it, and which calls it cannot stop.

16 Jun 2026 · 8 min read

1471: How BT's Last Number Recall Works

Dialling 1471 reads back the last number that called your landline. Learn when a number is and is not revealed, how it relates to 1571 voicemail, the cost, and what happens after PSTN switch-off.

16 Jun 2026 · 9 min read

Anonymous Call Rejection on a Landline: How It Works

Anonymous call rejection blocks landline callers who withhold their number. Learn how to switch it on, whether it carries a charge, and what callers hear when a withheld call is turned away.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

Call Barring on a Landline: How to Set It Up

Call barring lets you block whole categories of landline calls, such as outgoing premium-rate or international numbers and incoming withheld callers. This guide explains the types available, how to enable them and what they cost.

16 Jun 2026 · 7 min read

How to Block Nuisance Calls on a Landline

From TPS registration and call-blocking handsets to ISP-level services and silent-call rules, this guide explains what actually reduces nuisance calls on a UK landline and where to report the calls that break the rules.

16 Jun 2026 · 7 min read

How to Make a Landline Complaint to Ofcom

Ofcom regulates landline providers but does not resolve individual disputes. Learn when to report a landline issue to Ofcom, how your report supports enforcement action, and where CISAS fits in for an individual remedy.

16 Jun 2026 · 7 min read

Landline Ombudsman: How CISAS Handles Landline Disputes

CISAS is an Ofcom-approved alternative dispute resolution scheme for landline complaints. Learn how to refer a deadlocked dispute, what awards CISAS can make, the timelines involved and which providers are covered.

16 Jun 2026 · 7 min read

Landline Contract Cancellation Rights: What You Are Owed

Cancelling a landline contract involves notice periods, possible early termination fees and cooling off rights. This guide explains the process and the protections Ofcom rules give UK landline customers.

16 Jun 2026 · 6 min read

Line Rental Explained: What It Was and Why It Disappeared

Line rental was the charge for the copper phone line every broadband connection used to ride on. This guide covers its origins, what it covered, why it was controversial and how SOGEA and full fibre eliminated it.

16 Jun 2026 · 8 min read

Getting Broadband Without BT Line Rental: How It Works

Line rental once sat under almost every broadband deal. SOGEA and full fibre have removed it for new connections. This guide explains what line rental was, why it is disappearing and what it means for pricing.

16 Jun 2026 · 8 min read

What Is SOGEA? Single Order Generic Ethernet Access Explained

SOGEA delivers FTTC-grade broadband over a single Openreach order with no underlying voice line. This guide covers how it works, why Openreach built it, which providers sell it and what changes for households.

16 Jun 2026 · 7 min read

Getting Broadband Without a Phone Line: SOGEA and FTTP Explained

SOGEA and FTTP let you take broadband without renting a traditional analogue phone line, ending separate line rental. This guide explains how each works and what you lose unless you add a VoIP service.

16 Jun 2026 · 8 min read