What is an ISDN subscription charge, do you need to pay it if you get efibre?

JGo1

Hi, I did a search on ISDN and all the threads are from years and years ago so I started a new thread hope that is ok. My parents asked me to have a look at their phone bill recently and to see wether it was worth their while to upgrade to efibre broadband from eircom. On their bill is an ISDN subscription charge of 37 euro a month. From what I understand ISDN is what allows you to use your telephone line for data as well as phone calls. If my parents were to upgrade to eFibre which I understand is provided on a separate fibre optic cable would this mean they wouldn't have to pay the ISDN subscription charge anymore?

gctest50

JGo1 wrote: »

If my parents were to upgrade to eFibre which I understand is provided on a separate fibre optic cable

eFibre is not on a separate fibre optic cable

Its just a marketing - vdsl2 wouldn't be familiar to most people

and it sounds new and shiny - eFibre iFibre kinda thing

ED E

ISDN is typically used in businesses not residential premises. Depending on setup it can be used to have several phone channels and a data channel. In a home setup a regular DSL line is often a better option. The one big advantage of ISDN is they often include a 24hr or 8hr SLA. In very big businesses it can be 4hr. So if it goes down it gets fixed FAST.

If they dont have a need for such facilities then replacing the ISDN service with a regular eFibre connection(Its VDSL, fibre to the cabinet, so you dont run it parallel to the existing line) would be a good option.

gctest50

The good news is if you are out the country a little bit, it is unlikely you have a split line


See attached photo for pic of back of modem you will probably receive

Wabbit Ears

if they arent using the ISDN line cancel it, It also means they probably have two phone numbers, you could probably cancel one of them.

JGo1

ED E wrote: »

ISDN is typically used in businesses not residential premises. Depending on setup it can be used to have several phone channels and a data channel. In a home setup a regular DSL line is often a better option. The one big advantage of ISDN is they often include a 24hr or 8hr SLA. In very big businesses it can be 4hr. So if it goes down it gets fixed FAST.

If they dont have a need for such facilities then replacing the ISDN service with a regular eFibre connection(Its VDSL, fibre to the cabinet, so you dont run it parallel to the existing line) would be a good option.

They live in a regular semi detached house in Dublin suburbs with no need for any business use. They only need the one phone line. Sorry if this is a stupid question but if I cancel their ISDN and switch to VDSL does this mean a new cable will have to be installed? Is it possible to use the phone while someone is on the internet with VDSL? or does the internet drop when someone picks up the phone and makes a call?

The plan they are being offered comes with free connection and a free modem so hopefully the switch over won't cost anything. Without having to pay 37 euro on ISDN it would make their bill much cheaper and to think they have ISDN on their bill for years and not needing it.

degsie

I suspect it's just a billing error and the line is just a normal pots line for which your parents are paying line rental. You could ring eircom to double check.

murphaph

Erm, how many years have they been paying for ISDN? Do they use it or have they ever used it? Do they have any ISDN equipment?

ED E

JGo1 wrote: »

They live in a regular semi detached house in Dublin suburbs with no need for any business use. They only need the one phone line. Sorry if this is a stupid question but if I cancel their ISDN and switch to VDSL does this mean a new cable will have to be installed? Is it possible to use the phone while someone is on the internet with VDSL? or does the internet drop when someone picks up the phone and makes a call?

The plan they are being offered comes with free connection and a free modem so hopefully the switch over won't cost anything. Without having to pay 37 euro on ISDN it would make their bill much cheaper and to think they have ISDN on their bill for years and not needing it.

Yeah, sounds like theyve had the wrong product for a while.

When they switch to VDSL(eFibre) the technician just fits a new socket in the house and swaps a cable in a cab somewhere in the neighbourhood. The same line runs from there into the house, there's minimal disruption involved.

SpaceTime

Basic rate ISDN is just a fully digital channel back to the local telephone exchange. It gives you two channels 64kbps each. You can either use them for data or voice.

It was the best that the circuit switched digital network could do and it's very much an 80s-90s technology that's now considered obsolete and is generally only used for some obscure purposes e.g. radio stations still use it for outside broadcasts as it's very low latency.

There'll probably be a Siemens "eircom HiSpeed" box on the wall with phone jacks where the phones are connected. This is basically an 'ATA' (analogue terminal adaptor).

It's likely that they would switch your phone line back to regular PSTN (just voice service) and you'd probably cancel one of your phone numbers.

The e-fibre service would then be added to the downgraded line.

The eFibre service is up to 781 times faster than ISDN for data.

JGo1

Thanks guys for all your replies, I would have been lost talking to the telephone company otherwise. Their telephone connection is just a standard telephone connection with a standard telephone cable that goes to a filter/splitter to split the phone from the internet so that must be dsl not isdn. Its always been like that and they have only ever had one phone number so they must have been getting charged for isdn when they never had it at all. I will definitely be cancelling it and will be looking for a refund, 37 euro a month for over 10 years adds up!

degsie

Current line rental is €25.78pm for pstn line and €32.51pm for basic ISDN line, best of luck getting a refund from eircom!

AlanS181824

Any update on this? How'd it go?