Changing home phone

SHEILA54

Hi

I have my phone, tv and broadband with Virgin Media and am thinking of changing.

I was considering getting a mobile simplicity deal with O2, taking out their premium broadband package and then signing up to their home phone deal when it comes out in March. The Tv package I could then take out with Sky as it is cheaper then with Virgin.

My problem is that I am unsure if I have a BT line installed as I have used cable since it moved to the area.

Obviously I would need a BT line but has anyone any ideas as the new O2 deal will include line rental and I don't therefore want to sign up to any BT deals?

http://mediacentre.o2.co.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=609

I think that the house had a BT line before I changed to Virgin but how can you check and get it reinstated?

Many thanks

macman

02 are not doing line installs, only line rental.
Do you still have a BT master socket in your house? If so what happen when you plug a phone in and try it?

SHEILA54

macman wrote: »

02 are not doing line installs, only line rental.
Do you still have a BT master socket in your house? If so what happen when you plug a phone in and try it?

Hi
I have a socket that is connected to Virgin but they did not install it. There is a box outside of the house with the phone lines going into it.

macman

SHEILA54 wrote: »

Hi
I have a socket that is connected to Virgin but they did not install it. There is a box outside of the house with the phone lines going into it.

Virgin connection is irrelevant. You need to check if there is a BT line and master socket. Master socket will be inside the house, not outside.

SHEILA54

So how do I find out please?

macman

SHEILA54 wrote: »

So how do I find out please?

Look for a BT socket in your house in the obvious places? Mostly have a 'BT ' logo on them.
Or is there a BT cable coming in above ground level to your house? If so follow it through to the master socket along the cable run.

SHEILA54

macman wrote: »

Look for a BT socket in your house in the obvious places? Mostly have a 'BT ' logo on them.
Or is there a BT cable coming in above ground level to your house? If so follow it through to the master socket along the cable run.

There are 2 cables coming above ground, 1 black to a Telecom junction box that is shared with next door and 1 very thick cable to a nynex box.
There is a black wire coming from the T box that has been cut.

The only inside connection that I can see is the point where you plug in the phone, which is used to get my Virgin line. There is a hole in the wall drilled for the line to pass in for Cable tv & broadband but I cannot see any sign of anything else.

So I guess that means that it is wired to outside but the connection to inside of the property has been cut.

BT will charge £125 to reconnect and I cannot afford this at the moment

macman

SHEILA54 wrote: »

There are 2 cables coming above ground, 1 black to a Telecom junction box that is shared with next door and 1 very thick cable to a nynex box.
There is a black wire coming from the T box that has been cut.

The only inside connection that I can see is the point where you plug in the phone, which is used to get my Virgin line. There is a hole in the wall drilled for the line to pass in for Cable tv & broadband but I cannot see any sign of anything else.

So I guess that means that it is wired to outside but the connection to inside of the property has been cut.

BT will charge £125 to reconnect and I cannot afford this at the moment

The BT free connection offer is available until 31/1 and is widely covered on this board.

ACDeag

macman wrote: »

The BT free connection offer is available until 31/1 and is widely covered on this board.

But you will be tied to an 18 month contract and could not give your line rental to O2 without paying BT a penalty.

Lplates

Just to restate your objectives:

1) you want to get phone line rental from BT without paying the standard new line connection charge (£124.99)

2) you want to get O2 broadband for £10 per month (for the premium package)


A few observations -

BT line rental: At present it appears that the offer of free connection may end on 31st January, so you will need to be quick. Note that there is an 18 month contract requirement. The cheapest package is the ‘unlimited weekend calling plan’, currently £11.54 per month. You may not be eligible for free connection if you have benefited from a similar promotion in the recent past.

O2 broadband: Check that your telephone exchange has been unbundled by O2, otherwise the cheapest broadband you can get (as an O2 mobile customer) would be £17.50 per month. Check this on the O2 website, or use samknows.com (www.samknows.com/broadband/search.php).

You don’t need to take line rental from O2 to get broadband from them; indeed doing so (before the 18-month period was up) would make you liable for substantial early-termination charges from BT.

Hope this helps - if not, please ask further.