MSE News: The death of the landline?

Caddyman

I don't think we should get too emotional here about whether one feels somehow disadvantaged by having to use their precious bundled minutes on their mobile to call people who (if they are able) don't have a landline for making voice calls. As for PAYG, well I've been on PAYG for years and I haven't spent a fortune on making calls by any means. There are alternative PAYG providers out there who offer cheaper calls than some of the 'big boys', so really, it can be just a case of shopping around.

There's always choice, choice whether to call people or not. That may sound simplistic, but at the end of the day, I'm personally not bothered if people don't want to call me because they only have my mobile number. My friends and family know they can't call me on the landline, because I just don't use it.

Ofcom really should take note that the telecoms industry needs to be deregulated further and force the industry to offer naked DSL to those who don't have the cable infrastructure in their area. Again, it's not about wanting to save a few quid on line rental, it's about being given the choice on whether or not to have a landline and personally, I don't want a landline with voice call bundle, just a line for BB which no telecoms provider in my area can offer.

moon777

I agree that increasingly we have a land line just for broadband, and as such we pay to much for that service. However it should not be a free service because we want those lines maintained and we want them invested in and improved over the coming years ( we want them all ripped up and replaced with fiber!).

A fair compromise would be to have a deal for those who don't want a home phone of say £50 per year for the line rental - this would cover BT's costs and leave some spare for investment in the service.

zagfles

Caddyman wrote: »

I don't think we should get too emotional here about whether one feels somehow disadvantaged by having to use their precious bundled minutes on their mobile to call people who (if they are able) don't have a landline for making voice calls. As for PAYG, well I've been on PAYG for years and I haven't spent a fortune on making calls by any means. There are alternative PAYG providers out there who offer cheaper calls than some of the 'big boys', so really, it can be just a case of shopping around.

There's always choice, choice whether to call people or not. That may sound simplistic, but at the end of the day, I'm personally not bothered if people don't want to call me because they only have my mobile number. My friends and family know they can't call me on the landline, because I just don't use it.

Ofcom really should take note that the telecoms industry needs to be deregulated further and force the industry to offer naked DSL to those who don't have the cable infrastructure in their area. Again, it's not about wanting to save a few quid on line rental, it's about being given the choice on whether or not to have a landline and personally, I don't want a landline with voice call bundle, just a line for BB which no telecoms provider in my area can offer.

But you're missing the point made earlier in the thread. That line rental pays for the landline infrastructure, and you're using that whether you use the line for calls or BB, or both.

Sometime a call package is thrown in "free" with the line rental, but sometimes broadband is thrown in free with a call package (like the one I've got with TT). So someone who wanted calls only and no BB is getting something included they don't want, same for some people who have a landline for BB but don't want calls.

It seems you're just objecting to something being thrown in free which you don't want - that happens all the time with all sorts of products and services. I was offered a coffee when I went for a haircut but didn't want it - I didn't demand a discount on the bill cos I didn't want the coffee! The cost of the coffee is trivial compared to cost of the haircut, just like the cost of the call package is trivial compared to cost of the line rental.

jamichi1

spenderdave wrote: »

"MoneySavingExpert.com research found that 51% of all age groups don't have a home phone or rarely use one."

51% is an awful long way from 'most'... Obviously younger people use their mobile more, but looking at the survey results even in the under 30's 47% still use their landline.

Yes I am well in the over 61 category. My mobile sits most of the time switched off. A landline is still very much an essential item.

What a useless article.

It's sad but you are correct. Furthermore, it is a story based on an online poll (not even a proper job done by one of the statistical companies). Totally unscientific.

This however, shouldn't remove the importance of the argument that broadband should be delivered even without a landline...

diamonds

roddydogs wrote: »

Not having a landline is totally selfish, why should we have to pay Mobile charges every time we want to phone you? Especially as some people (ME) get free 01/02 calls.
Someone i know has Virgin BB, & still has a BT line for the phone!

well call my mobile and hang up, i did not get unlimited landlines for nothing !

diamonds

zagfles wrote: »

But you're missing the point made earlier in the thread. That line rental pays for the landline infrastructure, and you're using that whether you use the line for calls or BB, or both.

Plus subsides BT Group & its Business customers.

The real cost of BT landline infastructure will never be known as BT overcost &, why in AU the government build its own Wholesale Broadband Fibre network instead of ALL consumers subidising Telstra (Telecom AU from the AU Post Office system before being privitised outwith PO), AU still had naked ADSL as the regulator allowed it.

Telstra monopoly was broken up without anything like BT half hearted breakup into "divisions", the government built its competitor not allowed the regulator to act in a way Ofcom gets off with.

Ofcom and its decisions have held the UK market back, Openreach, Retail & Wholesale ALL contribute to BT Group & thus distort the UK market, end of...

Pincher

Do people remember the old satellite internet setup?
You can send large volumes of data down to the dish,
but there is no return path, so you needed to use the landline to provide the upload capability, at dial-up speeds.

These days, you can have a dish that sends back to the satellite,
but obviously it requires extra equipment, and it's subject to outage due to weather.

GPRS - General Packet Radio Service

Not 4G, not 3G, this GSM level 2G technology is not charged on a per call basis. They charge by how much data is transmitted, and its effectively connected all the time. Mobile internet was available based on this before 3G, but the screens were too small, and downloading video was too expensive.

So, use a satellite dish for the fast download path, and the GPRS mechanism for the upload path. For people who have a data allowance that they don't use on their mobile phone, the upload is virtually free. For uploading photos etc, it's probably better to go to Starbucks.

So, if you have a decent mobile connection nearby, this will provide a decent two way internet connection, and you can live landline free, and pay for the satellite internet instead. All theoretical, since no one is doing it as far as I know. It won't be cheaper, either. All in all, landline broadband is cheap and effective, so why bother doing it any other way, unless you are out in the sticks.

zagfles

diamonds wrote: »

Plus subsides BT Group & its Business customers.

The real cost of BT landline infastructure will never be known as BT overcost &, why in AU the government build its own Wholesale Broadband Fibre network instead of ALL consumers subidising Telstra (Telecom AU from the AU Post Office system before being privitised outwith PO), AU still had naked ADSL as the regulator allowed it.

Telstra monopoly was broken up without anything like BT half hearted breakup into "divisions", the government built its competitor not allowed the regulator to act in a way Ofcom gets off with.

Ofcom and its decisions have held the UK market back, Openreach, Retail & Wholesale ALL contribute to BT Group & thus distort the UK market, end of...

Yes, but all totally irrelavant to why someone who uses their landline to download 80GB a month thinks they shouldn't have to pay line rental, while their Granny who uses it to make 3 calls a week but doesn't use BB at all should pay it.

SailorSam

lulu85 wrote: »

The regulator makes BT provide this product to those on Pension Credit and certain benefits who ASK for it but unfortunately BT are not compelled to offer it, or to (genuinely) advertise its existence to those who might benefit. Don't let BT get away with ripping off the poor and vulnerable, if you know anyone who might benefit the details are all here: bt.com/includingyou/other-products-services-bt-basic.html

http://www.bt.com/includingyou/other-products-services-bt-basic.html

Caddyman

zagfles wrote: »

But you're missing the point made earlier in the thread. That line rental pays for the landline infrastructure, and you're using that whether you use the line for calls or BB, or both.

Sometime a call package is thrown in "free" with the line rental, but sometimes broadband is thrown in free with a call package (like the one I've got with TT). So someone who wanted calls only and no BB is getting something included they don't want, same for some people who have a landline for BB but don't want calls.

It seems you're just objecting to something being thrown in free which you don't want - that happens all the time with all sorts of products and services. I was offered a coffee when I went for a haircut but didn't want it - I didn't demand a discount on the bill cos I didn't want the coffee! The cost of the coffee is trivial compared to cost of the haircut, just like the cost of the call package is trivial compared to cost of the line rental.

Noooo, sorry, not missing the point at all my friend, indeed, I think you are missing my point entirely! I'm just not interested in having a voice call package on a land line, I just want broadband over a landline because I don't have the Virgin Media option of cable only. I couldn't care less if I was offered a so called 'free' voice call bundle with the line, I'm just not interested! I don't need the voice call option. I'm sick to death of nutters calling my landline number offering utter garbage, pointless marketing calls and the odd sicko who thinks it's fun to dial a random number and give people the you know what's. That is why my 'phone is unplugged. I have no issue whatsoever with paying an element of my line for the upkeep of the infrastructure.