No longer need a landline phone, help needed !

poppasmurf_bewdley

Neil_Jones said:

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

But in addition to the costs of supplying my broadband, it also costs BT extra to supply my landline.  They have to supply the infrastructure at the exchange to enable me to make a call, accept a call, connect a call, bill a call, talk to an operator, whilst also providing a printed telephone directory with my number in it. All that is cost over and above providing broadband.

Doesn't cost them anything extra at all, the phone system was built around voice calls and broadband was just bodged onto the whole thing. The infrastructure is the same for broadband and calls, so there is no saving (if there are any costs they'll be on the broadband side, not the landline side), and the whole operator thing is farmed out now anyway and not done by BT direct IIRC.

You're wrong, but you think you're right. 

J_B

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

............. whilst also providing a printed telephone directory with my number in it. All that is cost over and above providing broadband.

Printed telephone directory - when did they last do one of those?

poppasmurf_bewdley

J_B said:

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

............. whilst also providing a printed telephone directory with my number in it. All that is cost over and above providing broadband.

Printed telephone directory - when did they last do one of those?

BT is obligated by Ofcom to provide a printed directory to its own customers. Many customers use the book for a variety of reasons from trusting the companies that advertise within it (more than those from an internet search), through to not having internet access, or wanting to find a residential number. Other phone companies are also required to supply their customers with a copy. 

J_B

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

BT is obligated by Ofcom to provide a printed directory to its own customers. Many customers use the book for a variety of reasons from trusting the companies that advertise within it (more than those from an internet search), through to not having internet access, or wanting to find a residential number. Other phone companies are also required to supply their customers with a copy. 

Well, every day's a school day - we have been BT customers for 3 or 4 years and I don't recall getting a directory in this time. Maybe it went straight into the recycling bag?

brewerdave

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

J_B said:

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

............. whilst also providing a printed telephone directory with my number in it. All that is cost over and above providing broadband.

Printed telephone directory - when did they last do one of those?

Other phone companies are also required to supply their customers with a copy. 

I've been with Plusnet for my phone service since 2012 - never been offered or received a residential phone book. 

Farway

brewerdave said:

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

J_B said:

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

............. whilst also providing a printed telephone directory with my number in it. All that is cost over and above providing broadband.

Printed telephone directory - when did they last do one of those?

Other phone companies are also required to supply their customers with a copy. 

I've been with Plusnet for my phone service since 2012 - never been offered or received a residential phone book. 

Maybe it's one of those bits in the small print "Upon request"? Only guessing, and I expect by now the Eco green save paper lobby will have stifled any desire to send one, maybe a download PDF if lucky?

RogerBareford

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

Neil_Jones said:

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

But in addition to the costs of supplying my broadband, it also costs BT extra to supply my landline.  They have to supply the infrastructure at the exchange to enable me to make a call, accept a call, connect a call, bill a call, talk to an operator, whilst also providing a printed telephone directory with my number in it. All that is cost over and above providing broadband.

Doesn't cost them anything extra at all, the phone system was built around voice calls and broadband was just bodged onto the whole thing. The infrastructure is the same for broadband and calls, so there is no saving (if there are any costs they'll be on the broadband side, not the landline side), and the whole operator thing is farmed out now anyway and not done by BT direct IIRC.

You're wrong, but you think you're right. 

How are they wrong?

They certainly won't be saving any money by not having to provide you with a call service as everything is part of the same system. The line going from your house to the exchange will still need to be maintained whether or not you have a call service, then in the exchange the whole system is maintained at once. It's not like you have a dedicated piece of equipment in the exchange that they maintian just for your phone service it is all part of one big system.

It's like you saying you won't use some of the pixels at the top right of your computer monitor... it won't save you any money as it's all one system.