NO LANDLINE ONLY DEALS - Catastrophe waiting to happen

DDix58

This issue is sent to you as I am very worried for my mother and as a nurse for the wider older public. After my father died we sorted out all my mothers bills and transferred her to the Post office for her land line phone. I have tried over several years and several mobiles to help my mother to use one but to no avail. Cognitively my mother cannot adjust to any new technology. I have just found out and that the Post Office phone account was taken over in Jan 2022 ( right in the middle of the Pandemic which I worked throughout on covid wards) by Shell Energy - which are now charging my mother £36 a month for land line only - I complained about the cost and then contacted BT who informed me that they could only do broadband and a landline for £33 plus other charges for a router - no broadband only. 

Why are landline only deals so high?

Why does Age UK state BT will provided landline only when they do not - only if you are on benefits- please check out age uk web site - it states serive providers will not charge for broadband ( I have emailed them as this is not the case) 

I was on with Shell Energy for over an hour todayat my mothers and they could only reduce to £29 with an 18-month contract which had many caveats - my mother is not on benefits neither a large pension and £432 a year is an extortionate amount to pay for 53 local calls a month.

As a nurse who works on a frailty ward this raises the question - what about the vulnerable elderly people who like my mother only have a landline? Please look there is no options for landline only - the BT customer service lady actually laughed and said "Well at least with us you will have broadband".

 In 2025 nearly 2 million people will be over 85 and the number of people with diagnosed dementia will be over one million.

Cornucopia

What's the downside of buying the best overall deal and then not using the Broadband?

I also suspect we are not far off from frail people being recommended/given health/safety monitoring devices that will need a data connection.

TadleyBaggie

Analogue landlines will soon be a thing of the past, everyone who wants a landline will need a digital connection whether they use broadband or not.

DullGreyGuy

Landlines are ultimately becoming an obsolete technology however almost certainly the over 85s are already using the modern replacement of VOIP on any of their phone calls to big companies, certain family members etc without knowing about it. 

Setting up VOIP in the home can be slightly more complex but once setup it can work identically to a landline... pick up the phone, dial the number, handup to end the call etc. Obviously VOIP can do much more than that too but for someone who just wants to make calls theres no need to complicate it if you dont want to. 

iniltous

There is a BT phone only plan 
https://www.bt.com/help/landline/learn-about-home-phone-saver-2020

There is is also a BT social tariff for those on qualifying benefits 

There may be a potential issue if someone, not a current BT customer , is in an area where there is a now ‘stop sell’ on Openreach copper pair products, because Openreach FTTP ( fibre to the premises ) is now available in that area , and if it is available it has to be used, but that would only be an issue if they wanted to move to BT , if they were already with someone else ( like Shell Energy ) on a landline only product , they could simply stay with them for the time being , even if it’s not particularly good value , if staying on a landline only is the most important issue, if wanting to move to BT on a landline only basis , there may be an issue , in which case don’t move to BT.

BT will eventually provide phone only on FTTP if it’s required, but the technology behind it will be internet protocol (IP) and although the user may not realise it , and won’t be paying anymore that the standard phone charge , they will have a FTTP or FTTC broadband connection, but at the moment BT phone only customers won’t have to worry as they are the last group of customers to be affected, phone only customers of other companies would need to check those companies plans.

summer_daze009

You may wish to check out this company if you still want just a landline:

https://www.directsavetelecom.co.uk/line-rental-y.php

DDix58

Cornucopia said:

What's the downside of buying the best overall deal and then not using the Broadband?

I also suspect we are not far off from frail people being recommended/given health/safety monitoring devices that will need a data connection.

 You have a point - but the downside at the moment when not required is the price - when I only pay £10 a month for unlimited calls on my mobile

DDix58

Just want to update, after the 4th phone call using  and finally using this number provided by BT 0800 587 0083 I have a landline only which is digital but using my mothers own phone at a reduced cost of £22. I am not at all technical but I believe it is VOIP - they will send an adapter. Hope this helps anyone who is in a similar position.  Thanks BT

Cornucopia

DDix58 said:

Cornucopia said:

What's the downside of buying the best overall deal and then not using the Broadband?

I also suspect we are not far off from frail people being recommended/given health/safety monitoring devices that will need a data connection.

 You have a point - but the downside at the moment when not required is the price - when I only pay £10 a month for unlimited calls on my mobile

Mobile and Home Phone/BB are two different markets.   I only pay £9/pm for my mobile contract, but that's never going to be a viable price-point for home phone because the costs are completely different.

There are simpler mobile models available, but I agree that if a person cannot conceptualise the principle of operation and/or they cannot operate the buttons due to dexterity problems then there's little to be done.  

One "thinking outside the box" solution (one that makes use of home BB) is a smart speaker - the Amazon echo devices have free outgoing telephone calls to UK landline and mobile, and they are initiated by voice command... "Alexa - Call Bob".  You do need a smart phone to undertake the initial configuration, though.

J_B

TadleyBaggie said:

Analogue landlines will soon be a thing of the past, everyone who wants a landline will need a digital connection whether they use broadband or not.

Apart from those who can't get a digital connection

gt94sss2

iniltous said:

There is a BT phone only plan 
https://www.bt.com/help/landline/learn-about-home-phone-saver-2020

There is also another option to the bundle and social tariff you mention

BT also offer a 'line only' discount if you are not taking broadband.

This makes the line rental a bit over £12/month

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2020/12/bt-to-continue-discount-for-landline-only-uk-phone-users.html

I believe that is the tariff @DDix58 is after and that AgeUK refer too