Want to Leave BT Broadband but need landline

badmemory

I can just imagine a business getting its landline number cancelled/changed.  Can you imagine the fury.  All advertising cancelled.  Those who ring regularly not being able to get through.  Even employees not being able to contact their employer.  Solicitors letters flying all over the place.

[Deleted User]

tacpot12 said:

It's my opinion that every home in the UK is going to get a new home phone number as a result of the switch off of the analogue phone network, so you might as well get that new number as soon as possible. I've just moved to Sky  (actually switches next week) and will have a new home phone number for any phone I plug into the router. Better to bite the bullet now, and let everyone know your new number. 

Total rubbish.
You've either misunderstood or been misinformed by dodgy sales staff. 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

here's the gen from Openreach.

Blackjack_Davy

Uh Openreach are supposed to be sending out an "adapter" to all old landline phones when the old PSTN service is switched off is that correct? Is it something that only some landline phones will support i.e. will existing phones have to junked? Theres a degree of confusion over this theres a socket with a phone handset symbol on the back of my ISP supplied router but existing BT socket phones will not plug into it mine certainly won't its a different shape. Also the details of my existing phone don't mention anything about being VOIP compatible though other models from teh same manufacturer do

M25

I've had a digital line for years and any landline telephone I've used works perfectly fine they just plug into the back of the router. Only difference I've noticed is call quality is better.

The increasing problem is suppliers not offering a digital line (eg Plusnet still don't and they're owned by BT) which means if you want a landline your choice will massively reduce = higher prices.

iniltous

Openreach don’t send anything out to anyone , someone who is a BT customer on Openreach network that is being migrated from PSTN  telephony to Digital Voice telephony ( eventually that will be every BT customer with a telephone service before the end of December 2025 ) will need to plug their own phone into the router phone socket, BT offer a free adapter , that plugs into the mains and the customers phone plugs into it , that in effect converts the customers existing wired phone into a DECT wireless phone so it can connect to the built in DECT base station built into the BT SH2 router .
Someone who isn’t a BT telephony customer would have to ask their provider what ( if anything ) is going to change , if someone is a BT Broadband customer with PSTN telephony and doesn’t have a SH2 router ( that does have a phone socket ) will be provided with a SH2 router as part  of the migration 

littleboo

Blackjack_Davy said:

Uh Openreach are supposed to be sending out an "adapter" to all old landline phones when the old PSTN service is switched off is that correct? Is it something that only some landline phones will support i.e. will existing phones have to junked? Theres a degree of confusion over this theres a socket with a phone handset symbol on the back of my ISP supplied router but existing BT socket phones will not plug into it mine certainly won't its a different shape. Also the details of my existing phone don't mention anything about being VOIP compatible though other models from teh same manufacturer do

Openreach wont sending adapters, it will be your ISP, assuming they offer a phone service
If you will be using your current phone via the ISP router, then it will still work - the router will act a a converter to make that happen.
A VOIP phone would only be required if the phone was connecting directly to the VOIP service (not via the phone port on the router), something most people wont be doing.

Silvertabby

The only problem with this new system, once it's been bedded in, is that the 'phones won't work at all in the event of a power cut.  We are not the only ones who back up our digital handsets with an old analogue phone for emergencies.  Yes, we have our mobiles - but there are a lot of elderly people out there who don't, and who will lose their only means of communication in a blackout.

iniltous

It’s always the case that it’s always ‘a concern of others’ that gets these kind of comments , and they assume that there must be huge numbers of people who are BT customer ( BT don’t even have 25% of the market ) who live in an area prone to frequent and lengthy power cut ( this is the power company’s problem ) and have no mobile signal , and these people are so vulnerable that they may need to call 999 at anytime…

In my mind that sort of begs the question, why if they are so vulnerable do they chose to live where they do , presumably in a very remote location ( if there is no mobile signal at all ) , any ambulance they presumably think they will need imminent, the ambulance would take a considerable time to arrive in an emergency anyway , plus what do these individuals do if their ordinary current landline went faulty, what with no mobile , and an absolute needed to be able to contact 999 in a hurry , do they move out until the fault is fixed ?.

TBH , this concern is completely overblown,  if someone was in such dire need of making DV as close to the soon to be retired PSTN network , a battery back up / uninterruptible power supply is available.

Blackjack_Davy

There are other concerns besides  my mother has issues with dementia and relies on a landline phone a corded phone plugged into the phone socket she can deal with a phone that plugs in a router implies a) she has internet access and b) the thing is switched on she doesn't have internet at the moment we think shes switched off the router its hard to get reliable information out of her her thoughts are just a confused jumble

Mobile isn't an option she either loses the phone or the charger the landline is corded for the same reason everything is tied down so to speak