Forced onto Fibre

carer4mum

My mum started with dementia a few years ago, so I installed some cameras to keep an eye on her. I upgraded her phone contract to include broadband at the same time. She now has a full time carer, so we don't need broadband anymore, but I kept it going just in case.

My mum's phone contract is up and I found a new deal to replace her current one. Pop Telecom offered line + broadband for £17.99 per month, but has just cancelled the order because of a new rule. They said they are not allowed to offer a deal on the existing copper connection. Apparently, this applies to any change in supplier.

The only options now are to stay with her current supplier on copper or go to full fibre at £29.99 per month. The only problem is her current supplier must know this and have increased her renewal by 25%. They both work out around £30 per month.

All she needs is a phone line so people can ring her, but we are being forced onto fibre with godzillion megabytes of data per second that will never be used. It doesn't seem fair, is this correct? It is possible to just have a landline these days?

littleboo

Yes you can get just a landline, but there is a stop sell on copper based landlines. The replacement service, "Digital Voice" will work just the same other than it wont work in a power cut unless you or the provider implements some sort of battery backup/UPS. No all providers will offer phone only, BT do.

M25

Keep it simple and move her to BT if not already with them. She may qualify for Home Essentials https://www.bt.com/broadband/home-essentials

Not sure I'd move any of my relatives to a telecom company called Pop. I'm sure they're lovely people but if there's a problem I'd bet with BT.

iniltous

If you no longer need broadband for the cameras, and only need a ‘phone’ for incoming calls , then presumably a mobile phone would be a better solution, I seem to recall some company offering a mobile phone and  although ludicrously expensive for what it was , it resembled a ‘big button’ landline style phone , but operated via a mobile network, presumably you providing your own SIM card.

If this isn’t really an option ( I suspect these type of changes can be unsettling ) then remaining with whoever you are is the only way to maintain the status quo if you want to remain on an Openreach  WLR based service, as the WLR/PSTN switch off ( which by the way, all   providers have known about for years ) will stop you taking a PSTN phone only package ,  the ISP you picked shouldn’t have offered you something they knew they couldn’t supply.
it will be interesting given that any change you make to another provider, if it’s on a telephone only basis that’s really only going to be BT , what they would provide, it will be IP telephony, that will be DV ( digital voice ) the only question is how is it provisioned , possibly with a SH2 router ,  but the broadband behind it limited to 0.5Mb so it’s no good for anything but IP telephony

Rob5342

Some providers will provide phone only, but the phone will connect to a router they supply instead of plugging directly into the wall. Home phone connections are very expensive though. Could you get her something like this with an Asda mobile unlimited minutes SIM for £4 a month? Using it isn't much different to a cordless phone, she'd need to make sure it went back on the stand to charge though which could be a problem.

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/maxcom-comfort-mm35d-gsm-cordless-phone-black-10237495.html?istCompanyId=bec25c7e-cbcd-460d-81d5-a25372d2e3d7&istFeedId=4d7eb93e-055f-499d-8ee5-1cdcc50d67d1&istItemId=riamqilqq&istBid=t

matelodave

Rob5342 said:

Some providers will provide phone only, but the phone will connect to a router they supply instead of plugging directly into the wall. Home phone connections are very expensive though. Could you get her something like this with an Asda mobile unlimited minutes SIM for £4 a month? Using it isn't much different to a cordless phone, she'd need to make sure it went back on the stand to charge though which could be a problem.

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/maxcom-comfort-mm35d-gsm-cordless-phone-black-10237495.html?istCompanyId=bec25c7e-cbcd-460d-81d5-a25372d2e3d7&istFeedId=4d7eb93e-055f-499d-8ee5-1cdcc50d67d1&istItemId=riamqilqq&istBid=t

We got something similar for my Mum and MiL. It looks like and works like a normal wireless phone and it has the advantage that it should get put back on the cradle after use so it doesn't get lost and always stays charged although although we have to train them to replace it. For some reason because it doesn't have a cable to tether it they can leave it lying about. 

We did threaten to attach the handset to the cradle with a bit of string so it couldn't be separated and lost, which is an alternative if they are used to a tethered phone and leave the portable handset lying around.

carer4mum

Thank you for your comments.

I rang BT and she doesn't qualify for Home Essentials, as they don't consider Attendance Allowance as support. They also said the line would need to be changed over to fibre (digital voice). A pay-as-you-go landline deal is £16.73/mth or unlimited calls for £29.73/mth. To include broadband, BT's cheapest deal is £49.99/mth (almost 3 times the deal from Pop Telecom!).

I've been with Pop Telecom at my house for many years and never had any problems. I did have a problem with BT and that prompted the change in supplier. When you read the reviews it's clear all suppliers have issues with some customers.

A Sim phone is an option (thank you for the link), but she would lose her telephone number that she's had since the 1980's, so not ideal. I also looked at 4G LTE Telephony Routers which would include broadband;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Telephony-Removable-Configuration-TL-MR6500v/dp/B08MFQB761?th=1

Again, she would lose her number and end up with a mobile telephone number. Also, the mobile signal is very weak in the area too.

It's very frustrating that we can't take the Pop Telecom deal. I don't see why we can't continue with our copper line with other suppliers. The financial implication of this rule is huge for my mum.

iniltous

Don’t know where you are looking , BT fibre essentials ( 40Mb broadband and phone ) is £32.99 a month , I’m a BT customer that renewed, and get a discount, I  have F2 ( 80Mb broadband ) and phone for the same £32.99 
Pop Telecom are only stopped from using WLR , there is no reason why the exact same broadband service cannot be delivered via SoTAP or SoGEA, but the telephony would have to be IP and not PSTN , so the phone plugs into the router phone socket not the current phone socket on the wall …it’s got nothing to do with copper pairs unless you mother has FTTP available.
Chances are  she would remain on the copper pair , but the telephony has to be IP , if Pop Telecom don’t offer it IP telephony , that’s down to them .
Telephone exchanges ( well the switching equipment inside them ) are being retired, that’s why your mother cannot remain on WLR/PSTN , the equipment is being turned off, by December 2025 at the latest , she does have the option to stay on whatever she has now until that date , but obviously would have to pay whatever her current company asks.

carer4mum

iniltous said:

Don’t know where you are looking,

I wasn't looking, I just rang BT and that is what they told me. I just checked their website and their Black Friday deal is £37.99/mth or £50.99 unlimited calls for 50Mb. The choices are 50Mb, 74Mb, 150Mb or 300Mb...

Not sure what all those letters stand for in your post, but basically we are on copper now and they said "any change in supplier would mean changing to Fibre." I would like to remain on copper until Dec 2025 with the supplier of my choice, but this is apparently against the rules.

iniltous

To remain on copper you need to stay with your existing provider, if that means at an uncompetitive price that’s a decision you ( or your relative ) would have to make , no one is forced onto FTTP , but incentives ( like cheaper prices ) may be offered to convince people to switch.

I personally don’t see the problem, if Openreach have gone to the expense of providing a new optical network to expect ‘new’ customers to use it , if you change provider you are a ‘new’ customer with that company so it’s the FTTP network that will be used .

BT Unlimited calls plan is about £16 /month , quoting a broadband price with this option obviously makes the price look uncompetitive if compared to a broadband only or broadband with PAYG telephony
TBH , your original post states all that’s needed is a phone  service so people can call in , so that £16 for unlimited calls seems unnecessary.

BT still sell landline only , 

https://www.bt.com/landline/deals

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/learn-about-home-phone-saver-2020

The first link advises that this price could  have a discount if the customer has no broadband at all , the second link is for a ‘plan’ that includes calls and calling features, but your post is now a little difficult to follow , is broadband required or not ?,
BT are not your mothers current provider so using BT would require it to be FTTP , it would use broadband technology, even if it used solely for telephony and although it’s ‘broadband’ technology , internet access wouldn’t be possible, but the price is the same as the old telephone system so it makes no difference from that point of view.

carer4mum

iniltous said:

I personally don’t see the problem...

You might not see a problem, but forcing new customers on to fibre is a problem and the problem is the significant increase in price. It has also created a monopoly for existing suppliers, allowing them to increase charges unfairly.

I don't need broadband, but will keep it if reasonable priced. I was going for the £17.99 broadband deal to continue the current package, but this new rule that you are championing has prevented that. Lets see if you enjoy paying an "uncompetitive price" when you get to my mum's age!

I rang BT again this morning and their phone only package is £16.73 with no calls included or £29.73 unlimited calls. Sorry, your info was incorrect.