BT / EE - set up broadband, lost the landline

garfield33

Hi all, apologies if this has been covered before, I had a quick skim through some recent threads.

My nan has finally agreed to have broadband installed, so she can stream TV.
EE/BT installed this on Friday, the internet is working but it caused her landline (also BT) to be cut off. They said it would be back in 20 minutes but 3 hours later there was nothing so my dad called up. He got passed around with no luck, each side saying it was up to the other. Four days later and she still has no landline. She's 96, and while she does have a mobile phone, she can't use it well and can't hear it well, and all her friends, contacts etc have her landline number.

Has anyone else had similar, or know of any other numbers we could try?

ss2020jd

If no-one is able to help on the phone you should raise a complaint on her behalf:

https://www.bt.com/help/contact-bt/complaints

If you give your number someone will usually call and escalate it and try to sort it out. 

Is she listed as vunerable? They should treat her case as a priority given the circumstances. 

Check that they haven’t changed the line to digital whilst doing the new package. I know this has caused issues for some landlines but they really shouldn’t be doing it in circumstances like these just yet and without prior notification. 

JSmithy45AD

ss2020jd said:

If no-one is able to help on the phone you should raise a complaint on her behalf:

https://www.bt.com/help/contact-bt/complaints

If you give your number someone will usually call and escalate it and try to sort it out. 

Is she listed as vunerable? They should treat her case as a priority given the circumstances. 

Check that they haven’t changed the line to digital whilst doing the new package. I know this has caused issues for some landlines but they really shouldn’t be doing it in circumstances like these just yet and without prior notification. 

Definitely get her listed as vulnerable as you say.

Good point about the line but it made me wonder if the phone she has is compatible if they've changed to FTTP?

ss2020jd

JSmithy45AD said:

ss2020jd said:

If no-one is able to help on the phone you should raise a complaint on her behalf:

https://www.bt.com/help/contact-bt/complaints

If you give your number someone will usually call and escalate it and try to sort it out. 

Is she listed as vunerable? They should treat her case as a priority given the circumstances. 

Check that they haven’t changed the line to digital whilst doing the new package. I know this has caused issues for some landlines but they really shouldn’t be doing it in circumstances like these just yet and without prior notification. 

Definitely get her listed as vulnerable as you say.

Good point about the line but it made me wonder if the phone she has is compatible if they've changed to FTTP?

Yes that’s what I was wondering re the phone but didn’t know the proper terminology so thanks for that. 

I have heard of the changeover causing issues like this or the fact that a compatible phone (if the line has changed) might need to be plugged into the back of the hub now rather than the landline socket. But you would think BT would be able to advise on this. 

iniltous

Who provides the service BT or EE ? , although BT encourage customers to move to EE they are still separate companies ( my guess would be its EE ) , is the phone plugged into the EE router and no longer in the socket in the wall ( even if the router is still connected to that socket ) .
You can check the status of the phone service ( if it’s configured or not ) from the router statistics pages but that may be too complicated for those not   technicality minded .
If it isn’t working , report it to the provider (EE)

garfield33

Thanks everyone, this is really helpful.
My dad has been dealing with it, but my understanding is the phone line will be moving to "Digital Voice" which I guess is the FTTP mentioned above - but they were told the existing landline would continue until then.

I think he said he did speak to someone about a complaint, but at the end of the call they said the complaint was closed because it had been logged...? I might have the wrong but it did sound quite odd.

littleboo

If someone is able to, as a test, plug the phone into the router if that hasn't been tried. It will do no harm and you might find that it works.

400ixl

As above, if it has been moved to digital voice then the phone has to be plugged into the phone socket on the router, not into any of the old master / slave sockets they would have been before.

EE instructions at https://ee.co.uk/help/home-phone/getting-started/set-up-digital-home-phone#:~:text=Unplug your existing home phone,and set up your service.

There are ways to connect the router phone socket to the old house wiring if required, but if it can be straight to the router than is better.

iniltous

DV ( digital voice ) doesn’t need FTTP , it works on copper pair broadband too , but it’s via the broadband router , if you are on DV and your phone isn’t plugged into the router but still in the socket on the wall , that probably explains why the phone isn’t working , if you have misunderstood what EE have said , and thought you could leave the phone connected as it was in the master socket until FTTP was provided ( whenever that may be  ) is wrong .