Just been changed to Digital so put me on Fibre 2

GillyFlower

On 9th March I renewed my BT contract and have been with them for years. I then discovered I had been moved to Digital - Fibre 2. It was not explained and on the day the contract should have started I had no landline and no internet. On Monday it stopped and 3 technicians, on different days, numerous phone calls and finally on Thursday I was back on line.

Today 11 April, finally, another technician came out as I did not understand the new equipment, and showed how to set up 'discs' to help signal in the house and how my phone would now run off the hub. I am 81 years of age not found this easy. I was talking to my son on the Easter Sunday and the line went dead. It did come back on and I reported that. The technician said because I am on the old copper line and most people around me in our village have a different Internet service it could have stopped my signal.

After technician left - I got a call from BT (by then I had their head of complaints team) who agreed she would send me another disc and aback up battery for the 'Big Button Phone' that has 8 hours of standby in case of power cut etc.

After talking to my son I emailed the person dealing with my case, saying I didn't want my complaint to be closed I wanted to receive the third disc she is sending and wait a few more days to see if everything is back to how it was and better. (The email was received but deleted unread. I am going to phone on Monday and ask for it to be read)

I received a text this evening that said my complaint has now been closed.

My question is can I cancel this new contract started on 9th March but new service was to start on 16th March and then phone/internet disconnected. So although complaint officially closed today 11 April - how do I stand?

Your thoughts would be appreciated as this experience has left me feeling that I am not getting the service now I was used to and seriously thinking I should go for another system completely -if - I can stop this contract now. I am sure it is all in the small print but just wanted to share the thoughts on here - I have been with BT for 40+ years and now no landline is a shock with everything that has been going on to get to today..

dumpster_fire2025

It's unlikely BT are going to allow you to cancel over a month after you renewed. Even if you played the "the service isn't as good" card all traditional landline services (PSTN) are due to end in Jan 2027 and they've stopped selling these as of Sep 2023 so nobody else is going to be able to provide you with one.

At best BT could maybe revert you to the old package (albeit this is probably unlikely) but even then you'd buy yourself about 8 months before they officially shut the old landline services down anyway.

GillyFlower

Thank you for your thoughts on this.

littleboo

Putting aside the difficulties with the migration, it seems that you now have working services and have been given an uninterruptable power supply?

What is the problem with the service you now have and what is the "other system" that you are considering ? Do you have any lifeline type equipment which uses the phone line?

GillyFlower

No - I don't have lifeline type of equipment that uses the phone line - at the moment. I think the anxiety of all this changeover and how it was managed really upset me.

Virtually all our village changed to a Fibre Network - underground cables I think. They are all happy with this - I didn't change at the time the village did it together and someone said to me the other day - it would put the price of your cottage up if you had it installed as well as the benefits. Not that I am thinking of selling but this 'mess up' on BT's part has not been easy to cope with.

littleboo

Sometimes these changes don't go as smoothly as they should. Moving to full fibre would also have required you to change your telephone service. As you now have a working service, I would suggest just leaving things as they are rather than risk any further disruption and the upset that it causes.

GillyFlower

Thank you for your help. I have just been asked why don't I try Starlink? Again that is going to be another change isn't it - even - if BT allowed me to leave without a penalty to pay.

Interesting one of the techs said he thought BT was joining Starlink. The other said he was with Starlink - I think.

No one else as far as I know in the village are with Starlink as I said many moved over to an independent company when there were grants available. (A few years ago I got a quote from them and it was in the £500's to come to our cottage.)

I suppose if they do get rid of the old copper line here things will change again for me - but - I would still be with BT. Instead of being on Fibre 2 - I suppose I would be on Fibre 1.

Thank you again and as they say 'It is good to Talk'.

dumpster_fire2025

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81959983#Comment_81959983

Fibre 1 and Fibre 2 don't relate to how the service is provided, they specify the speed you'd get. You can be on full fibre and be on Fibre 1 or Fibre 2, although given they are the same price there's really no reason to be on Fibre 1 if you have a full fibre connection.

I don't see realistically how Starlink would help you much here, it certainly wouldn't help if you lost power as you'd still need some sort of power supply to keep the phone line going.

FWIW the tech who told you that the other villagers having a full fibre connection (with an entirely different supplier no less) could "stop your signal" was talking a load of old cobblers. There could be crosstalk between copper lines, but not between copper and fibre optic, or fibre optic and fibre optic.