This topic

Digital Voice service

Elizabeth5 — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 16:30:15 GMT

I have received a letter from BT telling me “we are upgrading your landline network … we’re moving your home phone from our old copper network over to our new Digital Voice service”. I can opt out of the switch if I have a health pendant or a burglar alarm connected to my phone.

There is a minute small print footnote under terms and conditions that points out “if there is a power cut, or the broadband fails, you will be unable to make calls including those to 999”.

Why is this not included as an important warning, not hidden away as a footnote? For some customers the failure to see this hidden message may have life or death consequences.

Re: Digital Voice service

licquorice — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 16:38:35 GMT

Whilst not wishing to defend the lack of prominence of the warning, there are a couple of points to bear in mind.

The copper network is due to be retired completely in 2025 (see my avatar if you think that will happen) so the problem will arise eventually.

Secondly, I suspect most people these days use cordless phones rather than corded phones which also fail to work in the event of a power cut.

Re: Digital Voice service

hjg850526 — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 09:06:31 GMT

I totally agree with your concerns. I have had the same notification from BT and as we are in an area which is prone to power cuts I have kept an old fashioned corded phone just in case. This seems to be a backward step in terms of service provision. I called their helpline 0800 800 150 to ask what can be done about it.

I was on the phone for around 45 minutes and spoke to five different people, some of whom were very off and suggested that I was talking gibberish (the “Values” team is particularly badly named). None of them were able to help me with my questions although I did find out that there is a power pack available which would maintain power for up to an hour. However, one of the “help” people said that this would be at a cost of around £80 while others didn’t even know about the item at all.

I decided that when the fifth person wanted to put me through to a sixth it had gone as far as it could and gave up.

I am trying to find an email address to get on to the firm but there doesn’t seem to be one.

Re: Digital Voice service

ChrisGee — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 15:07:53 GMT

Elizabeth, i share your concern. Telling you that most people don’t have a problem clearly demonstrates that they aren’t in the same situation as i and i suspect you are in. Until some of these tech experts have found themselves in a blacked out house with no way of calling for help or leaving the house they won’t understand. Contact BT tell them your concern and ask for them to (a) delay your switch or (b) provide a back up power source for your hub. You’re not the only one to view this ‘improvement’ with a lack of exuberance.

Re: Digital Voice service

jamesbuchanan66 — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 19:34:15 GMT

Chris, you can use a mobile telephone in a blacked out house

Re: Digital Voice service

hjg850526 — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 15:49:33 GMT

There’s often a problem with mobile signals in the same areas which are subject to dodgy power supplies (such as mine)

Re: Digital Voice service

licquorice — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 17:01:57 GMT

and the last time you had to make a call to the emergency services during a power cut was when?

Re: Digital Voice service

-Richie- — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 17:22:18 GMT

The other option is having no phone, It's not BT's decision, it's a decision made by the network owner (Openreach) and the UK Govt, having 2 networks is expensive so it makes commercial sense to move with the times and do away with copper, BT have then had to develop a new means of providing phone service, years of research and the end result is Digital Voice, the other 600+ communcation providers who use the Openreach network will have to do the same, the switch off is 2025.

Re: Digital Voice service

hjg850526 — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 17:41:23 GMT

@licquorice I don’t think that’s the point. The need for a reliable 24/7 no matter what availability is undeniable.

Re: Digital Voice service

licquorice — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 17:53:17 GMT

I'm in my seventies, live in the sticks and never once in my lifetime have I had the need to call the emergency services during a power cut.

Nothing in this life is 100% reliable, except death and taxes of course.

Re: Digital Voice service

ChrisGee — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 20:20:17 GMT

James: presumably you can get a mobile signal and a fully charged mobile at all times? If i have to rely on 02 i may as well use 2 cans and a piece of string. Personally i could probably cope in the event of a power cut and a subsequent emergency but it isn’t just me i have to consider. I won’t burden you with the story but it’s not as straight forward as you seem to imagine. I’m quite tech savvy and certainly embrace advances in technology. This has a drawback that will only affect a few people and i am in that group.

Re: Digital Voice service

jamesbuchanan66 — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 22:49:32 GMT

~~@ChrisGee~~ In an emergency call to 999 your mobile phone can use EE, Vodafone, 3 and O2. I do not believe for a second you can't get a signal on all 4 networks on your home, during a power failure while having an emergency

Re: Digital Voice service

Devon_Dave — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 07:54:51 GMT

Just to clarify it is NOT the copper network closing down in 2025 it is only the PSTN network. Basically the telephone exchanges that that routes the calls around.

The copper network will be retired after the PSTN switch off.

Re: Digital Voice service

hjg850526 — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 07:59:13 GMT

@licquorice I’m pleased that you haven’t had to call the emergency services during a power cut. Long may this continue. It doesn’t mean that nobody has been in this situation.
@jamesbuchanan66 You are right. The use of the 999 service will be across networks. However there are a significant number of areas where any signal from any network is at best unreliable.

Re: Digital Voice service

ChrisGee — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 09:21:34 GMT

@jamesbuchanan66 James. Please read my comment again. You and some others seem to imagine that i’m being a wuss. Let me assure you that if it was only me that was involved i wouldn’t have an issue. Some of us have others to consider and aren’t free agents who can deal with emergencies without drama. What i will say is don’t judge everyones situation from your own point of view.

Re: Digital Voice service

ChrisGee — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 11:17:29 GMT

@liquorice. That would be when my wife fell whilst i was trying to get her to the bathroom in the dark due to one of our regular power cuts. Why the belligerent attitude Liquorice? We aren’t all free agents to just look after ourselves. If power cuts / access to emergency assistance isn’t an issue for you then that’s great. For you.

Re: Digital Voice service

JohnC2 — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 11:40:42 GMT

Hi All, please keep your posts friendly.

cheers

John

Re: Digital Voice service

hjg850526 — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 08:03:37 GMT

Storm Arwen: Third night of no power for thousands https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59457045

Re: Digital Voice service

mariner30 — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 12:22:48 GMT

Storm Arwen took out not only the power to my house but also the cellphone tower. This left us with the old plug in phone which worked BUT when we change over to Digital Voice (shortly judging by the letters and Smart Hub 2 arrival) the landline will die leaving us with no contact with the outside world. Even calling the emergency power line number to find out when the power might come back will be impossible.

A one hour battery back up would not have helped, this time we were off for over 36 hours.

I think we will have to look for an emergency power supply!