This topic

I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

MarmadukeTheEighth — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 18:45:25 GMT

My wife and I are both over 70 and vulnerable. Last week we were forced by BT to unplug our analogue phone land line and plug it into the internet hub. Today we had a power cut so we were unable to contact ANYONE about our predicament. In the event of a crisis during a power cut (not unknown down here with so many overhead power lines), how do we summon help from friends, family or the emergency services?????

We live in a village in Cornwall and it is outrageous that BT have simply ridden roughshod over their customers and forced this change upon us. Our local TV featured this tonight and there are many complaints. BT refused to put anyone up to respond to these complaints but instead issued the blandest, most unhelpful PR statement I have ever seen. We need our analogue phone line back - immediately. How do I request this from BT? I hope this isn't the start of a long saga for me, starting with a letter to my MP.

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 19:10:06 GMT

@MarmadukeTheEighth

Assuming you are on a direct fibre connection (FTTP), then all customers are being migrated over to digital voice, and other providers are doing the same, there is no other option.

The reason for this, is explained on this two page website.

https://www.draytek.co.uk/information/blog/the-end-of-analogue-phone-lines-pt1

BT can supply a backup power unit to power the home hub during a power cut, that is assuming that your Openreach optical modem has a battery backup unit. If not, then two separate units are needed.

Many people already have cordless phones, which would not work anyway, if there is a power cut.

This is for the smart hub 2.

https://shop.bt.com/products/cyberpower-back-up-for-bt-digital-voice-service--non-fttp--091297-FV54.html?ReferrerID=G600&utm_source=btcom&utm_medium=bt+marketing&utm_campaign=digital+voice+non+fttp&utm_content=G600

And this is for the FTTP ONT.

https://shop.bt.com/products/cyberpower-back-up-for-bt-digital-voice-service--fttp--097284-FV55.html

It would be much cheaper to buy a mains output UPS, and plug both the ONT and smart hub 2 into it.

Something like the Cyberpower BR700ELCD-UK (about £81) would seem more suitable, as you could also plug in any mains powered phones as well.

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

MarmadukeTheEighth — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 19:44:42 GMT

With all due respect that is no help to me.

You are saying that because of this unilateral decision I have no option but to PAY for a power supply backup? We had a phone connected to the 'normal' analogue line so had backup in case of power cuts, which as I said are not infrequent in this part of the country, and a daresay there are similar issues in other rural areas. There is a groundswell of dissatisfaction with this transfer which will only grow. I have tonight written to my MP and I suspect she will already have received similar communications. To me it seems another example of how young, unthinking corporate employees show how little empathy they have with the elderly, infirm and those with special needs. They naturally attribute their own tech-savvy to everyone, "Well, everyone's got a mobile phone haven't they?"

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

imjolly — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 19:58:06 GMT

Do you have a mobile phone? Just because elderly does not mean you cannot be tech savvy - speaking from personal experience

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

licquorice — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 20:07:13 GMT

As a fellow septuagenarian, I find it offensive that you consider age to be a reason for technophobia.

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

gg30340 — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 20:16:26 GMT

I am curious when you say "because of this unilateral decision".

Given that Openreach are a private company and were given the responsibility by the UK Government for the building and updating of the broadband and telephone network in the UK, because no other company was prepared to take on the enormous task, who would you suggest that UK Government and Openreach should have let decide whether or not to replace the very dated unreliable copper telephone network infrastructure and bring it into the 21st century or should it be expected to keep the costly, old and dying copper analogue infrastructure going for ever more.

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 21:02:50 GMT

@MarmadukeTheEighth

Perhaps it wold be better to ask your power utility company why you get so many power cuts?

Up to now, you have relied on a free electrical supply down your phone line, to power your analogue phone courtesy of BT Retail, who provide battery backup and a generator, just to keep the analogue phone service working.

The analogue phone equipment, installed in the 1970-80s, uses a lot of power, and is costly to maintain, and there a very few spares available. It also needs a cooling plant, to keep the temperature in the exchange down, otherwise the equipment fails.

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

supertedster — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 22:01:47 GMT

What's "free" about it, he pays his line rental?

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 05:38:12 GMT

@supertedster wrote:
What's "free" about it, he pays his line rental?

That money goes to Openreach for the Optical Fibre rental, there is no phone line rental any more.

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

MarmadukeTheEighth — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 08:32:24 GMT

Most replies seem to reflect the wider problem we have in the UK; prejudice towards the elderly and those less fortunate. "Lump it mate" is the order of the day then.

In answer to a couple of other responses:

I didn't imply 'seniors' are technophobes. I am 73, extremely au fait with computers and operate a home recording studio with advanced hardware and software that would make many blanche. But I do not have, need or want a 'smartphone', instead I opted years ago to own a Doro phone that costs me £8.50 a month. Reasons: I only want the facility to make/receive calls and texts, I do not want to use anything else on a phone or suffer its intrusions. Why should I be coerced into paying a lot more money for something I don't need or want??

It seems to me there is a solution, but BT would not choose to offer it because of cost, and that is for them to respond to people's genuine concerns about this compulsory abolition of analogue phones by offering those that want them a free c.£80 backup UPS for those customers' BT hubs.

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

imjolly — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 09:04:46 GMT

so contrary to your initial post where you were concerned during a power cut 'how do we summon help from friends, family or the emergency services?????' you actually have a mobile phone although not a smartphone it is capable of making and receiving calls and text over a mobile network. So you are not cut off from everyone - or am I missing something

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

licquorice — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 09:54:44 GMT

Unbelievable, you have a device that performs exactly the same function as an analogue landline but you want to duplicate it!

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

gg30340 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 10:30:35 GMT

@MarmadukeTheEighth wrote:

Most replies seem to reflect the wider problem we have in the UK; prejudice towards the elderly and those less fortunate. "Lump it mate" is the order of the day then.

Unless I am mistaken. I don't think any of the posters who have replied to your post are under the age of 65 years so I very much doubt that there is prejudice towards the elderly except perhaps in your own mind!

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

Addy — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 12:58:13 GMT

This ofcom document seems to cover what providers should do maintain service during a power cut.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/123118/guidance-emergency-access-power-cut.pdf#page46

the final guidance is in Annex 1. A quick glance indicates what should be done but it doesn’t indicate who pays, the customer or the service provide. I suspect this guidance applies to all provides and not just BT.

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 13:30:33 GMT

The important bit.

This statement confirms the Principles we set out in our consultation. In summary:
1. Providers should have at least one solution available that enables access to emergency
organisations for a minimum of one hour in the event of a power outage in the
premises;
2. The solution should be suitable for customers’ needs and should be offered free of
charge to those who are at risk as they are dependent on their landline;
3. Providers should i) take steps to identify at risk customers and ii) engage in effective
communications to ensure all customers understand the risk and eligibility criteria and
can request the protection solution; and
4. Providers should have a process to ensure that customers who move to a new house or
whose circumstances change in some other way are aware of the risk and protection
solution available

So BT just needs to identify venerable customers, most of whom would already be on the priority fault repair list, and supply a power backup unit(s) free of charge.

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

RIC9380 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:01:17 GMT

Isn't the OP's statement something akin to what happened in the late 1930s when electric lighting overtook light in the home powered by gas? Things move on. BT is not moving from analogue to digital just to annoy some people! It is just a natural progression, moving from an old, unreliable and failing infrastructure to a new, better and faster one.

We all have fond memories of sipping Brown Windsor Soup in the Dining Car of the (not so) Flying Scotsman back in the day but forget that it cost a fortune to travel on a rickety old train which took hours to get to its final destination. I'm much happier today to do the journey from Newcastle to KX in 3 hours in a new, fast, bright, comfortable Azuma ECML train with onboard information, Wi-Fi and charging points.

RIC9380

P.S. I don't really miss the Brown Windsor Soup!

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

iniltous — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:19:33 GMT

There are lots or examples of ‘Luddites’ resistant to change , removal of leaded petrol , even though it was primarily due to health concerns , had those of a similar mindset to the OP complaining that their vehicle couldn’t run on unleaded, or more recently the analogue TV transmission turn off , had the usual faux outrage about ‘poor pensioners’ who wouldn’t be able to afford a Freeview TV or set top box , all these passed as will this ….it’s ( IMHO ) a little self entitled to expect a system that is already passed it’s use by date to be maintained for a few refuseniks.

There is a simple solution, it’s ambiguous who should ‘pay’ for a UPS , but it’s available , and the ubiquitous mobile phone that can be had for very little cost , and a PAYG sim , could be used for the odd occasion when a power cut disables a phone system based on VOIP, and what’s more , would be useful should the OP have the need to contact someone in an ‘emergency’ away from the home, a car journey for example , it appears at the moment the OP is relaxed about any potential ‘emergency’ when away from the home ( otherwise a mobile would already be available) , but a little paranoid when at home.

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

imjolly — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:18:58 GMT

This was 3yrs ago and was only a consultation report

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

Carlusha — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:25:05 GMT

@licquoricewrote:
As a fellow septuagenarian, I find it offensive that you consider age to be a reason for technophobia.

Hear, Hear from a 76 year old! 😂

Re: I want my analogue phone line back - urgently

MarmadukeTheEighth — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 16:37:57 GMT

Apart from a couple of posts all I've received is abuse and mockery, some 'community'... More redolent of BT's attitude in fact. How many respondents are in fact BT employees I wonder?

Whether the comedians and self-appointed Yodas here like or not, this is a real and worrying issue with many people. I will pursue this elsewhere, hopefully in a more appropriate place where some generous spirits are prepared to suggest practical help instead of showering me with ageist derision.