This topic

DV equipment

JohnMutley_65 — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 16:45:28 GMT

I have BT Smart hub 2, BT 8600 trio wireless handsets and a corded landline (just in case of power cuts).

Having just read the advice leaflet from BT about the forthcoming Digital Voice service it states on page 1, and I quote "you won't pay a penny more," unquote. It does state further down page one, and again I quote, "some homes may need an adapter or Digital Voice home phone," unquote. On page 2 it states, "you can order one adapter free of charge," so, it appears to me that this change by BT is going to cost me money, and it does not advise how much these adapters cost It appears to this customer that BT are expecting its customers to fund this changeover, as I am perfectly happy with the current quality of line service why do we have to pay BT for its decision to change?

Re: DV equipment

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 16:55:27 GMT

@JohnMutley_65

Just plug your existing base station into the phone socket of the smart hub 2, no extra equipment needed, it will work just the same as it does on your existing connection.

You would have to provide backup power in the event of a power cut. BT can supply a suitable unit for vulnerable customers who have a care alarm.

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

Re: DV equipment

-Richie- — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 18:00:55 GMT

@JohnMutley_65wrote:
as I am perfectly happy with the current quality of line service why do we have to pay BT for its decision to change?

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: DV equipment

JohnMutley_65 — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 14:04:58 GMT

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply, existing base station is already plugged into phone socket of hub 2 since installation (of hub 2) , will have to wait now to see what equipment BT sends for the forthcoming DV service, and hope everything works? The current corded landline is already connected to mains power so hopefully that will not be affected.

Re: DV equipment

JohnMutley_65 — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 14:09:34 GMT

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply. Your explanation does make sense but will have to wait now to see what happens when BT advise when switchover day arrives.

Re: DV equipment

Pip601967 — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 11:04:09 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe

Thats not much help to me as that would mean i have to have my phone in my hallway as thats where the router is. Also BT have emailed me about this and sent me a letter and now a card too all saying that i can order either one adapter or a digital voice home phone free of charge from bt.com/DVequipment, but when i go to this site and type in my phone number it says:

The number entered is not eligible for this offer. Please check you have entered your number correctly.

I also contacted BT by chat and i was told i had to wait for a password for this but there is nowhere to enter a password.I also asked in chat about my Mother in Laws phone as she has no broadband and all he said was it would be done by end of December. This all seems poorly orgainised to me.

Also Keith that link to back up power is no good as BT do not sell it anymore.

Re: DV equipment

licquorice — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 11:40:51 GMT

@Pip601967 wrote:

Thats not much help to me as that would mean i have to have my phone in my hallway as thats where the router is.

You can have the digital voice home phone wherever you like, it is cordless and uses the hub as a DECT base station.

Re: DV equipment

imjolly — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 12:28:35 GMT

@Pip601967

the DV phone is a cordless handset with it's own base charging station and once paired with the SH2 can be placed wherever it is convenient for you. you may find you cannot order DV phone until your digital voice is actually active and until then you can connect your existing phone to green socket on back of hub

Re: DV equipment

Pip601967 — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 12:16:45 GMT

The email,letter and card that BT have sent to me about digital phne changover all say i ca order the free equipment before it cahges to digital. The only problem is the link does not recognise my phone number. I have just spent nearly 90 minutes on the phone to BT only to get cut off when somebody answered.

Re: DV equipment

JohnMutley_65 — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 14:43:43 GMT

We are all in this together as customers so please let me know your outcome. I empathise with your frustration, try not to throw anything through your windows!

Re: DV equipment

licquorice — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 15:05:16 GMT

Notwithstanding the difficulties in obtaining the handsets, I fail to see what all the fuss is about with Digital Voice. The only difference between DV and current cordless phone systems is that DV no longer needs a separate base station plugged into a phone socket as the Hub is now the base station.

If customers wish to retain their current cordless system rather than use the DV handsets, the base station is simply plugged into the hub rather than a phone socket.

Any customers wishing to use a corded phone can also simply plug the phone into the socket on the hub. If multiple extensions are required, this can be achieved by simply re-arranging existing wiring. Extension wiring within a premises has been the responsibility of the customer for a long time now. Openreach's responsibility ends at the master socket.

Re: DV equipment

supertedster — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 17:20:18 GMT

It took a week or so before my number became recognised on the bt/dvequipment link.

Keep trying every few days.

Re: DV equipment

Pip601967 — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:53:09 GMT

Thanks to everyone i rang BT again today got straight through and they are sending me digital phones so i am ready when they change over.

Re: DV equipment

markbloke — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 11:36:30 GMT

I got the "not eligible" response many are getting from bt.com/DVequipment so texted HANDSET to the number given. I have now been informed an essential phone single pack has been dispatched. As far as I understood the choice was a single advanced or a double essential pack. Having been given no choice in the matter it'll be interesting to see what turns up. This makes BT look like a very chaotic operation. No doubt just teething trouble for this 41 year old company though so we shouldn't be too hard on them.

Re: DV equipment

markbloke — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 17:47:51 GMT

.... and they've sent a single solitary essentials phone. Great!

Re: DV equipment

imjolly — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 17:52:30 GMT

You can try phoning CS 150 and see if you can persuade then to send an additional phone

Re: DV equipment

markbloke — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 11:54:27 GMT

Yes, did that on the 5th thanks and they said they'd send an advanced handset. The order has been stuck on "Awaiting dispatch -delayed" and "Estimated delivery date: 5th November" ever since.
If I click on the suggested FAQ "When will my equipment arrive" the link goes to a 404 error page.
Meanwhile I was sent a letter suggesting that since my broadband contract was coming to an end I could renew or take up another offer by visiting a webpage. I go there and it throws me out because there's an unfulfilled order (the handset) in progress and it can't show me any offers.
"Clear Voice"? More like "Silent Scream".

Re: DV equipment

imjolly — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 12:00:10 GMT

try online chat

https://www.bt.com/help/contact-bt/account-and-billing/broadband

Re: DV equipment

Tom20001 — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 12:26:51 GMT

I received an Essentials Handset within 48 hours of texting them. I have prior experience of unfulfilled orders blocking new orders and suggest cancelling the phone order and starting again. Perhaps the impending end of minimum contract term is affecting the handset order.

Re: DV equipment

markbloke — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 12:36:24 GMT

Did that thanks, they confirmed it should have been delivered the same day it was ordered (somehow) but wasn't due to an error. I asked what the error was and was told it was out of stock, so presumably very few people will be getting one just now. They expected things to resolve in 7 days which sounds like a made up number but who knows?
Tom: I'll leave the order in place for a bit in case it resolves, I don't want to give them anything else to confuse them!