This topic

Landlines

tobihoughton2000 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 18:29:40 GMT

Do I need my land-line for my broadband service or can I get rid of it?

Re: Landlines

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 18:34:15 GMT

@tobihoughton2000

You still need to pay rental for the copper or fibre connection, that is included in the price, but you do not need to have a phone service, saving about £5 a month.

https://www.bt.com/broadband/broadband-without-landline

Re: Landlines

tobihoughton2000 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 18:39:18 GMT

Thank you 👍

Re: Landlines

tobihoughton2000 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 18:45:12 GMT

Just checked my bill, doesn't detail the standing charge anywhere? How do I see e actly what this is?

Re: Landlines

-Richie- — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 18:55:57 GMT

@tobihoughton2000wrote:
Just checked my bill, doesn't detail the standing charge anywhere? How do I see e actly what this is?

Do you pay for a calling plan at the minute ? if so the cost of that is the saving you'll make by going broadband only, you would also lose the ability to make/receive calls, this includes 999 or any other emergency service, if you currently have a free calling plan, you'll save nothing by going broadband only.

@Keith_Beddoecan I send you a message ? I can explain the saving made as people keep quoting £5 and it's incorrect for existing customers.

Re: Landlines

tobihoughton2000 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 19:03:30 GMT

Yes please message, my call plan is £7.31 for 700mins anytime and that's it.

Re: Landlines

-Richie- — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 19:16:56 GMT

@tobihoughton2000wrote:
Yes please message, my call plan is £7.31 for 700mins anytime and that's it.

If you currently pay £7.31 for your 700 minute calling plan, you can drop the voice element and have broadband only, this will save you £7.31 each month.
Just be mindful to read Broadband only deals

What is Broadband only?

If you don’t use your landline phone, Broadband only lets you have the broadband you want without the landline you don’t. However, you won’t be able to make or receive any incoming calls on your landline phone. This includes calls to the emergency services.

Can I get my current landline number back after I’ve opted for Broadband only?

No, you can’t retrieve your number once you’ve opted for Broadband only. This will also apply if you switch to a new provider.

How do I make calls to the emergency services or to premium numbers without a landline?

You’ll need to make them on your mobile device. When you opt for Broadband only, you’ll no longer have a dial tone and won’t be able to make any calls on your landline phone. This includes 999 calls, other calls to the emergency services and calls to premium numbers.

Re: Landlines

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 19:22:38 GMT

@Keith_Beddoecan I send you a message ? I can explain the saving made as people keep quoting £5 and it's incorrect for existing customers.

@-Richie-

No its best to post it on the forum, as I have no easy way to archive PMs, unlike the RSS feed on the forum, where I keep a message archive.

Re: Landlines

tobihoughton2000 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 19:23:52 GMT

Thank you all I need to know 😉👍⚓

Re: Landlines

-Richie- — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 19:32:09 GMT

@Keith_Beddoewrote:
@Keith_Beddoecan I send you a message ? I can explain the saving made as people keep quoting £5 and it's incorrect for existing customers.
@-Richie-
No its best to post it on the forum, as I have no easy way to archive PMs, unlike the RSS feed on the forum, where I keep a message archive.

Fair enough 🙂

If an existing customer moves to broadband only, the saving they will make depends on what they pay for a calling plan or other voice supporting addons, many existing customers will have free calling plans or addons, in which case they wouldn't save any money at all.

A new customer though would be forced to pick a chargeable calling plan, the cheapest being PAYG for £5, without the voice element they can save £5 by not having to choose PAYG calling plan.

There is no discount for going broadband only, the saving is from not having to have a chargeable calling plan.

Does that make sense and explain where the savings are made now ? there's loads of forum posts of people being told about £2 or £5 savings etc, it comes down to not needing chargeable phone addons anymore.

Re: Landlines

licquorice — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 19:40:32 GMT

I can understand what you are saying, but it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Basically new customers have to pay £5 in order to have a phone number and the ability to receive calls, existing customers don't receive a discount for not having that capability.

Re: Landlines

licquorice — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 19:57:25 GMT

@-Richie- wrote:

@Keith_Beddoewrote:

@Keith_Beddoecan I send you a message ? I can explain the saving made as people keep quoting £5 and it's incorrect for existing customers.

@-Richie-

No its best to post it on the forum, as I have no easy way to archive PMs, unlike the RSS feed on the forum, where I keep a message archive.

Fair enough 🙂

If an existing customer moves to broadband only, the saving they will make depends on what they pay for a calling plan or other voice supporting addons, many existing customers will have free calling plans or addons, in which case they wouldn't save any money at all.

A new customer though would be forced to pick a chargeable calling plan, the cheapest being PAYG for £5, without the voice element they can save £5 by not having to choose PAYG calling plan.

There is no discount for going broadband only, the saving is from not having to have a chargeable calling plan.

Does that make sense and explain where the savings are made now ? there's loads of forum posts of people being told about £2 or £5 savings etc, it comes down to not needing chargeable phone addons anymore.

So how do you reconcile that with the £7.31 saving you have just quoted in message 7 for not having the 700 minute calling plan? If you can save £7.31 for not having 700 minutes, surely you should save £5 for not having PAYG. It is not consistent.

Re: Landlines

-Richie- — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 20:05:22 GMT

@licquoricewrote:
I can understand what you are saying, but it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Basically new customers have to pay £5 in order to have a phone number and the ability to receive calls, existing customers don't receive a discount for not having that capability.

I'll put it another way, switching to broadband only gives you zero discount, not a single penny off, nada, zilch.

However, it means you don't need any calling plan addons which are now all chargeable, PAYG is £5 per month but there are loads of existing customers who have it discounted to £0 or £2 or like me for example still have free weekend calls or other legacy plans.

New customers don't get a loyalty discount, so they pay £5 for PAYG because you must have a calling plan if they have a voice service, you can't not have a calling plan and that is where people save if they don't use the landline for making or receiving calls.

Any existing customer moving to broadband only will only save the cost of their current call plan addons, if they have them free they save nothing.

Re: Landlines

tobihoughton2000 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 20:10:23 GMT

I don't know what I'm doing, I thought I was reconciling the question. I am reconciled, I am unequivocally satisfied with the answers and I'm now done, thank you all for your help 😉👍⚓

Re: Landlines

ney — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 20:18:11 GMT

I see so an existing customer like me don't pay the £5 monthly fee for PAYG.

As I have never seen a £5 monthly charge for PAYG on my BT bill.

I moved from the old free evening and weekend calls to PAYG over 2 years ago. As we now very rarely use the landline now to make calls.

Darren

Re: Landlines

licquorice — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 20:18:41 GMT

@-Richie- wrote:

@licquoricewrote:

I can understand what you are saying, but it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Basically new customers have to pay £5 in order to have a phone number and the ability to receive calls, existing customers don't receive a discount for not having that capability.

I'll put it another way, switching to broadband only gives you zero discount, not a single penny off, nada, zilch.

But in message 7 you said it did, the cost of your calling plan. Which is either £5 for PAYG, £7.31 for 700 minutes or £10 (or whatever it is ) for unlimited minutes.

Re: Landlines

-Richie- — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 20:27:13 GMT

@licquoricewrote:
But in message 7 you said it did, the cost of your calling plan. Which is either £5 for PAYG, £7.31 for 700 minutes or £10 (or whatever it is ) for unlimited minutes.

I said the OP would make a saving of £7.31 as they would no longer have a chargeable addon, it's not a discount for removing the voice element, it's a saving of not paying for a mandatory addon.

Re: Landlines

licquorice — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 20:30:55 GMT

I think there's a bright future for you in politics @@-Richie- 😃😃😃