This topic

Digital Voice Conversion Problem

Victor_Delta — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:49:44 GMT

After lots of contradictory information from BT, over the last few months, about whether and when my landline would be converted to digital voice, I finally received a standard email about 10 days ago saying it would be converted yesterday, 2nd June. I waited all day for my landline dial tone to go but it didn't.

Around 5pm, I phoned BT to ask what was happening and was told it could take till midnight to fully convert, but was assured that it would definitely happen that day.

Then at about 7.30pm yesterday evening, I received an email from BT saying "Over the next 48 hours, we'll set up your Digital Voice service. "

So I guess my question is: having expected everything to happen yesterday, does it often actually take several days to convert lines to digital voice?

PS Landline still working as normal at the moment, but should mention that dial tone is now also present on the green router socket so something is happening (but can't yet make or receive calls that way)!

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

jac_95 — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:52:39 GMT

Hi Victor_Delta,

Thanks for the post and welcome to the Community.

This is an automated response as I can see you have a question about BT’s Digital Voice service. Rather than waiting for a response from the Community, you may find an answer to your question by using the search bar on the Community homepage. We also have a thread that contains a wealth of info related to BT’s Digital Voice, click this link to take a look, Digital Voice FAQs.

Got some questions or want to learn more about BT’s Digital Voice rollout? BT are running localised events as part of the regional rollout of Digital Voice - Click here to view the Digital Voice events

To learn more about the nationwide change to this Internet based voice service visit landlinesgo.digital

If you have already looked for the answer to your question and have not found anything that can help, then please ignore this message. One of our Community members will be along shortly to help you further.

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

imjolly — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 10:19:08 GMT

if you have phone connected to green socket on back of BT hub and you have a dial tone that would suggest DV is active. you can check by going to hub manager enter 192.168.1.254 in address bar and open hub manager and you should see your phone number and whether active or not

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

Victor_Delta — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 10:53:58 GMT

Thanks. Yes the status is shown as 'Service Ready'.

So do you know how long it may take to complete the conversion, and whether several days is typical?

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

imjolly — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:00:20 GMT

have you tried restarting the BT router and see if that helps as it seemed to help on previous forum posts

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

WSH — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:11:33 GMT

Yes, a reboot seems to be required and it doesn't say that anywhere.

As I understanding, & going from when mine was done, they initially assign a temproary number and once it's working properly, your number is moved across.

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

Victor_Delta — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:31:35 GMT

Rebooted the rooter and the DV status still shows as 'Service Ready'.

However, the main issue is that my existing landline is still connected as before. Is that part of the transfer a keyboard job, or does it require, for example, my line to be rejumpered in the exchange? Or both?!

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

jac_95 — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 12:41:25 GMT

@Victor_Delta

Once moved off the PSTN to BT Digital Voice your old phone service via the PSTN may still have a dial tone until work at the exchange is done. The PSTN line however may be allocated a temporary holding number but may not be usable to make calls once the Digital Voice service is activated.

Essentially the decommissioning of the PSTN line requires engineering work to be done at the exchange whereas the migration to Digital Voice is automated.

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

Victor_Delta — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:04:00 GMT

Thanks. Your reply suggests this may take a few days, especially if the exchange is usually unmanned.

It’s a shame the info about DV conversion doesn't make this clear as it must lead to considerable customer disappointment (and phone queries). I certainly thought everything would be completed within a couple of hours, or a day at most. It’s all about managing customers’ expectations.

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

jac_95 — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:21:45 GMT

@Victor_Delta

In terms of the move to digital voice that is usually within the 24hours of the date given to you but may take 48 hours in some cases. Number porting process can be one of the reasons why it's taking longer than 24 hours. Also your hub needs to be pushed a configuration file and configures on backend resources needs to be updated. (This is why a reboot can sometimes speed things up as it triggers that refresh of configuration of the hub )

Is your phone service via Digital Voice working?

The disconnection of the PSTN line is a secondary process. In summary, once moved to Digital Voice you need to connect your phone handset to either the phone port on the back of the supplied smart hub or via a digital voice adapter and this should allow you to make calls and receive calls once the service is ready.

From the customers perspective that is all they need to worry about, as for then decommissioning the PSTN service that's a more manual process but shouldn't need the customer to know or worry about.

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

Victor_Delta — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:29:58 GMT

No, although I have dial tone on the phone connected to the green socket on my hub, I can neither make or receive calls on it.
If I ring my landline number from my mobile, all that rings is the phone that is still connected to my landline.

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

jac_95 — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:38:12 GMT

@Victor_Delta

It could be that the number is not yet fully ported over. The hub/router where is shows service ready should also show what number it's been allocated. Assuming that number is the one you are expecting?

If it's still not working tomorrow then best give customer service a call as there maybe a number porting issue

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

Victor_Delta — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:42:01 GMT

The number shown on the hub is my correct number.
Don’t forget the email I received last night said it could take up to 48 hours. So I’ll wait and see what happens and report back on any developments.

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

80internettbhewlett — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:07:40 GMT

You are lucky.

They disconnected my line on 14th of April. Without telling me. An aged person in poor health on the Special Register. I missed a vital telephone call from my doctor as a result.

I have now been without a telephone for FIFTY DAYS. And rely on a VHF radio link to a friend. Should I need paramedic assistance. ' Consumer resolution '. Pathetic shower. Tell me they are unable to resolve the problem. And advise me to go to another provider.

I have only been with BT/ Openreach / EE since November 1971

Good luck with your problem

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

Victor_Delta — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:44:04 GMT

Sorry to hear of your problem - sounds dreadful.

In the past, I've always found an email to the CEO or Chairman's office can help to get things sorted. This is a very useful website and lists Allison Kirkby's email address. I'm sure she'd be interested to hear about your recent experience of her company.

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

80internettbhewlett — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 19:10:44 GMT

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

Christopher_G — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:28:46 GMT

Hi @80internettbhewlett

I'm really sorry to hear that you're having this problem with your landline service. I've sent you a private message to try and get you some help with your service.

Please take a look at your community inbox and get back to me please.

Thank you.

Chris

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

Victor_Delta — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 11:09:58 GMT

Returning to the original digital conversion problem...

I phoned BT today and spoke to a helpful 'guide' in Dundee. He scratched his head and did various tests etc eventually concluding that the 'suppliers' (Openreach & BT Wholesale) had signed off the line conversion as completed - when clearly this was not correct.

Anyway he did what he called a 'kick start' and, although he initially thought it had not worked, after a minute or two I received a text and email saying the DV service was ready to use. Sure enough, there was no longer any dial tone on the landline and the phone connected to the router was finally able to make and receive calls.

Success at last, but not without manual intervention.

Re: Digital Voice Conversion Problem

Christopher_G — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 11:14:01 GMT

Thanks for coming back to let us know, @Victor_Delta

I'm glad to hear that it all seems to be working now.

Chris