This topic

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

marktan — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 13:57:04 GMT

We are struggling to support a 97 year lady with great sight loss and extreme immobility through the transition to digital voice -which BT have made compulsory, but they don't seem to support it in reality.

After four hours an Open reach engineer had installed the fibre and connected internet devices worked. Copper was still intact. Ringing three times to BT he could not find anyone willing to transfer the connection from copper to fibre in real time: instead they sent out a new router(?).

This doesn't work any better, and interrogating it, its says not configured for phone.

After two hours chat with technical I learnt that the transfer would be done sometime on 2nd July and the moment it happened we would see a text and email. We thought we could make that work.

Ringing the vulnerable team to chase up the missing Digital Voice phone (which wasn't packed with the router) and to confirm details for the 2nd, we found they unilaterally cancelled the 2nd and would send an engineer for the 13th July. Painful for us to attend as we live an hour away.

1. Why should we believe that this time there will be anyone at BT willing to transfer the service from copper to fibre in real time when the Open reach engineer is present?

2. Or should he have spoken to Openreach (not BT) as they themselves now look after the exchanges?

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

licquorice — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 16:17:05 GMT

This has nothing to do with a move to Digital Voice, it is about moving from copper to fibre which is an entirely different thing.

Moving from analogue phone to Digital Voice simply involves unplugging the phone from one socket and plugging it into a different one.

Fibre is NOT a requirement for Digital Voice.

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

marktan — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 19:45:32 GMT

Thanks for trying to help.

I don't think you read everything, each story is at least slightly different.

I think their insistence on an engineer is about her being logged as a telecare customer. But I don't think it is helping this transition.

Her pendant alarm has in fact already been migrated to being mobile network based.

Big issue is the digital voice does NOT work and won't work when the copper connection is turned off without further work by BT/Open reach. Router shows not configured for phone

Regrettably the existing plan to make it work isn't convincing us.

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

licquorice — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 20:23:18 GMT

Digital Voice works just fine. Millions of customers have been transferred.

I repeat, your problem has absolutely nothing to do with the transition to DV, it is the transition to fibre which is a completely different thing. However, occasionally things go wrong.

Why did your relative move to fibre, it isn't necessary for DV.

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

Kimberlin — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 06:30:08 GMT

@marktan To address an earlier point you stated in a previous post, you cannot communicate with Openreach directly. They are a non customer facing organisation. You can only communicate with BT who will if required, organise any logistics with Openreach directly.

Remember also, this is a customer to customer help forum with no direct link to BT who do not read your posts. Moderators who do work for BT/EE are here to keep the house in order and might occasionally offer assistance where no other avenue is available.

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

marktan — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:39:29 GMT

She accepted the change as we were told she would be cut off if she didn't: she needs a phone.
Not perturbed by DV as such, just want it to work which it doesnt although fibre installed 15th June. And for Openreach to make the switch at the exchange. Irritated that they won't do this remotely as they would normally, and are not confident an engineer can make it happen in real time while he is there, as no one would help him do so last time. He made three calls to BT. Why not Open reach?

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

marktan — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:41:38 GMT

That's all helpful, but the Openreach engineer is customer facing. We know he did his best was but undermined by the system

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

Kimberlin — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 08:11:26 GMT

@marktan You need to take this up with BT directly. Call them, speak to them because it’s unlikely anyone on the forum can help you.

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

iniltous — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 08:23:06 GMT

You have no appreciation of the way Ofcom the regulator requires BT and Openreach to interact with each other , they are functionally separate organisations, BT are the driving force behind the change to BT Digital Voice , Openreach are the driving force behind the change to FTTP once FTTP is available, and there is no requirement to take FTTP to get DV , if you were told you would be ‘cut off’ if you didn’t take FTTP then I’d complain as that’s not true (but I doubt that was ever said )

Ofcom requires BT and OR to have a separate areas of responsibility, Openreach being only contactable by the ISP that purchase their products (and not the end user ) is not a mistake, it’s by Ofcoms design, an Openreach engineer calling BT in some sort of cozy arrangement between BT and Openreach that could be seen as preferential treatment by the likes of Sky or Talk Talk is not allowed by Ofcom .

You seem to be complaining that the FTTP is working, but not the DV service, that suggests the copper pair PSTN telephone is still working and hasn’t been moved to FTTP , and although that’s not ideal , doesn’t seem overly burdensome ( the telephone connection point presumably no different to how it was ) , when the DV change happens , simply move the phone cord from where it currently is in a wall socket to the router port ……BT will arrange this for those that are deemed to need support for this ( what will be for most people) a simple change .

The change to FTTP (if it was voluntarily accepted) and DV change having different dates , provided the telephone service isn’t disconnected isn’t really a problem, and providing the copper pair isn’t actually removed then there is no reason why the telephone should stop working if the DV date is later than the FTTP date , and there was never any need to agree to FTTP , DV works on FTTC broadband (it’s not clear if this customer had broadband previously) if they didn’t have broadband then telephony could be maintained by a PDPL which doesn’t need broadband and the end user has no need for an engineer visit .

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

Ali_A — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 08:14:22 GMT

Hi @marktan

I'm keen to make sure we're doing everything we can to support the lady here. I'll send you a private message for more information. Can you have a look and get back to me when you can?

You can access your messages via the envelope icon at the top right of the screen, or click on this link, Private messages

Thanks

Ali

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

marktan — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:52:46 GMT

I have wasted many many hours with BT to no effect. That is why I came here.

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

licquorice — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:11:13 GMT

I suggest you take up the offer of help by mod @Ali_A

Re: Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

marktan — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:32:51 GMT

Yes, I have supplied Ali with all that was requested.