This topic

Do I have to have digital voice?

QoQ — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:29:34 GMT

We have fibre and I understand now the line rental for phone is rolled into this cost now?

All I see on my bill is BB and TV package so presume so.

I’ve had email saying now changing to digital voice. We don’t use landline now and happy to go without it, is this an option mid contract and would the BB fibre price then come down?

Thanks

Re: Do I have to have digital voice?

jac_95 — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:32:06 GMT

Hi QoQ,

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.

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: Do I have to have digital voice?

Les-Gibson — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:34:44 GMT

You don't have to have a landline if you don't want one but I suggest you do a cost comparison before making a decision, I think you'll find that there's very little in it.

Re: Do I have to have digital voice?

QoQ — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:52:17 GMT

Not sure how much line rental is these days, used to be quite expensive, in relevance of how much we used it, as in none!

Not sure if asking BT would then mean having to re-contract as well though, which I don’t want.

Re: Do I have to have digital voice?

iniltous — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 13:02:53 GMT

It’s been many years since broadband lines had a separate charge for line rental , it’s not simply the case that if someone is paying £35/month ( for example ) that breaks down as £20 line rental , £15 broadband, even if telephony only lines pay £20 line rental.

Removing telephony at the same time as DV is being added has no ‘advantages’ just because you are moving onto DV , doesn’t change anything, if you are within a contract minimum term , that still exists, if you are not inside a minimum term DV doesn’t start a new contract, it simply changes where you plug the phone in.

As stated the saving by removing telephony may be as little as £2/month , but if you change the terms , by removing telephony will probably start a new minimum term inside or outside a current minimum, and there possibly could be some ETC if inside a current minimum,

TBH , there probably wouldn’t be any ETC , but it would start a new minimum

Re: Do I have to have digital voice?

Les-Gibson — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 13:08:58 GMT

This seems to be a common misconception.

You still need a line to deliver broadband, and you have to pay for it. Tagging a phone on to your broadband costs pennies these days, not pounds as it used to.

Re: Do I have to have digital voice?

QoQ — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 15:13:27 GMT

I don’t need a phone line now as have fibre, digital is going via router/BB.

Not sure how much was paying for line rental before, as bills don’t show that far back. On this contract was never asked about cost of line rental, as above might have been pennies which is fine.

Just be nice to know though as BT say now “it’s rolled into BB” but it must be somewhere about the cost of that bit.

I’m not bothered on having a home line now, so might not even plug in so will see.

Re: Do I have to have digital voice?

licquorice — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 15:18:04 GMT

Line rental (which is now an integral part of your contract) is not telephone line rental, it is line rental for whatever service(s) that line is carrying.

Re: Do I have to have digital voice?

Les-Gibson — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 15:41:22 GMT

@QoQwrote:
I don’t need a phone line now as have fibre, digital is going via router/BB.

Not sure how much was paying for line rental before, as bills don’t show that far back. On this contract was never asked about cost of line rental, as above might have been pennies which is fine.

Just be nice to know though as BT say now “it’s rolled into BB” but it must be somewhere about the cost of that bit.

I’m not bothered on having a home line now, so might not even plug in so will see.

As I said, a common misconception.

The fibre is the line. Just because it's not copper doesn't mean it's free gratis, fibre still has to be paid for just as copper did back in the day.

In short, no line rental = no line =no service

Re: Do I have to have digital voice?

QoQ — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:02:40 GMT

Ah ok I see. So you still need line rental, but can lose the phone service (that’s what used to be classed as line rental as such?).

However I hope BT, and others, negate the charge for phone line rental then as it’s almost built in with fibre etc now, and if use digital voice etc.

Reason I originally asked was the email from BT said this…

If you don't use your home phone, you could switch to a Broadband Only plan. To find out more, please visit bt.com and log on to view options

Re: Do I have to have digital voice?

Les-Gibson — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:05:14 GMT

You need to get this idea of phone line rental out of your head, it's already dead and buried.

Primarily it is the line you pay for - whatever service is connected to it is immaterial, it is the line you are paying for

Re: Do I have to have digital voice?

gg30340 — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:30:27 GMT

You do not need to have Digital Voice.

When BT talk about the "landline" they are referring to a "Landline telephone" not the line that delivers the broadband to your property. This is regardless of what type of broadband you have whether it is via copper or fibre and is also regardless of what type of phone you have whether it is Digital Voice or the "normal" phone.

If you decide to drop the "landline" what you are doing is dropping the telephone part of your package. Depending on what type of phone package you have you will save the amount of that call package and you will not be able to make or receive telephone calls. This includes using a Digital Phone.

You could just change your call package to a Pay as you Go package. You will be able to receive calls as well as make them with this package which will cost you £5 per month plus the price of any calls you make. It is free to receive calls.

The cost of the line that delivers the broadband to your property is included in the cost of your broadband package. It can not be done away with and it is not billed separately.