This topic

Digital Voice.

outlaw123 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 12:25:21 GMT

Just had a leaflet from BT explaining Digital Voice. It says that if you are in an area with no mobile signal contact BT regarding the problem. I have contacted BT and they say contact your mobile provider. So BT withdraw my landline and leave me with no contact in case of emergency. And they dont care!! I am not at all happy.

Re: Digital Voice.

jac_95 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 12:32:06 GMT

Hi outlaw123,

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: Digital Voice.

outlaw123 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 12:38:29 GMT

Nothing on there to help me.

Re: Digital Voice.

jac_95 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 12:44:03 GMT

Regarding making emergency calls in a powercut if you have a mobile then you can make emergency calls over whatever mobile network providers service it can find. So even if your own mobile provider doesn't have service coverage in the area another provider may do and a emergency call will use that network to make the call.

You can also use a battery backup unit such as a UPS to allow your broadband connection to continue working for a period of time which will allow you to continue to use the digital voice service (you will need to also power your phone if using a phone that has its own DECT base station - if you have a corded phone you can plug this into the back of the smart hub 2)

BT offers a UPS battery backup solution or a hybrid phone which you can buy or if you have a telecare alarm, have medical requirements that requires your phone line or on a priority repairs scheme for vulnerable customers they should offer you the solution for free.

If you speak to BT about those options they can go over them with you. There are also other battery backup units and solutions available online. There's other threads on this forum about what other customers are using which maybe helpful.

Re: Digital Voice.

iniltous — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 13:10:20 GMT

I don’t expect you to necessarily answer here , and as it’s only really pertinent to you , being anything less than truthful is pointless, so how many power outages have you had previously where simultaneously you needed to contact the emergency services ?
If you have a genuine reason to be fearful , power outages being common and lengthy ( which is your power provider’s problem , not your phone provider) and there is no mobile signal from any mobile network , then you can use a battery back up /uninterruptible power supply to keep the router ( and therefore DV ) operational for a while …if you are deemed to have a genuine need and qualify using BT’s metrics , you may get this provided, otherwise you can always supply it yourself .

It always strikes me as odd , that those that complain that they frequently have power outages that last for days on end etc. , only seem to worry about the phone , what about food storage , heating , lighting etc ?

If these power outages were as common occurrence as these people state , you would imagine that would have already invested in some sort of method to keep the lights on anyway.

Re: Digital Voice.

outlaw123 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 13:09:43 GMT

We dont have any mobile service in our area no matter the provider. The BT landline is the only method to contact the outside world in the event of a power cut. So no BT landline no phone service a tall.

Re: Digital Voice.

outlaw123 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 13:11:06 GMT

I have medical problems so need a method of contact at all times.

Re: Digital Voice.

iniltous — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 13:28:04 GMT

If you live in a remote location that genuinely has no mobile signal available ( begs the question how do you know , tried them all ? ) , and you depend entirely on your landline phone , if that ‘traditional’ phone service , which isn’t infallible, develops a fault that stops you making calls , do you leave home for the duration of the fault , because the risk of harm is so great that remaining in the premises is too great , or do you remain at home while it’s being repaired ?

Im not being flippant, but if your health concerns are as such , that you need to be able to contact the emergency services without delay , and if you have no mobile service it’s clear you must live in a sparsely populated remote location , why do you chose to live there with its frequent power outages ? .

Presumably you are at greater risk of an ambulance taking a long time to arrive in a medical emergency ( compared to someone with the same condition that lives in an urban area with a faster response from the blue light people ) but presumably you are prepared to live with that risk ,

Re: Digital Voice.

outlaw123 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 16:58:08 GMT

Let me answer your points one by one.
My medical condition is recent so as of yet I have not had to call on the emergency services.
No mobile phone companies have a signal here. We do NOT have a mast near us. We live at the end of a valley Not , I presume, like yourself who have plenty of masts locally. I have actively campaigned for a mast to be erected but , as per usual, it is not economically viable to erect one.
The suggestion that I move is ludicrous . I am a pensioner and to move would be economically impossible.
When I originally took out the contract with BT it was for a landline. Now that landline will no longer be available. Therefore with no mobile signal myself and the local villagers will be without a telephone connection.
Yes I am at risk if an emergency arises. However we have an excellent First Responder team locally. BUT I wont be able to contact them because I wont have any means of doing so. So , yes, I have to live with the risk.
So the new BT Digital Voice will be a great penalty to not only myself but 1% of the UK's population who dont have mobile signals.
Finally it is not only power cuts that cause problems but also broadband going of from time to time due to our location.
Now that you have the full picture please make you comments.

Re: Digital Voice.

jac_95 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 17:20:10 GMT

Here's the BT offered battery backup unit:

Non FTTP version (To power Smart Hub 2) - https://store.ee.co.uk/products/cyberpower-back-up-for-bt-digital-voice-service--non-fttp--091297-FV54.html
FTTP version (To power ONT) - https://store.ee.co.uk/products/cyberpower-back-up-for-bt-digital-voice-service--fttp--097284-FV55.html

You'll need to contact BT Customer Services to discuss these and if you don't want to order them online.

Other UPS and battery backup devices available from other online retailers too.

Some other external examples:

Re: Digital Voice.

outlaw123 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 17:22:26 GMT

Many thanks for that. A sensible solution.

Re: Digital Voice.

WSH — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 18:20:54 GMT

Just a thought, (and I can assure you I’m not trying to be flippant here), but if you have a first responder in the village would a couple of walkie-talkies be a good standby? For example:

"Two way radios"

As a first responder, I would imagine he/she has the means to summon further help if necessary.

Re: Digital Voice.

outlaw123 — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 17:37:10 GMT

Thanks for the idea. I will put it to them.

Re: Digital Voice.

iniltous — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 17:52:06 GMT

I’m not being antagonistic, but you haven’t answered the point , what would you do if your current PSTN landline developed a fault that stopped you making a call ?, would you stay put for the duration of the fault and hope you don’t need to make a call , or move out ?

The fact is your current telephone service could develop a problem that would put you in the same situation as having digital voice telephone and a power outage , if you would not move out , hoping that the telephone outage is short lived , then you are obviously prepared to live with some ‘risk’ , as generally we all are , and should your DV service be unavailable, you are in no worse a situation, plus DV arguably is more ( not less ) reliable than PSTN which is at the end of its useful life.

Your contract with BT is satisfied in exactly the same way with DV as it is with PSTN , it is to supply a telephone service, the method and medium it’s delivered over is not relevant to the contract.

As far as moving home , I wasn’t suggesting you should , simply pointing out that if you absolutely had to have access to the emergency services at all times , as your health was that poor that it’s almost certain that you will need to do so , presumably the time needed to respond to distress call that would also be critical too , so living remotely will undoubtedly mean that their response will take longer , but your own risk assessment is such that it’s a risk worth taking , that prospect doesn’t fill you with dread , but the tiny chance that you will need to make a call during a power outage apparently does.

Re: Digital Voice.

Confused52 — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 17:50:08 GMT

There is a fundamental difference if the current PSTN line failed in that it could be fixed. It would take days but that is possible. If the UK suffers planned Rota power Outages the BT solution will not work. The proposed battery solution would not reliably survive the 3 hour planned outage. Additionally the recharge time of 24 hours would not be achieved during the interval between planned outages on the government rota in multiple disconnection groups. the time between outages can be as low as 3 hours even at 5% load shedding. It is not possible to exempt residential properties from these groups.

The design of the new network is not fit for purpose as a replacement for a universal service providing access to the emergency services. BT is doing the whole job on the cheap and hopes it will get away with it. Given that the possible power cuts would be national there is no where to go to avoid them but BT has failed to provide a solution to get access to emergency service for more than an hour. Whilst they only are required to offer a minimum of an hour under the General Conditions of Entitlement as interpreted by Ofcom in 2018, BT should have seen the risk they were presenting when the Ukraine War started. Given that they have singularly failed to respond, even though the risk in the Rota disconnection system published in 2019 was already apparent. It is difficult to see how BT can claim to have taken all reasonable step here in 2023. Especially so when they have not even managed to make a DC power cable for both ONT and Smarthub2 from a single Backup PSU, have chosen a unit with only marginally more than hour capability, do not supply spare batteries, and have an agreement that means only they can sell the approved unit.

Re: Digital Voice.

Jane2018 — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 21:30:55 GMT

Also (and I may be very very lucky, but in 25 years our telephone landline has not once gone down in this house, whereas the wifi and broadband go down at least once a day albeit briefly and BT/open reach have never been able to fix that whether for us or neighbours. 30 minutes ago my son came in to ask about it as his programme is buffering and I had to say earlier today my internet cut out 4 times. That is compared to 25 years and the landline not once being down.

Re: Digital Voice.

Cuilchick — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 17:47:58 GMT

People moved in to home before BT decided to cut off old phone network, for example...people who can't afford to move to the city, for example...people who became infirm, for example. Many reasons why they live where they live.

Re: Digital Voice.

Cuilchick — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 17:49:06 GMT

Well said.

Re: Digital Voice.

Cuilchick — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 17:50:38 GMT

Well, we'll all move to the city then.

Re: Digital Voice.

outlaw123 — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 18:26:33 GMT

When I took out a contract with BT is was for a landline. BT have now decided to change that contract with no consultation. The suggestion to move is not possible due to financial constraints therefore I expect BT to fulfil the wording of their original contract. As for " living with risk" BT have ensured that this risk is increased due to the above comments. I am not the only one in this situation. We have elderly neighbours who have no internet connection. Therefore they are in a worse position than me. My initial point is how can an organisation impose a change in a contract when it is obviously going to impact heavily on a potential 1% 0f the population. BT will not provide a telephone service to individuals who currently have an internet service therefore they are not fulfilling the original contract. By the way I along with many non techy users dont have a clue what all the PTSN etc mean.