This topic

ISP Equipment Compatibility?

wkirkman — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 20:55:35 GMT

Hello,

Just to preface this, I have no intention of leaving BT at all, but out of technical curiosity I have been scouting out other ISPs and how they are or might be implementing Digital Voice (as this is in the back office coming from Openreach, then supplied to the relevant Openreach-connected ISPs).

I came across this text on Vodafone's help section for Digital Voice:

If you have more than one handset, you’ll need to plug all phones into the back of your router or use a wireless phone that will work with Digital Voice.

Now, the emboldened part of this text could suggest that if you have a handset compatible with Digital Voice (such as the BT Digital Essentials/Advanced handsets) that they would also work with Vodafone.

Or, it could be just generally worded and Vodafone supply their own Digital Voice handsets, which means if you swap ISPs that to continue using those type of handsets, you would have to keep swapping them out all the time, even if you purchased them, which seems a waste.

Obviously, this is excluding the "just plug it into the back of the router" scenario which will work with any phone — I know this, but I am curious specifically about the "use a wireless phone that will work with Digital Voice". Doesn't specify "…will work with Vodafone Digital Voice."

Are the BT Digital Voice handsets only compatible with the BT Smart Hub 2/EE Smart Hub(Plus), or are they more universal than that?

Anyone know?

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

jac_95 — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:00:04 GMT

Hi wkirkman,

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: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

wkirkman — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:28:00 GMT

I did ask Vodafone and was told they won't answer me unless I become a customer so… ha.

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

Crimliar — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:29:12 GMT

The quick way to find out is to visit what used to be the BT Shop at https://store.ee.co.uk and you'll see that some of the handsets will only work with BT's digital voice, but many will work with other providers' systems.

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

wkirkman — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:38:26 GMT

Hmm, yes, but that doesn't really answer the question because it is the ones that say "only works with bt digital voice service" that I am talking about. In the context of BT, yes, they are saying it only works with 'BT Digital Voice', but is it the case they work also with 'Sky Digital Voice' implementation, and 'Vodafone Digital Voice' implementation?

Let's put it this way. I get that it says 'only' but that could simply be a detractor. Really meaning only works with Digital Voice, and we are BT/EE so we are talking about our service. You wouldn't necessarily want to advertise it works with other services...

But, it could also mean 'only' in plain English, but if that is the case, what is the meaning of Vodafone's statement of using a wireless phone compatible with Digital Voice?

Does anyone actually know if these phones 'can work' with other modern ISP routers that offer the 'Openreach' Digital Voice service through their ISP?

After all, it would make sense to keep to a standard whereby if you swap ISP you don't throw your £50 purchase in the bin because it doesn't work with anything else.

However, knowing technology, it wouldn't surprise me at all if that indeed is the case… hence the question 🙂

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

licquorice — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:45:15 GMT

As far as I'm aware, not only is BT's implementation of VoIP (Digital Voice) proprietary, it's implementation of DECT is also non standard. Hence I suspect BT's handsets will only work with BT Digital Voice.

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

wkirkman — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:51:23 GMT

So, that being the case, what phones are Vodafone referencing that are wireless and work with Digital Voice? Are Vodafone doing their own handsets? Are Sky? It's difficult finding information on this, maybe because it's all so new. I am just curious about how this all works going forward. Will be interesting to see how it all pans out in the coming years. Perhaps the hub being a DECT base station will die out in years to come if you have to throw away the compatible phones every time you change ISP, as no one will use it going forward, favouring the more traditional cable-it-to-the-back phones.

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 22:14:22 GMT

@wkirkmanwrote:
what phones are Vodafone referencing that are wireless and work with Digital Voice?

Any DECT base station that will plug into their router. The Vodafone router has no DECT so there's no way that a BT or any other "wireless phone" will work with it.

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

wkirkman — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 22:39:12 GMT

So just generalised wording then. That's what I was after. If their router doesn't have DECT, then it can't take any of the phones. Thank you 🙂

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 09:55:10 GMT

If you already have or were to buy a DECT base station then I would expect the BT handsets to be able to connect to it. But only for basic operation of making or receiving calls, none of the advanced features would work.

But I've not tested this, just assuming that the BT handsets would be GAP compatible. I don't & will never have DV.

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

WSH — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 10:52:10 GMT

I have a Panasonic cordless set with the base station plugged into the back of the SH2. I can confirm that it works just the same as before DV.

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

wkirkman — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 11:03:23 GMT

Hello. Not really anything to do with the topic, but thanks for sharing 🙂

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

WSH — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 11:11:44 GMT

Sorry, didn't read the original post carefully enough.

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

jac_95 — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 12:14:51 GMT

The BT Digital Voice specific handset that connect to the base DECT unit inside the BT/EE smart hubs are GAP compliant.

I have paired the BT digital voice handset to a BT Premium Call blocking with answering machine DECT phone base unit.

So the BT Digital Voice handset is no longer paired and connected to the BT/EE smart hub but is connected to the BT Premium phone DECT base unit instead.

It then rings when the other BT premium phone rings and allows you to dial out but looses most of its other capabilities.

I have not tested but would be interested to see is if the DECT base unit in the BT/EE smart hub was also GAP compatible so non BT Digital Voice handset could connect. Again though if that did work it won't have any of the specific features that the BT Digital Voice handsets would allows and would just make calls in and out. Don't think it would even get access to the stored contacts

Re: ISP Equipment Compatibility?

iniltous — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 14:00:21 GMT

Digital Voice is BT’s proprietary telephone service, it’s unfortunate that other ISP have chosen to use the same name for their own IP telephony, as it’s likely to become a generic term for all IP telephony when it’s not .

BT DV has nothing to do with Openreach, it’s not a wholesale product made available other ISPs but obviously other ISP could develop or purchase an off the shelf product that operates in a similar way , no doubt there will be a common set of standards for IP telephony , but obviously BTDV is integrated into the SH2 , hence the complaints from some that don’t want to use the SH2 but are a BT telephone customer.

If BT supply telephone ‘BTDV’ instruments , that state ‘ compatible with BT DV’ , they may work with other providers IP services, but it’s possible that some ‘BT’ features that are integrated into the handset , may not work with other vendors versions of IP telephony , if they don’t work in Vodafone DV ( for example ) that’s of no concern to BT .