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Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

northshields — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 10:34:21 GMT

I have just renewed my broadband and tv contract for another 24 months. I had understood that on renewal I would be automatically switched to DV but none of the emails I have received from BT mention it. Have I misunderstood the position or is there some other, separate, process involved. To be honest, I don't mind either way but was just wondering about the procedure.

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

jac_95 — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 10:35:02 GMT

Hi northshields,

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 on Renewal of Contract

imjolly — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 11:11:47 GMT

@northshields

I assume you do have a home phone in use. it may be that your area's has not been converted to DV yet

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

northshields — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 12:22:09 GMT

imjolly

I certainly have a home phone in use with the 700 minute package.

An extract from the availability checker shows this

As I am on gfast and it is shown as available under the "WBC SOGEA" column I had assumed that DV would be available so that I would be automatically switched, but perhaps I have misunderstood the position.

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 12:29:34 GMT

It may be that gfast is the issue, perhaps it does not have the residual bandwidth needed for DV?

There was a post on the forum where a customer was downgraded to VDSL, as gfast was no longer being sold.

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

Colin_London — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 12:32:59 GMT

As I think I understand it, you only get DV automatically if your area has already been enabled. This is because DV is not a single national architecture like most VOIP providers.

In my case my area was enabled whilst I still had a copper cable VDSL connection. I was migrated onto what is known as a SOGEA line which is VDSL internet connection only, and at that point the dial tone left the line and I had to switch to Digital Voice. When I then moved again to full fibre broadband the telephone service remained unaffected (even though I didn't want it anymore at that point) and the copper cable was removed from my house (although I have just noticed they left it dangling from the pole!).

There are however plenty of stories on here from people in areas that clearly have not had DV enabled yet, and it seems that in order to keep a telephone connection they have to keep their old copper cable to keep a PSTN telephone service going whilst also having a new fibre cable.

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

Les-Gibson — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 12:34:00 GMT

I'm making a big assumption here based on your username so please be gentle if I'm wrong.

I suspect that you area is not yet DV ready.

Source BT announces regional rollout schedule for Digital Voice

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

Colin_London — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 12:35:56 GMT

I think G.Fast is on the way out and being replaced (eventually) by FTTP.

Think of G.Fast as just a faster version of VDSL which still has the telephone connection provided in the old way via an analogue signal.

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

northshields — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 12:37:36 GMT

Les-Gibson

Having looked at the information in the link that you provided I think yours might be the right explanation.

Many thanks.

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

David500 — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 19:30:37 GMT

@Les-Gibson About halfway down the article there is this paragraph:

“In readiness for the December 2025 deadline, Openreach have taken steps to end the sale of new analogue services across the UK. That means when customers who have access to broadband sign up for a new contract – or when they switch, upgrade or re-grade their service via their provider – they’ll be moved onto a new digital landline rather than an analogue one.“

Which i take to mean that you will be moved to DV if you regrade, etc. and the dates given from Autumn 2023 to Summer 2024 are for those people who are within their minimum term or on a monthly rolling contract will be moved?

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

Les-Gibson — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 20:10:39 GMT

The link I provided refers to the rollout of DV, you can't be moved onto a product which is not available in your area regardless of whether you're a new or existing customer

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

David500 — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 20:58:41 GMT

@Les-Gibson According to the list we aren’t due to change to DV until the summer and have VDSL and FTTP isn’t available. So I’ve just started an upgrade to see what happens. After choosing the broadband package and then the phone package. The next screen was about DV and to select 1 of the following: use existing phones, DV adaptor, essential phone or advance phone. I then cancelled the order.

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

Les-Gibson — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 21:12:32 GMT

The availability of FTTP doesn't necessarily mean DV is available, my own FTTP connection is several years old and comes from my local exchange which is around one mile away, my DV connection is much more recent and terminates at a different exchange approximately seven miles away

If you ended the transaction at that stage then you don't know what was to follow, I don't either but I suspect it would be a message to the effect that you will be moved to DV when it becomes available in your area.

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 21:16:25 GMT

@David500

I think you will find that the list only refers to forced moves to DV, as the exchange closes.

If you renew your package or re-grade, you have no option but to move to DV, as its no longer possible to have an analogue line.

In your case, if you complete your order, you will be moved to DV.

Re: Digital Voice on Renewal of Contract

David500 — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 21:26:31 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe Thanks that is what I assumed. I was trying to prove the point.

@Les-Gibson I’ve taken the order further and it asked if we had an alarm system and replied no. Next asked if we wanted a hybrid phone or BBU and the running total gave the monthly cost plus the one off advance phone. So it would have involved changing to DV.