Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

[Hevski77]

@andydenyer Yeah, the signal here, is rubbish too, I live in a black spot, as I call it. Or is it dead spot, I need a land line. (Especially as I need a new mobile phone too, mine is from 2013, can’t afford a new one or even used). 

But what I want to know is how can I get the battery backup thing for my landline. I really need something like that, because I am sort of vulnerable in some mental and physical ways slighty, and because I’m in such a mobile dead spot (I don’t even have a Smart Meter yet because of this), I’d like the battery back up, if there’s a power cut, but do they only give those to the elderly? 

Also I forgot I could use the @ to tag people, sorry. 😬

[Hevski77]

@andydenyer  My ancient Sony mobile, it says you can use Internet calling on it, but it’s so old that you can’t download WhatsApp on it, if that’s what you mean @licquorice with WIFI calling. Although I sometimes call people using Facebook Messenger on my iPad.

Thats why I like having a landline. And I’ve always been a “having the new tech” person, until PAYG phones jumped from £200 in the 00s to like over a £1000 now….. 😞 

My landline phone as well, it died the other day, so I had to look for a new one in a charity shop.. I nearly bought a modern rotary style for £20 (had one of those is my parents house in the 80s), I always wanted another one, but probably would’ve got irritated by it in the end. But luckily found one of those big button phones for older people for £2, (I’ll be blind soon enough anyway), in another charity shop in the next village. It sounds so clear compared to my old one (which was a used one given to me by a BT Engineer) that my old one must’ve been on the way out for years!! This one has a nice, none crackly tone now, it was the phone all along. It is louder. But not sure the ringtone is…..

[licquorice]

@Hevski77 No, I don't mean using WhatsApp. WiFi calling is simply instead of your mobile connecting to the mobile mast directly you connect to the mobile network via the internet.

[Kimberlin]

Just to clarify the point about WiFi calling because there are it seems many folks out there who appear do not understand how it works or do end up confusing it with WhatsApp.

For starters, you need a mobile phone that is actually capable of WiFi calling in the first place, many recent model iPhones and Android phones do, but then more importantly, a mobile provider that actually supports WiFi calling and not all providers calling plans do. The option for WiFi calling also has to be selected in mobile settings on some mobile phones.

To reiterate the point for those that don’t understand, with WiFi calling, your mobile does not require a mobile signal from a mast to either make or receive calls, your mobile effectively becomes a VoIP handset that makes and receives calls utilising your home router. This is why many people now no longer want or need a landline.

[andydenyer]

@Hevski77

You say "until PAYG phones jumped from £200 in the 00s to like over a £1000 now". But that's really only if you want the latest and top of the range iPhone, Samsung or Google Pixel etc.

There are plenty of perfectly adequate smartphones in the £200 bracket these days. The Motorola G series, for example, offer particularly good value for money in terms of what you get for the price (the G67 currently retails for £199 - even cheaper if you can buy one second hand, of course).

The only downside of a budget Motorola is their lack of Android updates after a couple of years, But if you've been using the same phone for 13+ years now, that will already be well outside of any update cycle now, so probably not an issue for you anyway.

[Hevski77]

@Kimberlin @licquorice  isn't this what this is? 😬 

[Kimberlin]

@Hevski77  I cannot view the picture you have posted so I have no idea 🤷‍♂️

[Hevski77]

@andydenyer I neither have £200 or £1000. So it doesn't matter. I don't even like most of the phones available, and yes I'm fussy... They all look the same. I do care about that stuff, I'm 49, not ancient, though might seem ancient to some of you.. I just hate the size of modern phones, I prefer the old compact Sony phones of the past.... I live on £290 a fortnight, and I'm not working so... 

Anyway I was hoping someone might know about battery backup, for if the power goes out, which it does quite a lot where I live. 

[WSH]

49 is a young slip of a thing.

Most of the regulars on here are OAPs.  I'm 68 and I'm a young'un.

I believe what the picture shows is "Wi-Fi calling".  As someone said, the mobile just connects through the Wi-Fi and then the internet, rather than using the mobile mast.

Edit:  I'd also add that not only does the phone need to support it but also your service provider.  And I'd check if they charge extra for it, as it may affect your data allowance.

[iniltous]

Google something like  this ,

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+criteria+do+bt+use+to+supply+battery+back+up+units&ie=UTF-8&oe=...

From the information you have previously supplied, personally I don’t think it likely you would qualify for a free battery back up , but you could ask .