Vulnerable elderly parents moved into a 'full fibre' area - now left without landline for weeks....

[SJWJ]

My parents set up their home move request on 13th October. I am not quite sure whether it's really what they wanted, but they signed up for the Halo service. The area they have moved to has been declared as full fibre by Openreach.

They received a mini-hub quite quickly which has allowed us to get some internet access set up for them in their new home, but no telephone. They were sent a date for an engineer to visit the house on 14th November, but no-one came. The other new equipment they will need was eventually sent out, to their old house and has not been seen or heard of since. 

I am trying to sort this out for them. We are at 6 weeks without a landline and counting.

I have been in touch with BT and they have agreed to send out new equipment to the correct address, although this has not yet arrived. We expect this delivery to contain 2 digital voice phones and a smart-hub. However even when this equipment does arrive, none of it will be any use until their house is connected to a landline, of any sort. They would be quite happy to use a copper line, as they don't need the speed of full fibre. However Openreach seem to be refusing to even consider the possibility of connecting them via copper (even as a stop-gap until fibre can be connected to the house) because this is apparently a 'full fibre' area and there is 'a delay'

The ultimate irony is that the previous owners of the house were connected to a landline - so either copper or fibre must already be there. Why we cannot simply get them connected using the existing cabling to start with, with fibre to be connected later if it's not already in, is beyond me.

Openreach have reported as follows 'this order is subject to the FTTP Step 1 recovery plan as shared with industry. the current lead time for Step 1 completions is 20 days, please check back on 19th December 2022 for an update'. Never mind 20 days lead time, my parents have already waited 6 weeks, and 19th December will be 8 weeks. 

I cannot believe that there is not some workaround to get my parents connected in the meantime, based on welfare alone.  They are 86 and 92. Using a mobile phone as an alternative is just not an option. They are left vulnerable and out of touch. 

I would be so grateful for any advice or help to get this sorted.

[RobbieMac]

Hi @SJWJ

Welcome to the BT Community and thank you for posting!

I am sorry for the delay connecting your Parent's service at their new address.  I appreciate that they're elderly and vulnerable and how important it is that the service is connected as soon as possible.

I have sent you a private message with instructions on how you can send us over your details and we'll look into this for you. See: Private messages

Thanks,

Robbie

[licquorice]

I'm sorry, but I really don't understand this idea that mobile phones are impossible for elderly people to use. I fail to see the difference in using a cordless Digital Phone (which you appear to expect them to use) and a basic Doro type mobile phone (Google search for further info)

[SJWJ]

Thanks Robbie, I will go to your message and send more details as needed.

[SJWJ]

My parents have always used 2 regular (non-mobile-type) telephones - one upstairs and one downstairs. Important to recognise that everyone is different and ageing can impact on every aspect of functioning - so for example things like, hearing, mobility around the house if the phone is in a different room, eyesight, simply learning how to operate any new device at a time in life when learning new skills is not as easy as it once was, only having one phone in the house between two people - then forgetting which room it has most recently been left in, dexterity in dealing with more touch-based than physical buttons and not finding it easy to judge whether buttons have been activated or not....do I need to go on? 

[rbz5416]

@SJWJ 

As @licquorice said, why can't you buy them a basic mobile on a rolling monthly contract to tide them over? They're going to need a backup for DV in any case.

Edit: We cross-posted but ye olde push button phones are still readily available & could be considered as corded. ie you don't go wandering around the house with it so it's always in the same place.

[licquorice]

I understand all the points you are making, but in your original post, you are expecting your parents to use Digital Voice handsets which are virtually identical to the Doro handsets which I suggested and not fixed old style instruments.

[SJWJ]

Indeed, and tbh when my parents arranged their house move and accepted the recommended (Halo?) package of course they wouldn't necessarily have made the connection that they would only be able to use the new mobile-style phones on this system. It's only as I've started to look into it that we've realised that their old phones will not be compatible, so that's an additional problem. For now though I have parked that because the bigger issue seems to be simply getting a line connected - we will have to sort out their package later. I have read that some other providers offer a separate ATA device plugged into the router which would at least allow them to use their existing telephone equipment.

[licquorice]

If you have a read of my FAQ, https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-phone-including-Digital/Digital-Voice-FAQs/td-p/2207485

you will see that the BT hub has a built in ATA by way of a phone socket at the rear of the hub  and BT also offer a remote adaptor that can be used.

All providers will be moving to a VoIP solution by 2025.

[SJWJ]

Thank you that's helpful. I have had a quick look at the article and it looks really good. I will take some time to work through it. So the new hub, when it arrives, will offer the option of plugging an old style phone. If the hub had arrived when it was supposed to we might have realised. So that's that issue solved.
Just back to the lack of landline connection now, as by my understanding the mini-hub which offers a temporary solution for internet access does not provide any phone connection.