Dual providers question!

[Bucky897]

Hi folks,

My contract with another provider is coming up for renewal. They use a compulsory home phone component in their package with VOIP.

I'd like the BT Home Phone Saver package.

Is it technically possible to have their 3in1 bundle, (TV,Phone, BB) and a stand alone BT landline package service as it's on a different signalling system?

Thanks

😊 

[Keith_Beddoe]

No, the BT phone service is only carried over BT broadband, as it uses BT Digital voice, which is unique to BT.

[Bucky897]

Hi

So are you saying if I just get a BT landline service as a single service, it isn't possible to get TV and BB service from another provider?

The Virgin CS rep said it was possible.

Thanks 👌 

[imjolly]

@Bucky897 

as @Keith_Beddoe posted you need to use BT SH2 on BT broadband to be able to use phone on digital voice

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Bucky897 

There are no more analogue phone lines available, the PSTN network is closing down.

[Bucky897]

That's what I suspected, no more POTS. So I don't understand what the VM rep is on about.
So there's no interchangeability. Taking a providers phone service is de jure taking their IP service.

I'll check with VM to clarify.

Thanks

[licquorice]

VM are telling you porkies

[rbz5416]

This seems a bit grey to me.

If you were to take the telephone service only from BT, they would have to find a way to provide that via Digital Voice. There have been rumours of a very low bandwidth broadband service & also of exchange based solutions. But AFAIK, no one has yet had either. So theoretically I can't see why it couldn't be done because as you say, the "real" broadband would be provided across  Virgin's infrastructure.

But having said that, I thought the Home Phone could only be purchased if the was no broadband at the property, including from another supplier?

All that aside, why do you want separate services? If you're wanting a copper line, that's no longer possible. But as I said, no one yet knows how it would be provided.

[iniltous]

The approximate £11-£13 saving on ‘line rental’ for BT phone only customers is only for phone only customers that have no broadband from any provider ( so that excludes the OP if they get broadband from Virgin but would be the same with any alternative  fixed broadband supplier ) however for more genuine applicants it does  raise an interesting question , how would  a BT phone only service be provided without WLR/PSTN , as stated the two options are the customer effectively gets broadband that they don’t pay for , a much restricted 0.5Mb bandwidth and the phone is effectively is DV , or an ATA in the exchange building , and the end user connects in the regular fashion, but this won’t work in FTTP areas.

As stated it’s unclear what the OP hoped to achieve, line rental is £28.40 , its unclear if this includes PAYG or that’s added ( probably included ) but it’s an expensive way to add telephony to broadband delivered over a non Openreach network.

TBH , the obvious thing to do if using VM broadband is to add their telephone service to it , if the hope was to not have an IP derived telephone service , that ship has sailed.

[rbz5416]

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@iniltouswrote:

The approximate £11-£13 saving on ‘line rental’ for phone only customers is only for phone only customers that have no broadband from any provider ( so that excludes the OP if they get broadband from Virgin )

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That was my understanding, but there seems to be no mention of that restriction on the product page, only that you can't have BT broadband.

Home Phone Saver Plan is a telephone only deal, so can't be taken out as part of our BT Broadband packages.

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/learn-about-home-phone-saver-2020