BT Internet Error message

[robinsharman]

I have had a BTInternet email address for 20 years. Since I moved abroad 7 years ago I have been paying £7.50 per month for a Premium email account.

I have two ISPs - Starlink and Next. I can also access the internet via mobile data on my iPhone.

Most of the time I can access BTInternet via the laptop and the iPhone through either of my ISP WiFi routers.

However, every so often during the past year or so (typically at least for a couple of days every two or three weeks) this access via both of the ISP WiFi routers fails with a "BTInternet account error" message, both on the laptop and on the iPhone. I can still access my BT email on the laptop by going to BT webmail page, and on the iPhone by connecting to mobile data.

If I connect the laptop to my iPhone hotspot I can then access BTInternet via Outlook on the laptop.

I have tried resetting the routers but it makes no difference. Then as suddenly as it happens, the fault clears and once again I can access BT Email via the ISP WiFi routers. 

There is never a problem accessing BT Email via the iPhone hotspot and mobile data.

Apologies for the long and complicated message - in summary, when this error is in force:

* Laptop (Outlook) & iPhone (Mail app) > Starlink or Next WiFi routers - can't connect to BT Email

* Laptop (BT webmail) > Starlink or Next WiFi routers - CAN connect to BT Email

* Laptop (Outlook) > iPhone Hotpot - CAN connect to BT Email

* iPhone (Mail app) > mobile data - CAN connect to BT Email

Does anyone else have this enigmatic issue? What is causing it and is there a permanent solution?

[imjolly]

as you are no longer a BT broadband customer it may be that your email account has been downgraded to basic mail which mean that your email is now only accessible using a web browser and not using an app.  This is now standard practice when customer leave BT unless they pay for premium email

[robinsharman]

I do have a Premium email account - I pay £7.50 per month and have done so for over 7 years since I moved abroad (I've edited my original post to reflect that - thanks). As I said in the message, the error usually lasts only for a day or two, then everything is back to normal, until it happens again, maybe a week later, maybe a month later - it's irregular and entirely random.