Digital Voice migration

[WSH]

@garybs29

I can see both sides of the argument here.  I too balk at being locked into using ISP’s equipment again.

I think the point he’s making is that some of us don’t need BT’s support to operate our own equipment.  I wouldn’t go to BT for advice on my equipment anyway.  I’d go to the manufacturer.  What we do need, however, is access to the setup information and that just needs publishing.

While I appreciate that most people just want something that is “plug and play”, it would be interesting to see what commercial advantage BT feels it gets from a proprietary, closed system.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@WSH 

BT do not get any commercial advantage, its to ensure a secure phone connection that can be guaranteed to originate from a specific location, unlike other VOIP phones, that can originate calls from any location.

Emergency services can also identify the end user`s address very quickly.

[Perceptive]

BT do get a Commercial Advantage from Digital Voice in that it makes it harder for their broadband customers to leave as the more products that need to change on a specified day the harder it is to change. - (Sky and some other UK ISPs have similar VOIP products attached to their broadband for the same reason).

One product affected by a change = very easy to leave.

Two products affected = much harder to leave.

Also, I suspect that the lock in period for Digital Voice will be the full two years, (in line with BT broadband), instead of the usual rolling 30 day liability period for most VOIP providers

It is a Short and Curlies Setup.

Under the old PSTN system cancelling or moving the phone effectively cancelled the broadband, (at least that was the BT policy), therefore, these products are often bundled and linked to make it harder to leave.

[iniltous]

How many times does it need saying , BT DV is not compulsory, BT broadband isn’t compulsory, want both BB and IP telephone from BT , great , use the SH2 ( plug and play ) , don’t want telephony at all , or want telephony just not from BT  but do want BT broadband , use standalone BT broadband, and whatever VoIP provider you chose , finally don’t want to use BT for anything at all , don’t , there are a myriad of providers available.

[WSH]

@Keith_Beddoe

All good points but there are also issues with locking people into using a specific piece of kit.

For example, everyone is stressing over what to do in a power cut.  No one seems to have considered what they are going to do when the SH2 or its power unit fails.  How long is it going to take BT to send a replacement?  If people don’t have a mobile/signal, how are they even going to get in touch with BT?  At least with a generic router you could nip down the shops and source a replacement quickly.

As I said I can see both sides of the argument.  There is no real right or wrong here as the old PSTN could’nt go on forever so its replacement was inevitable.  I do think the overall approach could have been better thought through, however.

[-Richie-]

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@WSHwrote:

No one seems to have considered what they are going to do when the SH2 or its power unit fails.

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BT offer a backup solution that is a landline handset that switches to the mboile network when the SH2 fails to provide the source, that could be due to a broadband fault or a power cut, regardless of why, it has a failover mode to keep customers connected.

In the event the emergency services are required, dialling 999 will see all mobiles use any network to make the connection, this works on all mobiles without any change of settings.

Finally, people keep saying about power cuts, speak to the power company as most have procedures for vulnerable customers to give them priority.

[gg30340]

Re power cuts....  out of interest if you presently use cordless phones what do you do when there is a power cut because the base station would stop working without power and the cordless phone would stop working?

[BarkingMadBarking]

I've been unable to engage with a BT employee on my query. I'll see if I can raise a complaint.

Thank you all for your help.