Digital Voice with different Router

[jac_95]

Just reminding everyone of the solutions and regulatory guidelines on making emergency calls in a powercut:

https://landlinesgo.digital/powercut

Also BT Consumer's steps they are taking when rolling out BT Digital Voice

We have been working to review and improve our customer experience to ensure they have confidence in their new home phone service, with a host of new additional support and services. These include:

•Hybrid phones that can switch to a mobile network and have a built-in battery.

•Customers can now nominate a family member, friend or carer who will receive all the information about switching on their behalf.

•Existing customers with additional needs such as health pendants, or those without mobile coverage at home, will be able to take advantage of free additional support. These options range from free battery back-up units to engineer supported installations or hybrid landline phones.

•We’re also continuing to invest in the Shared Rural Network, improving mobile coverage in more than 900 areas across the UK by the end of 2023.

•And we’re continuing to work with healthcare pendant and burglar alarm providers to ensure the most vulnerable customers continue to get the service they need.

https://newsroom.bt.com/were-expanding-our-trials-of-digital-voice-for-customers/

And recent announcement in May: https://newsroom.bt.com/digital-voice-getting-ready-for-a-customer-led-regional-restart/

[StuartHK]

I love it.  “Multi-million pound advertising campaign”.  I know who’ll be paying for that.

While, I’m here can someone answer a question for me, please?  I’ve had a quick look at the FAQ and can’t see this but I apologise if it has already been covered.  I’m currently out of contract and want to stay that way for the moment.  (I won’t go into the reasons why).  I currently have an old HH5b.  I believe BT will send me an SH2 for the switch to DV but what I want to know is, if I accept the SH2 am I re-contracting?

[flycop2000]

"I accept the SH2 am I re-contracting?"

Yes, I know from experience 😬

[Keith_Beddoe]

If you are forced onto DV, whether you are on FTTP, FTTC or ADSL, and are out of contract, then BT should supply the equipment for free, including the SH2, without expecting you to re-contract your broadband connection, otherwise they would be placing you at a disadvantage.

[StuartHK]

Contradictory, but thanks to both of you.

Keith, I’m aware of your experience, as a regular reader here, so I don’t doubt your word.  I would, however, be interested in a bit more detail from Flycop2000.  Was this made clear to you before?  Did you challenge it?

[StuartHK]

Also, If I sourced an SH2 from, say, ebay or Amazon to be on the safe-side, am I likely to have any problems getting it to register etc?

[Bob1001]

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@gg30340wrote:

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@Bob1001wrote:

We recently had a long power cut which exposes the weaknesses of "Digital Voice", it is all very well saying use a mobile but the power was off to the local tower as well.

There is no solution as all providers are going that way, easier for the likes of BT but a disaster for customers. I missed a hospital appointment as they were rearranging it and could not contact me.

BT and others believe it is progress I am not convinced. copper and a big battery in the local exchange never gave any problems.

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Did you have cordless phones which you used before the you were moved over to "Digital Voice" because if you did they would not have worked either in the event of a power cut. The "old" system would only have continued to work if your phone, not a the cordless base station, was plugged into the phone socket.

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Yes I had a cord phone plugged into the main socket, it was always wise to keep a cord phone in reserve anyway so if there was a problem the line could be tested by splitting the internal from the external at the socket.

[Bob1001]

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@StuartHKwrote:

I love it.  “Multi-million pound advertising campaign”.  I know who’ll be paying for that.

While, I’m here can someone answer a question for me, please?  I’ve had a quick look at the FAQ and can’t see this but I apologise if it has already been covered.  I’m currently out of contract and want to stay that way for the moment.  (I won’t go into the reasons why).  I currently have an old HH5b.  I believe BT will send me an SH2 for the switch to DV but what I want to know is, if I accept the SH2 am I re-contracting?

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I don't think you have to recontract when my daughter was changed BT just sent out a SH2, she did not need one as she had already bought one a couple of years ago, anyway she has a spare now. No indication that the new hub belonged to BT as far as she was concerned it was just a gift.

She does not use a BT landline although it was still connected until the change over.

[lippo]

This is what I needed to use my Asus routers with the SH2 and a digital phone, thank you!
There's a lot of fat on this thread, thankfully the meat was somewhere in there. Kudos!

[flycop2000]

Hi,

I was having speed problems with my Broadband and called BT. The person I spoke to said he could not check from his end as I was using my own router and offered to send me a new SH2. I accepted but I did not realise I was recontacting until much later when I looked at my account details however I was happy with the service from BT and did not challenge it. 

I am leaving them at the end of this month and going with Gofibre  FTTP as Openreach only installed Fibre in part of the small village where I stay and unfortunately it was not the part where I am.