Digital voice ups

[stanchel]

I have just been notified BT are switching our home to Digital Voice next Friday. I am concerned about our phone service if we have a power cut. We live in an area of very weak mobile signal and have to use WiFi calling for our mobile phone. We have fibre to the premises with a copper phone line incorporated. Clearly, the copper line will be ceased. In the past, Halo support by the mobile hotspot does not work due to the lack of mobile signal. When I called BT Digital Voice support they offered to sell me a power supply for over £80. Surely we should be eligible for this for free under Ofcom rules? How do I pursue this?, clearly Digital Voice support disagree.

[jac_95]

Hi stanchel,

Thanks for the post and welcome to the Community.

This is an automated response as I can see you have a question about BT’s Digital Voice service. Rather than waiting for a response from the Community, you may find an answer to your question by using the search bar on the Community homepage. We also have a thread that contains a wealth of info related to BT’s Digital Voice, click this link to take a look, Digital Voice FAQs.

To learn more about the nationwide change to this Internet based voice service visit landlinesgo.digital

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[imjolly]

as you are able to get mobile signal maybe weak you could still make call.  is it your mobile operator that is weak but there are other mobile signals stronger than yours as in emergency you can use any mobile operator

the FAQ will answer most of your questions

[-Richie-]

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@stanchelwrote:

I am concerned about our phone service if we have a power cut. Surely we should be eligible for this for free under Ofcom rules? How do I pursue this?, clearly Digital Voice support disagree.

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If your electricity provider is that unreliable, I'd be asking them to pay,  the old copper analogue network is being closed down by Openreach, so all providers have to come up with an alternative solution.

If you ever did have to call 999, the mobile network will automatically switch to the strongest network to connect the call.

[stanchel]

We are both in our 70's and I am not happy to see if in a future medical emergency, or a fire, I should try and see if I can get a signal long enough or of enough quality to be able to communicate. My mobile service is BT mobile and my electricity supplier is British Gas. I guess I have to buy a UPS, I just thought the Ofcom rule was that customers should be able to make emergency calls in a power cut. Clearly, only words...

[-Richie- · Accepted solution]

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@stanchelwrote:

I just thought the Ofcom rule was that customers should be able to make emergency calls in a power cut. Clearly, only words...

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The ruling was a solution has to be available, BT have UPS available to purchase.
It was proposed by Ofcom to supply them and the BT response to them was:

Addressing on an individual basis which customers also own a mobile phone, if the indoor
coverage is satisfactory, which customers might need protection that extends
beyond the one hour mandated, which customers might have greater need of
the protection and are therefore entitled to have the solution provided free, and
so on, could prove rather onerous for the CP and burdensome for the customer.
Ofcom is right to not mandate a solution and allow CPs the flexibility to provide
the measure that they deem best suited – whether that be battery back-up or
mobile back-up.

As you have a BT Mobile, you have an alternative means to contact the emergency services in the event of a power cut.
As I previously mentioned, when you dial 999 the national mobile network will connect your call using one of the 4 mobile networks, it might not be the BT mobile (powered by EE), it could be three, Vodafone or even o2 because of coverage.

Also if you are purchasing your own UPS, you will need one to power the ONT that supplies the FTTP, it will also need to power the Smart Hub 2 and also your handset base unit (depending on your handset), also bear in mind that the power cut might impact the exchange that powers your FTTP broadband, if the exchange is also impacted the UPS will be useless.