HD Voice what happens when you want to just keep landline and no internet with BT

[mardymarvin42]

so we have BT HD Voice pain in the **bleep** as you are stitched into keeping and using the smart hub. So I was wondering what happens if I decide to use another company for broadband but want to stay with BT for the landline (well fibre as the copper no longer works)

What are they going to do for people when they switch all the copper off in a few years.They cant force people into using BT for internet so they must have a way to separate the internet and the voice HD on the fiber to home connections.

I just wish they would allow us to use our own routers and not stitch us into their junky routers that are flaky. I have tried lots of work around to try and get my router to work and allow the phones to work. I cant be rocker science for BT to allow an option in their router to be just the connection for the DECT phone and that then pipes it to my router. O wait they wont do that as they want to stitch you in.

sorry for the salty bit but I wish I had know all this before signing up.

[jac_95]

@mardymarvin42 see https://landlinesgo.digital for information on why this change is happening and how to get prepared.

Those with no broadband today a d only want voice service will be supplied with a broadband connection to allow the voice service to work. The broadband connection itself maybe locked down or limited to just allow the voice service.

Your unable to have a broadband connection with one supplier and another for just the voice service e.g Sky broadband and BT Consumer for the voice service.

You can though go broadband only and then use a third party VoIP provider.

[-Richie- · Accepted solution]

Digital Voice requires a broadband connection, if you wanted just a phone service you would still be provisioned with broadband, just enough for the digital voice service to work, it's around 1 mbit and is a new SLT (Service Line Type) for communication providers to provide just the voice element when the PSTN network closes, this applies to all 600+ providers that use the Openreach network.

To have broadband from another provider would need a 2nd line installed, you can then order broadband only from them, it's known as SOGEA.

[iniltous]

No one has to use BT , if someone wants to use BT for ‘telephony’ and it’s going to be via DV ( digital voice ) then by choosing BT as the provider, they have to  accept that using the SH2 is necessary.

Should they want BT broadband, but don’t want to use the SH2 , then the obvious thing to do is take the no telephony option when taking BT broadband, BT Broadband doesn’t need to use the SH2, but DV does.

If someone wants BT telephony and it’s to be via DV , but they don’t want broadband, then a tiny bandwidth broadband product is supplied that can ‘run’ DV , the consumer may not realise that the have a broadband connection, from their point of view it’s just a box that the phone plugs into.

If someone wants BT telephony and it’s going to be BT DV ,  but broadband from someone else, then they won’t be able to have both services over the same ‘line’

[licquorice]

Nobody is stitched in to anything. As others have said, if you want BT Digital voice then you need to use the Smart Hub2. Otherwise you can choose whatever VoIP provider and router you like to provide your telephony service independently of whatever broadband supplier you choose.

[mardymarvin42]

thanks for this information and it does explain how they are going to split it up.

I however will still argue that you are stitched into using BT hardware now with this new way of doing calls. OFCOM did years ago force companies to allow third party routers to be used on the network but now with this new way of using voice you are once again forced to use their hardware. So this is what I mean by stitched into using BT, I understand I can change provider but I am happy with provider just not their over priced junky hardware.

I would happily pay a small fee for a hardware device that would allow me to use the DECT phones on BT but then also allow me to use my own router. It cant be to hard to either amend their current router to say this is for dect only and you could  plug that into your own router and it then route the calls even if I had to manually setup a port. Or supply a small bit of kit that is just a DECT converter that you plug into your router or switch and it just goes out. 

Anyway looks like I will have to stick with BT hardware as I want to keep phone and internet with them I just wish OFCOM or someone would step in again and say "You are forcing people to use your hardware on a service that does not need to be your specific hardware"

Well when it breaks I am not going to pay £200 for their router I will just can the phone.

[RIC9380]

The BT Smart Hub and DV phone(s) are free and work perfectly well together so I'm not quite sure what your point is. If you have an existing DECT phone system you can just plug the main handset base into the back of the SH and it will still work, albeit without all of the enhanced and superior features of Digital Voice.

[-Richie-]

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@mardymarvin42wrote:

Well when it breaks I am not going to pay £200 for their router I will just can the phone.

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You just seem to be looking just for negatives, the fact is Openreach are retiring the PSTN network, it's old and expensive to maintain, that means all providers who use the Openreach network have developed their own way to provide calls, BT have Digital Voice, other providers are following suit with their own means, if you want a telephony service from BT it's Digital Voice or nothing, BT will offer broadband without calls so you can choose what works for you and your needs.

The equipment is provided free of charge and on loan, if it breaks you'll be sent another, unless the damage was intentional, so free equipment and free warranty, what more do you expect ?

[licquorice]

Also a built in ATA within the hub and free plug in ATAs so you can use your old analogue or DECT phones, doubt if any of the other providers have such an offering.