How does one get a free battery backup when applying for full fibre and digital voice?

[infobleep]

Hi there

I am looking to switch my father to BT fibre but when I get to the phone part it is wanting to charge him £85.00 for the battery backup power.

I thought these were suppose to be free for those with no mobile phone reception?

Where my parents live they barely get any mobile reception. Get some upstairs but it often breaks up and is poor.

However the online maps of mobile phone reception state otherwise and for their property are incorrect. I do appreciate Ofcom claim the maps to be accurate for the majority of people but that doesn't mean everyone.

So how do they get the free battery backup power when applying for the phone contract.

Thanks for reading

Tim

[Keith_Beddoe]

@infobleep 

There are special criteria for getting a free battery backup.

See this post for an example https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-phone-including-Digital/Requesting-Battery-Backup/td-p/2208199

You have to be a vulnerable customer.

[infobleep]

Thanks for the reply. Does my father being registered blind count as vulnerable, for the purposes of a free battery backup?

[Keith_Beddoe]

No idea, but the first thing to do would be to make sure MyBT is updated with that information.

Normally if someone has a care alarm which is connected to DV, then this may be a help.

Bear in mind that two backup units are needed for FTTP, but only one for FTTC. Also with FTTC, if there is a local power failure, then the batteries in the cabinet would discharge, so it would not help a long outage.

Unless there is a real need to change the broadband package, I would be inclined to leave things as they are.

Does he use the RNIB Talking Books service downloads?

https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/independent-living/reading-and-books/talking-books/

[RIC9380]

If I were you I'd call Customer Support and discuss the situation with an Advisor.  The number is 0330 1234 150.

RIC9380

[imjolly]

do you know if the poor mobile signal is only affected your provider and other providers give better connection.  in emergency call the mobile will connect to any mobile signal not necessarily your own

[infobleep]

Thanks for your replies. Aa they aren't a BT customer I can't update MyBY with any information.

They are PlusNet customer but PlusNet don't want to offer phone over fibre.

For a time they had the Talking book service and also another device that streamed the radio and other services.

They are currently on 32Mbps and are about to go out of contract. 

To me it seems silly to not switch to aomwthing faster. Prior to full fibre the best they could do was something like 36 Mbps at a more expensive rate, which wasn't worth the extra give. The such small increase in speed. All due to be so afr from the exchange.

I was hoping to avoid having to ring someone up and hopped it could be dealt with online. Obviously proof can be provided when needed.

[infobleep]

My parents are with 02 and I have no way of knowing if EE are any better as I am also with O2.

I wouldn't know how this could be tested out.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@infobleep 

Plusnet are telling customers if they want a phone service in future, they have to move to BT.

See the Plusnet forum.

https://community.plus.net/t5/Forum/ct-p/Forum

If they re-contract with Plusnet, they will lose their phone service.

[licquorice]

Why on earth do you think they need anything faster?