Moving home and to Digital Voice at same time loses number for dementia customer.

[hywelm]

My aunt has dementia and had to move into a care home. She currently has fibre broadband and landline but no longer has need for broadband. I have spoken to BT to get her landline moved to the care home, which is in same town, but they cannot let her keep her same number.

I'm told its because the following combination will not allow them to allocate the same number, which is essential as she will struggle to remember a new number and her elderly friends all use her existing number

a. Moving Home

b. Moving to Digital Voice (I'm told by BT this is the only option)

I'm so disappointed that BT don't have a way for elderly and dementia customers to keep the same number in this situation. This is not a rare scenario as elderly customers need to move into care. 

[jac_95]

Hi hywelm,

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

If you have already looked for the answer to your question and have not found anything that can help, then please ignore this message. One of our Community members will be along shortly to help you further.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@hywelm 

Welcome to this user forum for BT Retail phone and broadband customers.

This is just a customer to customer help forum, everyone here, including myself, are just customers.

The only BT Employees are the forum moderators.

Unfortunately its no longer possible for any provider to install a traditional copper phone line, even if the number could be moved.

All new phone connections have to be carried over broadband, as I am sure the care home will be well aware, as their phone line will eventually have to be migrated.

[hywelm]

Thanks Keith

Its disappointing that moving to Digital Voice at same time as moving home means you lose your telephone number. I would have expect a way to keep the number in this scenario, but I'm told that it will always mean a new number is needed.

[Keith_Beddoe]

The old PSTN exchanges had their own number ranges, which meant that numbers could not be moved to a different address.

Digital Voice used a totally different network which does not have this restriction.

Its possible that BT may be able to offer call forwarding. That is a chargeable service, but I think the first month is free. That would give time to tell people the new number.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@hywelm 

I have been informed that the re-direction service is available, and is called "Caller Redirect".

Of course this is only going to be possible, once a new connection is made in the care home, and a new number allocated.

That would seem to me a sensible way forward.