@Roadhawkswrote:
I have a major concern that apparently BT will be phasing out traditional landline phones by the end of 2025, and customers phones will be supplied by broadband.
On the Openreach network there have been 3 ways to provide a voice service:
FVA (Fibre Voice Access) - This has already been phased out.
PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) - The most common and the service being discontinued with the switch off prediced by 2025
DV (Digital Voice) - The new all IP way of providing the service, it rerquires a broadband connection
Regardless of what way you recieve the phone service, the price is the same and nobody is being charged anything more, if your parents don't have broadband, a slower broadband SLT (service line type) has been created which is more than adequate to provide a phone service.
@Roadhawkswrote:
My concern is my elderly parents don't have broadband but their landline phone is their lifeline.
As previously mentioned, your parents will be supplied a Smart Hub and broadband package that supports their needs, at no extra cost.
Alternative ways are also possible, such as providing the service over the mobile network, still using the same landline telephone number.
@Roadhawkswrote:
The issue I have with this is if there is an electricity power cut there will be no broadband as broadband requires a router, and routers are supplied by electricity.
The same could be said now if the exchange lost power, the network requires electricity so if any part fails, it would stop working for the end user.
BT do have battery backup units, there is a cost but vulnerable customers are supplied free of charge or alternative solutions are available such as a handset that uses the mobile network if the service fails, BT do not provide electricity supply and have no control over the reliability, there are however priority repair services for vulnerable customers, you're parents would need to speak with their supplier to see what support is available.
@Roadhawkswrote:
Plus will customers lose area codes, or numbers that the properties might have had for generations.
No they won't, infact the new Digital Voice removes the exchange limits, previously the numbers are tied to an exchange, if you moved home that was served by another exchange, you lost the number and were issued a new one, now you can retain the same number if you move to another area.
Moving to Digital Voice will see customers retain the same number, the technology providing the service is changing but the number you have remains the same, the cost remains the same, you can use the same handsets you previously used.
@Roadhawkswrote:
Personally I can see no end of misery from phasing out landline phones. And I would like to know how is this all going to work.
Several million customers have already been migrated to Digital Voice, all new provisions are done using Digital Voice, yes things can go wrong but not more than issues from the previous methods of providing a telephone service.
It's worth noting that BT's Digital Voice is not new technology, Europe have used this method for years, we're just late adopters to the technology, the old analogue copper PSTN network is old and outdated, it's expensive to run and maintain, so Openreach decided way back in 2015 that it was being switched off, the industry has had almost a decade to prepare for this, so alarm companies and other services that use the phone network can be ready.
When BT do migrate customers, a process exists that a friend or family member can be given the update on the switch and any other support needed when the migration comes, your parents can choose you for the updates so you can see key dates and any steps needed when the switch comes.
I would also advise looking at www.bt.com/hereforyou to see what other help and support BT can offer your parents, there will be things not needed at this time, it's still useful to know for future reference.
I hope that helps and answers your concerns, reply back with any questions 🙂
