Solution for elderly relative

[Helendo]

Hello,

my elderly mum has a landline through BT but in the event of a power cut the phone doesn’t work. We’ve bought her a sim only mobile as back up but at 94 she’s not easily picking up how to use it! Is there a solution whereby you can have a traditional landline phone which you can put a sim in, and in the event of a power cut uses mobile network? (Assuming it was fully charged already),

Any help or suggestion gratefully received!!

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Helendo 

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

Does she just have a phone service and no BT broadband?

If she does have BT Broadband, is her phone plugged into the phone socket on the wall, or is she on BT Digital Voice where she is using BT supplied phones, or has her phone plugged into a BT Broadband hub?

[RIC9380]

Hi, Helendo.

BT's new Digital Voice service won't work when there's a power cut but then again neither will any DECT system as both rely on mains power.

There is a German produced GSM phone which looks like a standard landline telephone into which you just pop in a PAYG SIM (look on a website that resembles a large river in South America) which seems to do the trick according to the reviews.  You'll need to buy a main adapter as it is shipped with a German plug.

Hope this helps.

RIC9380

[licquorice]

@RIC9380  you can name Amazon, just don't post any links to it

[rbz5416]

It would help to know what service & phone she has. Has she been moved to Digital Voice?  If so, there's endless threads about backup solutions. If not, then any traditional phone won't be reliant on power to make calls.

I haven't searched extensively but from memory, most of the desktop GSM phones are 3G, which has a limited lifespan.

[RIC9380]

Yes and some that are available are only 2G.

RIC9380