Our Landline Just Went Digital

[renegadefm]

Had a text out of the blue from EE this morning saying that your landline has just gone digital and needs to be plugged into the green socket at the back of your broadband router, otherwise it won't work. 

 

We assumed it was a scam at first, but then noticed the phone line was dead if plugged into the normal socket, but now works from the router. 

 

Problem is our wireless extension phones in the kitchen and bedroom no longer work. I don't understand why they won't work as they pick up the wireless signal from the base phone. 

 

Plus what concerns me if the phone runs from the router, if we have a power cut we won't have a working landline phone.

 

Problem is my parents only use their landline phone to ring us on our landline phone as they can't use mobile phones, so in the event of a power cut, they won't be able to get hold of us. 

 

Is this digital roll out happening all over the UK? 

[JinnyJoan]

yes and it's horrendous for oldsters

[renegadefm]

Jinny Joan, 

I am seriously concerned if they do this at my parents house as they don't have broadband. 

 

Would they be left without a phone? 

[Barsel]

This happened to me when I went fibre optic and that is because Open Reach assumed I had Wi-fi which I didn't.

A neighbour of mine knew what to do with my phones and also he did something with my TV as well.

 

[Barsel]

renegade, one of my neighbours doesn't have broadband, she's 93 yrs old, but she is now on fibre and her phone works fine.

I know it has something to do with wi-fi, but I don't know what.

[ubasses]

This info from ofcom should help.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/future-of-landline-calls

[Barsel]

 

//Plus what concerns me if the phone runs from the router, if we have a power cut we won't have a working landline phone.

I've got an old mobile that I keep topped up in case of power cuts.//

[JinnyJoan]

Barry1010 knows better. 

I am deaf and I didn't want to lose my deaf landline phone.  Didn't want fibre optic but inadvertently I got it .  But I have to say in order for the landline phone to work they inserted a little white box into the landline socket and that meant I was able to keep my landline.  Hope that information makes sense.  

[bednobs]

its ot just a pain for oldies.  my old bakelite dial telephone no longer works whenplugged into the router

[Redhelen72]

Vunerable and older people will be helped through the transition.

Why can your parents not ring your mobile?

[Barsel]

Helen, the parents don't have a mobile so that's why they need the landline.

I don't have a smartphone but I do have a flip mobile which I just use for texting and occasionally for phoning if I'm away from home i.e in the hospital.

[Barsel]

Don't think I explained that very well.

The parents don't have a mobile as they don't get on with them, so they want to keep the landline, but if there was a power cut, they wouldn't be able to use the landline.

I think I've got that right.

[bednobs]

rfm said that the parents could ONLY call the landline from their landline.  i am also wondering why the parents cant currently calll rfm's mob from their landline.

rfm, how often do you have powercuts?

[Rosetta]

This happened to us just a week after my son suddenly died , it was an utter and total nightmare.

RH and no  they do not help in any way during the transition.

We have no mobile signal in our village so are totally stuffed if we have a power cut and need to telephone the emergency services like we did on the day my son died.

Ofcoms advice is totally useless. When we made a huge fuss EE sent us a back up of 1hrs worth of power which consists of something the size and weight of a car battery. God knows how we connect that in the dark and where the telephone line comes into the house which is not easily accesssible.

The best advice I would give is to complain 

to everyone concerned as loudly and frequently as possible, including your MP

[Barsel]

bednobs @ 16:04 

Problem is my parents only use their landline phone to ring us on our landline phone as they can't use mobile phones,

[Rosetta]

Mobile phones are useless both for incoming and outgoing calls if there is no mobile signal where we are. We are completely dependent on broad band for phone usage, which is useless during a power cut

[237SJ]

If you have a hands free phone that connects wirelessly to a base unit, it won't work during a powercut regardless of whether the line is plugged into a socket or the router.  The handset won't be able to find a signal from the base unit.  Or at least that's how my phone works and so did my previous one.

[237SJ]

Sorry, I meant a wireless phone (not hands free)

[gingejbee]

You'll all find this recent BT press release interesting...they're pausing the digital changeover (til they get it right!)

 

https://newsroom.bt.com/were-pausing-our-digital-voice-plans-for-consumers-while-we-work-on-a-more-resilient-rollout/

[237SJ]

That item is from 2022.  I remember reading it at the time because Storm Eunice made BT realise that people in remote areas would be cut off.  They have resumed the switchover

[gingejbee]

Sorry...that's not the "recent" one I meant.

More or less was said by telecoms companies just a few days ago...but can't find it at the moment.