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Author Topic: Broadband for visually impaired people  (Read 1761 times)

kitz

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Re: Broadband for visually impaired people
« Reply #15 on: July 10, 2020, 08:17:16 PM »

BT Retail now offer their Halo service which includes visits from "Home Tech Experts" to help install equipment etc. though it comes at a higher fee than their cheapest FTTC packages. Otherwise, they still offer the option of managed installs when ordering FTTC from them (I think this costs £30)

Alternatively, your friend may be able to get some assistance from one of the local Covid support groups that have popped up everywhere?

 This sounds promising:-

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BT’s Home Tech Experts can be booked to come to a customer’s home, with 2-hour appointment slots, 7 days a week. They are trained on a wide range of issues, including helping vulnerable customers where access to technology is more important than ever.

Not sure if even Halo would install 3rd party devices such as Alexa though.   Halo seems to be the new name for their older BTPlus service which was a fttc and 4g package.   the blurb for tech experts seems to just mention setting up broadband, hub and also TV and mobile if applicable.  It too seems to be geared to installation of new broadband service. :/

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Help from our Home Tech Experts

More than simply engineers, our Home Tech Experts bring you brilliant technical knowhow within a two-hour appointment slot, 7 days a week.

To keep everyone safe at the moment, our experts will bring your new kit to your door, then phone or video call from outside to help you set it up. We’ll call you before the visit so you’re ready for us. If there’s a problem, our experts will do their best to fix it without coming into your home.


 
TBH the actual Echos are a doddle to install as amazon usually ship configured to the user account and its simply a case of entering info into the app...  which would obviously not be anywhere near as simple for someone visually impaired.  This may be a case where a teenage neighbour may come in handy..   or perhaps try contacting local college to see if they have IT/computing students willing to help.
caveat - Whilst the Echos themselves are easy,  I've had fun and games with some smart home devices which are supposed to work with it.   Even Hive can be temperamental on the odd occasion.
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gt94sss2

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Re: Broadband for visually impaired people
« Reply #16 on: July 10, 2020, 10:17:58 PM »

The t&c includes:

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13. What is a Home Tech Expert? Working in partnership with Enjoy and Qube, our Home Tech Experts are trained to install, repair and optimise BT products and services (e.g. Smart Hub 2, BT TV, My BT app, Complete Wi-Fi, BT master phone socket) whilst visiting you at home. Our Home Tech Experts can also connect non-BT devices to the BT Smart Hub over Wi-Fi.

So I presume it covers things like connecting things like Echos but as you say it is largely BT Plus rebranded and it will be cheaper in the long run just to get someone local to assist and/or just use the standard managed install option instead of Halo.
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kitz

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Re: Broadband for visually impaired people
« Reply #17 on: July 11, 2020, 11:37:27 AM »

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Our Home Tech Experts can also connect non-BT devices to the BT Smart Hub over Wi-Fi.

Excellent.  So yes they should be able to set up Echos.  Thanks for the additional info :)
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Weaver

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Re: Broadband for visually impaired people
« Reply #18 on: July 11, 2020, 12:31:43 PM »

Ou need me 15 years ago. So just invent time travel; this is the kind of thing I would do for small businesses and home users, but mostly security configuration - hardening of systems. Is there any chance of finding a local computer consultant with a good reputation ?

I looked around for just such a person down in England where my wife’s mum is when I was researching the idea of setting up an internet connection. I found three promising candidates close by. [Discussed in an earlier thread. In the end though Janet my wife decided that her mum wouldn’t be able to use even supposedly ;) friendly computers such as an ipad.]
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parkdale

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Re: Broadband for visually impaired people
« Reply #19 on: August 21, 2020, 03:14:41 PM »

Just to update on this thread.... My friend contacted EE as he already use a "Basic mobile service" - They are doing a managed install on site £25/pm including anytime phone calls & 40Mb broadband.
So...... the next problem was BT have the wrong address for the phone number he uses (for the last 30 years!) although EE can't see that this is going to a problem in porting his number to them :fingers:

I did find out that quite a few buildings in his area do have Hyperoptic broadband service, and his building has planning permission to put this in.... if he can get 15 residents interested.
That would also been around £25/pm 50Mb including anytime phone calls.... but could be months away in coming to him, but would be another managed install service.

He's still trying to work out what to do with the data bundle EE ::) offer for his mobile phone which is only text and call! mostly calls as he can't realistically see much now.

His cousin has an "Alexa" device going spare, so that's sorted.

Updated info 40Mb not 10 :blush:
« Last Edit: August 25, 2020, 03:19:57 PM by parkdale »
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