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[stevebrass]

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

Interesting development

[GigabitEthernet]

Good.

[Black Sheep]

Only had chance to skip-read through that but the thing that jumped out at me was this .... It’s not just BT customers who will need to make these changes, all home phone users, with any provider, will need to move to a digital system before 2025. .... this has always been the date PSTN was being switched off by my reckoning ??

I can't see where the 'pause' in the roll-out is, if they are still saying it will be all-digital by 2025 ??

My bad, if I've missed something.

[meritez]

They have paused the new plans, and still rolling out the existing plan.

What were the next stage plans, app on your mobile for you to make landline calls?

[gt94sss2]

This will be a pause to part of the programme, we will aim to re-start once we have key solutions in place to provide our customers with more resilient connectivity. These include:

- Hybrid phones that can switch to a mobile network and have an in-built, long-lasting battery.
- The option of longer-lasting battery back-up units for customers who want or need them.
- Providing in-home ‘mobile landlines’ for people without broadband.
- Addressing so-called mobile ‘not-spots’, with continued investment in the Shared Rural Network. We’ve recently announced a further 1,500 locations that will get better coverage as a result.
- Launching an awareness campaign so that our customers better understand the need to switch.
- Continuing to proactively engage the related industries - like healthcare pendants and burglar alarm providers to ensure our most vulnerable customers continue to get the service they need.

And we’re continuing to work on other things, too, including advancements to scam-call shielding and fraud reduction tools, that we know are becoming ever more important to our users of landlines.

[gt94sss2]

We have BT Digital Voice. It generally works fine with one exception.

From time to time, some of the BT provided handsets do not ring when there is an incoming call.

We then either need to reboot the modem and/or re-pair the phone to get it work again..

This seems to beat random - different handsets at different times

[g3uiss]

Not getting much good feedback on national news !

[Reformed]

It's fine. They can keep POTS running and split the cost between all those that want it. Everyone else gets cheaper services, they get to keep their Victorian era technology.

[licquorice]

Sounds like a good plan to me.

[g3uiss]

If they don’t turn it off, won’t that discourage the development of the various bits by various manufacturers that still depend on wires ? Nothing like a deadline to focus the mind 

[Black Sheep]

They will be turning it off - have no doubt about that. 

[stevebrass]

Credit to BT for reacting to problems. It does seem to me though that any replacement to POTS will be more complicated for the user.

I think OFCOM were involved in all this. I wonder how they view things.

[tubaman]

Perhaps they'll need to revert to the battery backup units that were previously done away with? I know they're only good for a couple of hours but it'd be better than nothing.

[j0hn]

They only powered the ONT.
ONT's no longer have phone ports as Openreach want the ISP to be responsible for voice, not themselves.

BT are developing their own UPS/battery backup. It will need to power both the ONT and the router.

[Alex Atkin UK]

Its kinda weird they were gung-ho on going ahead when any idiot could see the issues of vulnerable users being left in the dark.  Seemed a huge oversight the instant they decided not to carry voice from the ONT and ditch the battery.