Digital Change over.

[Pugwash]

BT are changing our phones over to digital in the next 30 days. We are fortunate as we have broadband but many of my associates do not and rely on landlines. None of them have had any communication as to what happens to them after switch over. Some are elderly or have English as a 2nd language. One is partially deaf/blind and physically disabled with a landline but has not been contacted as to how she make calls etc.

I have looked at various on line videos by BT how to set up the new system but they are confusing and in some cases require a lot of bending down and re distributing of connection points. Does anyone know an independent person who could be contacted to do some of the physical setting up of the new system?  Interested to hear from others who have gone through the process.

[Pugwash]

Any ideas?

[Sally Eva]

I had a choice and decided to give up my landline and rely on mobile. I'm 71. Key to this choice was learning that in a power cut a digital landline would not work.

I did change my internet to BT. That was fully installed by a very nice Open Reach engineer who plugged it all together.

The whole experience was a lesson in chaos (BT/Openreach) and frustration (me). But the end product was good. The guys who did the work were charming and delightful, fully trustable to help plug in the digital ohones,

[colville09]

Without fully thinking it through we recently agreed to be switched over and then had a nightmare of a month without Internet. They switched us over without actually making a physical connection to the fibre! BT were great but as the work is actually done by Openreach and they seem to have no control over them whatsoever, it was sheer chaos. Eventually we managed to be returned to our previous copper connection. I think they are totally unprepared and the digital system / equipment is unsuited to anyone older, with an alarm or without a smart phone. They won’t want to tell you but if you are older and have   Certain health conditions, a personal alarm etc they have to make an exception to leave you as you are and not force a switch over till they stop the copper network sometime in 2025.

[Sally Eva]

As I think Colville might agree, it's hard to overemphasise the level of chaos. My complaint line went to BT and was fine. The problem was that he had to get info from OR and his only contact was OR customer service which was the normal level of customer service you find everywhere ie didn't answer the phone, didn't give any sort of sensible answer when they did etc.

And they were one company, OR was BT's only supplier. "Our computer systems don't talk to one another" the BT guy said, by way of extenuation.

Try Ofcom

[IlonaM]

Article in today's online Guardian re: digital switchover and vulnerable customers:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/nov/20/as-uk-landlines-go-digital-fears-grow-for-vulnerable-people-whose-home-phone-is-a-lifeline