Traditional landlines set to be axed in next four years in major shake-up

I have no landline here, but my landline phones have been connected into the digital system so I am still using my familiar old phones. The only difference is that I have to dial a different number to listen to any messages. I do not use my mobile phone except when I am out and about.

well i am dunce with technical things but i think i can't be the only one.
bt could have made it simpler to understand.
i've read the link, but it seems to be aimed at businesses.
they ought to give a simple step by step guide for home users.

Seems to be aimed at BT customers. What if you're not with BT?

Why should BT have the monopoly?

Why fix what's not broke, all in the name of Technology?

Seems to me it's all about the Technology Race + ££££'s.

You’re right growstuff.

Cornwall - Our line went digital a month ago. We could have had a free digital phone but wanted to keep our ‘call guardian’ phone so were given an adapter. Very easy to set up.

We need a landline as a few friends and family do not have mobile signals.

25Avalon

I was advised, a few years back admittedly, to keep a landline phone ready to plug in and use in an emergency, in case the electricity was down or the mobile server was down.

I have been advised that as well. In the event of a major emergency, the mobile phone signals have been cut off or overwhelmed by calls. It’s hard to get through on a mobile on New Years Eve when everyone else is calling!

My son, ex Royal Signal with the bomb squad in Afghanistan said that when mobile phone signals are blocked it’s called a blue blanket - one of his first jobs in the event of an IED blast was to block signals in the locality to prevent more devices being set off!

I’m being a bit dramatic I know but I think I prefer to have a land line in case of emergencies even though I mainly use my mobile for calls.

In the event if a power cut my landline goes down until power is restored and the phone came with a warning to have an alternative (ie mobile) to use in an emergency. Another reason to keep both mobile and possibly tablet fully charged whenever possible.

Butterfly32, i think it affects everyone, as BT are the legacy company that were the original Post Office Telecommunications that placed and are responsible for the cables/fibre optics etc running under the streets, the hardware.
as read it, all calls will go through the internet ? is that right, i read something about connecting a headset to the computer.

MawBe

In the event if a power cut my landline goes down until power is restored and the phone came with a warning to have an alternative (ie mobile) to use in an emergency. Another reason to keep both mobile and possibly tablet fully charged whenever possible.

I have a basic plug-in phone for emergencies. It cost about a fiver and works without a power supply.

welbeck

Butterfly32, i think it affects everyone, as BT are the legacy company that were the original Post Office Telecommunications that placed and are responsible for the cables/fibre optics etc running under the streets, the hardware.
as read it, all calls will go through the internet ? is that right, i read something about connecting a headset to the computer.

You can do all sorts of fancy stuff if you want, but a digital network just means that there aren't wires running all over the place. There will be virtually no difference to the way your domestic landline works.

I have a small portable charging pack for my mobile and it came in very handy last time I had a power cut for several hours and couldn’t find my old plug in phone.

It’s about the size of a cigarette lighter. I take it out with me as my mobile battery only lasts half a day. It can fully charge a mobile 3 times before needing recharged itself. I paid £18 for it 3 years ago.

Sorry MerylStreep and Wellbeck trustpilot not the best to quote, I just don’t trust the Manchester evening news and should have looked elsewhere.

Grannynannywanny

I have a small portable charging pack for my mobile and it came in very handy last time I had a power cut for several hours and couldn’t find my old plug in phone.

It’s about the size of a cigarette lighter. I take it out with me as my mobile battery only lasts half a day. It can fully charge a mobile 3 times before needing recharged itself. I paid £18 for it 3 years ago.

Thanks for the tip. I'll definitely look into getting one.

growstuff it’s very handy. I keep it in my handbag. It comes with a cable to recharge it at home and a small 2 inch cable to connect it to the phone when needed.

I think that unless the telecom providers can get their act together in providing reliable internet connections, there are going to be problems. What about power cuts ? The old plug in phones will no longer be an option if it’s all digital.

Well that is going to be a nightmare for me, dh and I are with different phone providers and we both don’t have cell reception in the house ?

As I said earlier this is just going to be like the switch from analogue to digital TV. Nobody will be left in the lurch and you'll be able to continue using your phone.

Interesting, didn't know that. So everyone needs a mobile. I had to change provider as the reception was rubbish (EE no it doesn't have the biggest cover despite adverts) as I had calls included and couldn't use.
You need to have free calls, otherwise it will cost more for a chat. That's a lot for some people to pay for.
One poster said they were advise to keep a land line phone in case of power cut, most modern phones need to be plugged into the electrics? Which was the problem we had a few times with my Mum, but we did have a Mobile on standby for her trips out, tbh she couldn't get on with it. I told her to take her mobile on a hospital visit, she took the home hand set!

We moved two years ago and I don’t even know my landline number. It’s stored in my mobile in case I need to use it, or someone asks for it. The only calls we receive on it are scam ones. Funny though, as a couple of my old landline numbers are used for alarm passcodes etc. Those I never forget!

It doesn't mean everyone will need a mobile.

It doesn't matter what your mobile coverage is like.

It's about the network behind how everything works, not about turning off your house phone.

A lot of cars now have plug in socket for charging mobiles, tablets, children's game pads etc with normal phone charger.

Quite often whilst out and about on holiday or if I have forgotten charge my mobile I will charge whilst in the car.

I would be surprised it wired connection to houses were stopped, a great deal of effort has been put into connecting fiber communications, so broadband service will remain.
The amount of data for streaming TV is immense is that all going to go mobile.

Maybe it’s just the phone option going, which means either use mobile phone, or Skype or FaceTime internet services

At the risk of repeating myself (and several otheres...)

It doesn't mean everyone will need a mobile.

It doesn't matter what your mobile coverage is like.

It's about the network behind how everything works, not about turning off your house phone.

Something new...."digital" doesn't mean "mobile"

Deedaa

For some reason the mobile reception is very poor inside the house so I always use the landline if I'm settling down for a conversation.

Me too.
The internet can't reach everywhere in my home either. I still have a wire to the study where my "wireless" printer is plugged in.

Oops Alegrias just skipped on past... sorry. I get it now.
Apologies all!

Alegrias1

At the risk of repeating myself (and several otheres...)

It doesn't mean everyone will need a mobile.

It doesn't matter what your mobile coverage is like.

It's about the network behind how everything works, not about turning off your house phone.

Something new...."digital" doesn't mean "mobile"

EEEEK!

I need an explanation of how this digital network works, i.e the nuts and bolts of it.

I've read the BT pitch for it and this spooked me:
Many businesses have already embraced an all-digital model, moving their communications to the cloud ,

Well, 'the cloud' isn't some magical thing in the ether, it's huge banks of computers which run on electricity; thus creating a massive demand for electricity. How, in view of global warming, is this electricity to be produced and how will demand for it be satisfied? (I have noted concerns about the huge amount of computer power, and so electricity, is used for bitcoin mining, I'm assuming that these 'digital networks will be no different)

If the digital network is dependent on a physical resource (computer banks and electricity which is manufactured in a physical structure) surely it is ultimately vulnerable to physical destruction?

Is there anyone with more understanding of this able to explain it for me?