Elderly Disabled and Concerned

[sandgrown]

Apologies for the length of this message but I am at the end of my tether! I have been a loyal TT customer continuously for almost 16 years since August 2008. I am in my mid 70’s, disabled, live alone and have no family although I have several neighbours who call in daily to check on me for which I am eternally grateful. My TT package is Fibre65 with Calls Boost which is more than adequate for my needs - a few phone calls, emails and internet shopping and occasionally watching BBC iplayer if I have missed a programme 'live'. My contract is due to expire very soon so my concerns are shown below.

Because of my disability I have a four handset phone wireless set up. The main phone is connected to the incoming TT phone line and the three other handsets only need mains power so that I am always within easy reach in just a few steps of one of the handsets should I require help.

This past couple of months my street has been dug up by BT/Virgin and/or others and new cables laid for the forthcoming BT Digital Voice Service.

I am concerned about many things as I cannot find definitive answers to my questions anywhere. Will my current TT service in respect of internet and especially my phones still work? My phones are my lifeline. How for my personal safety in respect of phone access will the new system operate? Can I stay as I am on my current package without change? Additionally I am being pestered with unsolicited home visits from Virgin employees and with Virgin business cards dumped in my letter box. I have been very happy with TT for almost 16 years and do not wish to change.

Can anybody help me chart a course through this unprecedented unwanted and unnecessary change? Many thanks in advance.

[KeithFrench]

You're very welcome.

[sandgrown]

Hello Keith. Many thanks for your prompt helpful and courteous reply. I have been struggling to find answers myself and you have put my mind at rest. As I said I have been with TT for almost 16 years and my contract only has days left to run. I have not been contacted by TT yet so will ring them to see what they can offer. I did not know about the new router with phone socket so that is especially helpful. Once again many thanks for your help. Best regards. Derek (sandgrown)

[KeithFrench · Accepted solution]

At some point, you will be offered a free upgrade (unless they change their procedures) by TalkTalk to the new full fibre cables in your road. You will probably be offered a new router, currently the Sagemcom WiFi Hub 2, which supports the new Digital Voice. This has a phone socket on the back which will effectively replace your old master socket.

You then just move the base station from your four-handset cordless phone system and plug that into the phone socket on the back of the router & that is it.

Currently, you have a phone line with broadband over it, whereas the new system is broadband with a phone service over the broadband.

The only downside of the complete Digital Voice setup is that it won't work if there is no power, or there is a problem with the new fibre, which is very reliable.

If you have any other questions, just ask me.