We changed the phone (broadband and landline) in our flat from Plusnet over to ZEN (which is more expensive than many providers but their support makes it worth the extra cost) broadband and digital landline middle of last year (2023). The following is based on our own experience over this period. I am NOT looking forward to changing this property over to a digital line, if it was up to me, I would keep the copper line.
I see some people say you must register a VOIP account to keep your landline number, we did not need to. Our experience of going “digital phone line” on the admin side of things, was the same as in the past when we changed our broadband and (copper) landline from one provider to another. Just tell the provider which broadband package you want and a phone line (“landline”) and that you want to keep your existing number. They will make it clear you can only get a digital line but you may keep your old number on the digital line.
It was a “soft” (behind the scenes) switchover, there were no changes to wires at all even though we still have a copper cable (not fibre) running from the green box outside in the street, into our flat to the BT master socket.
The BT master socket is in our entrance lobby (at the front door). We had one phone in the sitting room at our desk (our “office”) and one in the bedroom, on the same line. Neither of these phones work anymore because, we have to now plug the phone into the back of the router, which is at the front door and not ideal. You plug a filter into the back of the router then plug your phone into the filter, the filter was included with the router. I.e. Our two landline phones that are located away from the router, does not work anymore. ZEN does not have a solution for this.
I see the sales pitch by most providers is that the digital line will be cheaper and clearer, that is not our experience. We find it more expensive and not as clear. I am interested to hear what other people found regarding this, only after actually having been on a digital line, not what is promised by providers.
We find the digital line is often a poorer quality than the copper line, it is not as clear. When I contacted ZEN (which is extremely helpful), they say it should not be and I then go through all the checks and reboots, but it does not improve. We still often get very soft digital/white noise on the line. Another feature is that the call is sometimes cutoff (goes dead) and when we redial, the other person is still there. But this happens seldom. None of this happened on the copper line, these “features” only started once our landline was changed over to digital. I’ve given up trying to solve this so now we live with it.
But my biggest concern is for the safety of old people who have emergency/panic alarms. When the internet (or electricity) is down, your phone is also down. Those alarms will then not work. I see on the internet the “solution” provided by many provider is, to get a mobile. So if (when) your copper landline is changed over to digital, keep the cost of needing a mobile contract in mind, should you need 24 hour phone access . . . . or want to contact support when your internet is down.
You will also need a mobile should you ever have a problem with your internet and need to contact support because as I said, when your internet is down your phone is also down.
I remember when the UK establishment “proudly” said years ago they were going to change us all over to digital, well here we are people, you know who to thank. Mark my words, these providers are killing their own business by forcing people to go digital because, it may now or soon be cheaper to go 100% mobile.
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