A "once-in-a-generation" change will soon be made to how some landlines work in Nottinghamshire. BT recently announced plans to roll out its new home phone service, Digital Voice, on a region-by-region basis, starting with the East Midlands.
An industry-wide shift from analogue to digital landlines will see BT and many other telecoms operators in the UK provide services over a broadband line. BT has said this "once-in-a-generation upgrade" will future-proof the UK’s landlines and replace technology that is fast becoming obsolete.
For most customers making the switch simply involves plugging your phone into a broadband router instead of into a wall-mounted phone socket. This will allow users to take advantage of new benefits like advanced spam call blocking.
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Vicky Hicks, Senior Engagement Manager at BT Group, said: “BT customers in the East Midlands will benefit from a tried and tested service, with around two million BT customers already having made the switch and benefitting from the many advantages of digital home phones from advanced scam call filtering capabilities to crystal-clear call audio.
“For almost everyone, moving to Digital Voice will be a simple and free transition with no home installation work required. If you feel you need additional support with the transition or you think you are vulnerable, please do tell us . We will be with you every step of the way.”
Customers will be given at least four weeks notice before making the switch. BT has said switching to Digital Voice will have no impact on how "almost all" customers use their phones, with customers having the same service and bills as before.
BT has said it will not be proactively switching anyone who falls under the below criteria:
- Customers with a healthcare pendant
- Customers who are over 70
- Customers who only use landlines
- Customers with no mobile signal
- Customers who have disclosed any additional needs