Regarding the BT switchover for landlines, which is due to be completed by the beginning of next year, i.e. Jan ’27, we wanted to provide a quick update. There are two separate scenarios for current BT customers:
Scenario 1: (If you have broadband already)
BT is continuing to progress with transferring people with existing traditional landline contracts and broadband internet (either with BT, or another provider) over to their Digital Voice telephone service, which requires customers to have a BT Homehub installed in their property.
This new Digital Voice phone service is routed solely over the internet (i.e. via VOIP, ‘voice over internet protocol’), so will only work when the Homehub is switched on.
However, the BT Homehub that is now being supplied to use the Digital Voice service is the BT Smart Hub 2, and – whilst it should still be possible to disable Wi-Fi on this, as with older models – it does not appear to be possible to switch off the DECT (cordless phone) signal it emits.
This will therefore likely be an issue for people with EHS (electromagnetic hypersensitivity), who are unlikely to tolerate the continuous RF (radio frequency) emissions from the Hub.
If you want to keep your broadband internet with BT – (and you will need to do this if you have an existing BT email address that you use, or will otherwise have to pay a monthly fee to keep this, if going elsewhere) – then in theory it is possible to use you own wired router (e.g. Draytek 2767-K, or other wireless router with Wi-Fi disabled), but you can’t then use the BT Digital Voice service for your home phone (as this only works with a BT Smart Hub).
If you do want to use your own router for broadband internet with BT, then you will also need to sign-up for a separate VOIP phone service with another company (e.g. with Voipfone), and either keep your broadband internet with BT, or go with a different provider altogether.
If you want to keep using your existing analogue phone (rather than buying a new VOIP handset), you will also need to purchase an analogue telephone adaptor (ATA, such as a Grandstream HT801). The ATA connects into the Ethernet port of any router, and allows your analogue phone to work with a VOIP service over the internet (but this will require a separate mains power adaptor, as supplied).
Some broadband providers (such as Zen, Virgin, or TalkTalk) have their own dedicated VOIP service, and will provide the necessary hardware, including a router – (which will need the WiFi disabling, via the settings or a button on the front, if you intend to use wired devices connected by an Ethernet cable) – and, if there is no dedicated VOIP port on the router, also an ATA.
Scenario 2: (If you do not already have broadband at your property)
For people who do not currently have broadband internet at all, only a traditional landline – (including those with severe EHS, who are super-sensitive to the electrical interference generated by the mains transformer plugs on most of the above equipment, such as routers and ATAs; or, in some cases, the EMFs from any mains power wiring/equipment) – unfortunately we have not yet managed to test or source any low-emission products/ set-ups, although are continuing to work on this.
However, BT appears to have thrown a temporary lifeline to its landline-only customers (many of whom are elderly and/or vulnerable), in that it is currently upgrading its network, so that a type of analogue telephone adaptor will now be installed remotely at the telephone exchange, for these people’s individual lines.
This equipment will receive a digital fibre signal from BT’s central network up until the exchange, and then convert this into an analogue signal over the copper line from the exchange to the customer’s individual property.
This service has been termed ‘Home Phone Standard’, and is being rolled out automatically to landline-only customers, who will be given 40 days notice in writing of the change. It will not usually require a home-visit by an engineer, as all work is carried out remotely at the exchange.
There is no option to opt-out of this service, all landline-only customers will ultimately be upgraded, and it is not available to customers who also have broadband internet, with BT or elsewhere (as the two services are not compatible down the same line).
[It’s possible that if you currently have a landline with BT, but full-fibre internet with another provider that does not share the same Openreach copper line to the property, you might still be able to get the Home Phone Standard service, but this has yet to be confirmed.]
If you are a landline-only customer, and BT try to switch you to Digital Voice instead in the meantime (requiring a broadband connection and Homehub), and you don’t want this, then make sure you stress you are vulnerable due to any health issues or analogue telecare equipment requirements you may have, ask to have this Digital Voice switchover cancelled, and wait for the Home Phone Standard service to be rolled out to your area.
If you have EHS, you can also point out that you wouldn’t be able to tolerate a BT Smart Hub, due to the continuous RF emissions from the DECT signal it emits, which can’t be disabled.
What the new Home Phone Standard service means in practice is that you will not need any additional equipment installed at your property for now – i.e. no Homehub, router or ATA within your house – but your landline will now effectively become part-digital, and you will need to dial all numbers with full dialling code, even if local. All other BT services, such as 1571 messaging and call waiting etc, should remain the same for now (you might need to re-record your 1571 message).
In terms of whether this will cause additional issues within the property for EHS sufferers, or when using the phone, this may depend on individual reactions, as there could be additional RF interference transmitted down the phone line, which some people who are extra-sensitive may react to, although the electrical current will remain DC (but it is certainly a better option, for most people, than having to have a router etc switched on in the property all the time in order for the phone to work).
If you do notice a change after this upgrade, the only mitigating factors we can recommend for now are to use a few old ADSL filters/splitter plugs on the phone line at the master socket and elsewhere (previously used to split and filter out broadband signals/ interference from phone lines, available on ebay etc), in combination with small snap ferrite beads, which clamp over the phone line, that can reduce radio frequency interference a bit.
Also, try to keep phone extension cables within the house to a minimum, or use shielded cable if feasible (Cat 6A shielded cable, or similar, typically used for broadband internet networks, can also be used – via a competent electrician – for phone cabling, by using just three of the four pairs of internal colour-coded wires).
The new Home Phone Standard service is only designed to be transitional, until 2030, to provide vulnerable customers more time to update existing analogue phone/telecare equipment, but people will ultimately still have to switch to being fully digital (i.e. router/ATA within their property) by 2030.
Hence, everyone will still need to look into solutions by 2030 for going fully digital (i.e. shielded ATAs/ routers etc).
We will continue to look into options for low-emission equipment and aim to provide further updates on this, if/when available.
For more info see:
https://www.bt.com/about/all-ip/case-studies/pre-digital-phone-line
https://www.bt.com/bt-plc/assets/documents/special-services/pdpl-customer-pack.pdf
https://www.bt.com/bt-plc/assets/documents/special-services/pdpl-wholesale-product-handbook.pdf
