BT’s Digital Voice Home Phone Service Expansion to Benefit Greater London Customers

BT’s Digital Voice Home Phone Service Expansion to Benefit Greater London Customers

(IN BRIEF) BT is planning to roll out its new home phone service, Digital Voice, in Greater London during November and December, following the regional rollout in other parts of the UK. Digital Voice replaces traditional landlines with services provided over a broadband line, offering features like advanced spam call blocking. BT will contact eligible customers at least four weeks in advance to facilitate a seamless transition. The rollout aims to future-proof landlines and provide customers with enhanced services. A roadshow and engagement activities will be held across Greater London to inform and support customers during the transition.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 1-Nov-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — BT has announced plans to roll out its new home phone service, Digital Voice, across Greater London during November and December.

Having already started the regional rollout of Digital Voice in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, Northern Ireland and the North West, BT will now focus efforts on engaging with communities across the nation’s capital.

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, similar to work taking place in many other countries around the world.

This once-in-a-generation upgrade to future-proof the UK’s landlines is essential and will replace technology that is fast becoming obsolete. The landline is here to stay, and for the majority of customers, making the switch simply involves plugging your phone into a broadband router instead of into a wall-mounted phone socket, bringing new benefits such as advanced spam call blocking.

Customers in Greater London will be contacted at least four weeks in advance before making the switch, to ensure they are ready to move to Digital Voice. For almost all customers, Digital Voice will have no impact on how they use their home phone. They’ll still have the same service, and price plan and bills will stay the same. In addition, more than 99% of phone handsets work with Digital Voice and for those that won’t, BT has a range of handsets that customers can order.

Vicky Hicks, Senior Engagement Manager at BT, said: “BT customers in Greater London 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.”

BT won’t be proactively switching anyone who falls under the below criteria, where it has this information available:

• Customers with a healthcare pendant
• Customers who only use landlines
• Customers with no mobile signal
• Customers who have disclosed any additional needs.

Customers who fall into any of these categories should contact BT to ensure their data is up to date.

Customers over the age of 70 are not initially being proactively switched to Digital Voice. However, since July 2023, BT has been trialling switching customers between 70-74 who live in urban areas and are ready to make the switch, i.e. they have the latest broadband hub and are not frequent landline users. These trials have gone well to date, with 98% of customers choosing to make the switch.

Engaging with the Greater London community

BT’s regional approach will be supported by general awareness communications, and advertising campaigns, delivered across local, regional and national media to explain to customers the simple steps required to make the move to Digital Voice.

Upcoming engagement activities in Greater London include:

Townhalls: BT will be present in townhalls across the region in November and early December to address customer questions on the ground. Customers will be able to speak to BT advisors, test Digital Voice products as well as take part in digital skills training. The first townhalls to be confirmed are as follows:

• 7th November – Hornchurch Library, 44 North Street, Hornchurch, RM11 1TB
• 14th November – Hatch End Suites (in car park) Harrow Arts Centre, 171 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, HA5 4EA
• 5th December – St. Mildreds Church, 30 Bingham Road, Croydon, CR0 7EB
• 11th December – Dugdale Arts Centre (Thomas Hardy House), 39 London Road, Enfield EN2 6DS

Pop-up Events: BT will tour every borough over the course of November and early December to ensure customers across Greater London and surrounding areas can speak to BT staff about the switch and try out the new technology for themselves. Confirmed dates and locations:

• 7th-8th November – Bexley – Broadway Shopping Centre, Broadway, Bexleyheath, DA6 7JN
• 7th-8th November – Hoddesden – Stanboroughs Conservative Club, Conduit Lane, Hoddesdon, EN11 8EP
• 9th-10th November – Sutton – Dobbies Garden Centre, Woodcote Green, 4a Woodmansterne Lane, Wallington, SM6 0SU
• 9th-10th November – Welwyn Garden City – Morrisons, 40 Black Fan Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1RY
• 11th November – Greenwich – Greenwich Central Library, 12 Lambarde Square, London, SE10 9HB
• 11th-12th November – St Albans – The Maltings Library, The Maltings, St Albans, AL1 3JQ
• 13th-14th November – Lewisham – Carenden Rise Car Park, London, SE13 6BJ
• 13th-14th November – Watford – Morrisons, Ascot Road, Watford, WD18 8AA
• 15th-16th November – Southwark – East Street Market, East Street, London, SE17 1EL
• 15th-16th November – Hounslow – Osterley Garden Centre, Windmill Lane, Osterley, Isleworth, TW7 5PR
• 17th November – Hillingdon – Ickenham Library, long Lane, Ickenham, Uxbridge, UB10 8RD
• 17th-18th November – Lambeth – Lambeth Library, 180 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1QP
• 19th-20th November – Harrow – Harrow Garden Centre, Headstone Lane, Harrow, HA2 6NB
• 21st-22nd November – Bromley – 162 High Street, Bromley, BR1 1HE
• 21st-22nd November – Brent – Brichen Grove Garden Centre, Birchen Grove, London, NW9 8RY
• 23rd-24th November – Reigate – Woodhatch Community Centre, Whitebeam Drive, Reigate, RH2 7LS
• 23rd-24th November – Barnet – The Spires, 111 High Street, Barnet, EN5 5XY
• 25th-26th November – Epsom – Tadworth Community Centre, Preston Manor Road, Epsom, Tadworth, KT20 5FB
• 25th-26th November – Camden – Camden Town Centre, Judd Street, London, WC1H 9JE
• 27th-28th November – Weybridge – Weybridge Garden Centre, New Haw Road, Weybridge, Addlestone, KT15 2BU
• 27th-28th November – Islington – Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, London, N1 2UD
• 29th-30th November – Merton – South Mitcham Community Association, Cobham Court, Haslemere Avenue, Mitcham, CR4 3PR
• 1st-2nd December – Enfield – British Garden Centres Enfield, Cattlegate Road, Crews Hill, Enfield Middlesex, EN2 9DX
• 3rd-4th December – Wandsworth – Battersea library, 265 Lavender hill, London, SW11 1JB
• 5th-6th December – City of Westminster – Church Street Library, 67 Church Street, London, NW8 8EU
• 7th-8th December – Kensington & Chelsea – Brompton Library, 210 Old Brompton Road, London, SW5 0BS
• 11th-12th December – Richmond Upon Thames – Hillier Garden Centre, Syon Park, Park Road, Brentford, TW8 8JF
• 11th-12th December – Redbridge – The Exchange Shopping Centre, High Street, Ilford, IG1 1RS
• 13th-14th December – Ealing – Ealing Town Hall, New Broadway, London, W5 2BY
• 15th-16th December – Twickenham – Richmond Rugby Club, Twickenham Road, Richmond, TW9 2SF

The remaining regions and nations set to make the switch over the next year can be found on BT’s press room: BT announces regional rollout schedule for Digital Voice.

Full information of dates and which boroughs, towns and cities will be hosting BT events will be available on the Digital Voice website: www.bt.com/digital-voice.

About BT Group

BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed telecommunications, security and network and IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries.

BT Group consists of three customer-facing units: Business covers companies and public services in the UK and internationally; Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers – over 650 communications providers across the UK.

British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/about

Media Contact:

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https://www.bt.com/media-enquiries

SOURCE: British Telecommunications