Phasing out landlines by 2025: how could this impact people affected by dementia?

nitram

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Apr 6, 2011
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Bury
Our phone is part of our broadband package and has been for about 17 years so I'm assuming we won't notice any changes.
Depends on the CP (communication provider), they are all sorting out what to offer.

Some may opt to just provide a connection for broadband and not get involved with the complexities of VOIP forcing those who require a landline to use a third party provider and maybe an ATA.
Why support a market a market which is dying due to mobile use?


As of 18/3/21 this what EE are doing, it could change
https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Broad...nt-of-quot-BT-Digital-Voice-quot/td-p/1038000 . Second post.

Our phone is part of our broadband package and has been for about 17 years so I'm assuming we won't notice any changes.

Most likely BT, I've posted above their current offering to retain landline for £5/month
 

DreamsAreReal

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Oct 17, 2015
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To answer the original question, how will this impact people with dementia? I’m concerned it will make it difficult for my pwd to get me on the phone when she needs to. Our mobile signal is terrible here, so we only use the landline, except in emergencies - like our regular winter power cuts. A battery back up has been mentioned but we’ve had power cuts lasting many hours. (The record was 3 days, but that was just the once.)

I don’t understand anything on this thread, let alone my pwd. I hate all these enforced changes. ☹️
 

nitram

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Apr 6, 2011
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Bury
The main impact will be ensuring correct decisions are made.

The installation of the new phone socket will require a nearby power socket.
Openreach will install the phone socket, somebody else will have to install a power socket if required.
It may be possible to extend the low voltage phone wiring to reposition the phone socket.

Emergency call buttons may not work over VOIP, this will cause problems where there is not a reliable mobile signal.

December 2025 is when the current system will stop working and all changes will have to be made before that date.
To help with this starting September 2023 any new phone contract will have to use the new system.
Changes to existing installations will be phased in between now and December 2025.
I am in a recently fibre enabled area, a neighbour's ancient phone socket gave trouble and his wire from the pole to the house was replaced by fibre and his installation upgraded.
 

nitram

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Apr 6, 2011
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Bury
We're with Virgin. As our most of our neighbours.

You might not have any change then.
Having said that VM are in the process of replacing the copper pair/coax cable by fibre.
In the eighties coax was the bees knees compared with BT offering of a copper pair.

Things have moved on and VM have decided to upgrade to fibre to handle bandwidth requirement of houses to cope with multiple streaming.

At some time in the future depending on usage in your area you should get a letter
 

Ton3

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Dec 2, 2019
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I am baffled and lost cant keep up with all the abbreviations and I dont have dementia..... Power cuts can last longer than an hour so an hour battery back up will be of no use in those circumstances!! That was the only part I understood in all of the above chat!!
 

nitram

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Apr 6, 2011
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Bury
Power cuts can last longer than an hour so an hour battery back up will be of no use in those circumstances!!
Many people unwittingly rely on cordless landline phones which require a mains supply to connect to the outside world because the base unit does not contain a battery.
I have one corded phone permanently connected as a backup.
 

Ton3

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Dec 2, 2019
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Many people unwittingly rely on cordless landline phones which require a mains supply to connect to the outside world because the base unit does not contain a battery.
I have one corded phone permanently connected as a backup.
yes we do too but if they change it all to WIFI and the power goes we would have to rely on a battery back up and an hour may not be sufficient.
We found out the hard way with the cordless phones assuming the battery in the base would kick in if the power failed so once we realised it didnt we had a corded phone installed in the bedroom.
 

Ramblingrose

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Feb 2, 2020
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I don't have a smartphone (I'm too dumb) and no-one sems to get their head around the fact. My GP asks me to send a photo, register for my records with an app etc., and seems incredulous that I manage to live my life with a basic text /calls mobile.
I'm not actually stupid,, but I don't like the idea of beig forced into using technology that I don't feel I need or want. I have older relatives (no dementia) who are the same.
I can't help feeling we are going to end up exposing people to all sorts of scams, because they simply aren't internet savvy.
As for a person with dementia? Life is already confusing enough!
I'm with you on this.
 

nitram

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Apr 6, 2011
30,081
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Bury
To use existing landline phones everyone will have to have either a router with a phone port (to plug phone into) or a router with an ATA (analogue telephone adaptor) connected to provide the phone port.

Some CPs (communication providers) will have the software to enable a phone to work via the phone port, if they don't it will be necessary to sign up with a third party VOIP (voice over internet protocol) provider.

Several CPs will probably simply supply an ethernet connection for the router and not want the added hassle of providing VOIP , why should they set it up for the dying market of landline phones? They see more future in providing a fast connection providing TV and streaming services.

The internet connection can be an existing one or one specially set up, there will be special very low bandwidth products for those who only require a phone connection.
 

Felixcat1

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Feb 23, 2021
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My PWD is only just still able to use his phone. Trying to master a new device or system would be impossible for him.
 

MartinWL

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Jun 12, 2020
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I would say to everyone, like Corporal Jones, don't panic. The new tech won't be more difficult than the old and I am sure phones suitable for PWD will be available.
 

nitram

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Apr 6, 2011
30,081
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Bury
My PWD is only just still able to use his phone. Trying to master a new device or system would be impossible for him.

He will still be able to use his phone as usual , it will just be connected to a different socket.

A problem could be high pressure sales drives trying to sell him something different.
 

Felixcat1

Registered User
Feb 23, 2021
169
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He will still be able to use his phone as usual , it will just be connected to a different socket.

A problem could be high pressure sales drives trying to sell him something different.
He wouldn’t agree to it, I’m sure. He wouldn’t be able to understand why it couldn’t remain the same.