Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes?

From	David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>
Newsgroups	uk.telecom
Subject	Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes?
Date	2026-07-04 21:44 +0100
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<112brc5$985v$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	<112arbi$3gli$1@dont-email.me> <nasam0F1j83U1@mid.individual.net> <112bn8j$d7sq$1@dont-email.me>

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On 04/07/2026 20:34, Woody wrote:
> On Sat 04/07/2026 12:56, Andy Burns wrote:
>> Woody wrote:
>>
>>> Unlike many we still have a BT landline phone - Panasonic DECT.
>>>
>>> Ever since we have had it, if a call with number withheld called, 
>>> then it just showed 'Withheld' on the CLI.
>>>
>>> This last week we have had two calls:-
>>> one said "Private?" and there was no number attached;
>>> the second said "Nuisance?" but there was a number - apparently 
>>> Barnsley but looks to be issued by a VoIP provider in Belgium. A 
>>> further check showed it was indeed a nuisance/scam call.
>>>
>>> Has anyone else encountered this change in operation or been advised 
>>> by that BT are/were doing it?
>>
>> Do you use "BT Call Protect", apparently that can display "nuisance?"
>>
>> <https://www.bt.com/help/landline/digital-voice-calling-features-/bt- 
>> call-protect-for-digital-voice>
>>
>> That page is in relation to Digital Voice, but it wouldn't surprise me 
>> if they push analogue calls through the same system ...
>>
> 
> Ah, well, you see, there may be something in that, except that we are 
> not on DV AFAIK.
> 
> Having said that a month or two ago we had to start dialling the full 
> area code as well as number even for local calls. When I asked why I was 
> told that because I don't have B/B from BT but am over pension age they 
> are interfacing me to (what I assume is) VoIP (DV) at the exchange. I 
> suspect that this is about BT not being able to meet the HMG digital 
> targets so they are sidestepping some customers like me so they can 
> change us to digital ops in their own time (how many years?) after the 
> end of January 2027 and otherwise meet the HMG target. In other words a 
> fiddle. So much for the 'need' to change everyone to fibre and remove 
> all of the copper/aluminium cabling!


I don't believe there are any HMG targets. BT have targets because the 
exchanges are leased and the leases end in 2030 and they want to close 
the exchanges.

To enable this there are two migrations in progress. One is the move to 
fibre, and the other is the removal of the old Public Switched Telephone 
Network, or PSTN and converting all users to VOIP allowing the old 
analogue exchanges to be de-commissioned

So you have been put on the "pre digital phone line" product which as 
you suspect puts the voip conversion in the exchange. It allows the 
analogue exchange kit to be removed without putting fibre into your 
house. It is intended to be a "transitional" service, so at some point 
before 2030 you will be switched to fibre.
> For the record my B/B provider is VM which includes a phone service but 
> is so expensive for daily needs that it is only used if I need to ring 
> them for faults or support, calls to which are free, plus it is cabled 
> so still works if the mains fails.
> 

Are you sure it works in a power cut?

> PoI: I do note that since the changeover that now requires me to dial 
> the area code, call set-up is in many cases significantly slower. If I 
> ring a friend at the other end of the country I get ringtone almost the 
> instant I finish dialling; if I ring a local number even on the same 
> physical exchange as me it can be 6-8 seconds sometimes more before I 
> get ringtone. 

You are not connected to a physical exchange as such, which I suspect 
may be why "local" calls are slow, as if there are any real lines left 
the system has to figure out if it needs to route the call out to the 
old exchange equipment. I would expect this will improve when all lines 
in your exchange are removed. Should be 31st Jan 2027.


The worst is if I ring a DDI number at the local hospital
> who use VM, the call will divert to voicemail after about 15 secs of 
> ring no answer but the first I hear is the answer message - no ringing. 
> If however I call the same number from my mobile (on GiffGaff) I get 
> ringtone within a second of finishing dialling. How stupid is that?!
> 

A bit strange, but I wonder if the hospital is still connected to the 
old exchange kit. Why calls from giffgaff are slow I don't know...


Dave

Thread

Have BT been making unannounced changes? Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> - 2026-07-04 12:38 +0100
  Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-07-04 12:56 +0100
    Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> - 2026-07-04 20:34 +0100
      Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-07-04 20:49 +0100
        Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> - 2026-07-05 11:27 +0100
      Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-07-04 21:44 +0100
        Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> - 2026-07-05 11:26 +0100
          Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-07-05 12:28 +0100
        Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Woolley <david@ex.djwhome.demon.invalid> - 2026-07-05 18:54 +0100
          Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? angus@magsys.co.uk (Angus Robertson - Magenta Systems Ltd) - 2026-07-05 19:18 +0100
            Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-07-05 20:42 +0100
              Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-07-05 21:27 +0100
              Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? angus@magsys.co.uk (Angus Robertson - Magenta Systems Ltd) - 2026-07-06 14:25 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Woolley <david@ex.djwhome.demon.invalid> - 2026-07-07 09:13 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? angus@magsys.co.uk (Angus Robertson - Magenta Systems Ltd) - 2026-07-07 10:45 +0100
          Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-07-05 19:22 +0100
      Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-07-05 12:12 +0100
        Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-07-05 13:33 +0100
          Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-07-05 14:03 +0100
            Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-07-05 14:20 +0100
              Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-07-05 14:33 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> - 2026-07-06 09:43 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-07-06 10:51 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2026-07-06 13:52 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-07-06 15:42 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2026-07-06 18:26 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-07-06 19:13 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-07-07 08:50 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-07-06 22:34 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2026-07-06 22:49 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Nick Finnigan <nix@genie.co.uk> - 2026-07-06 23:35 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-07-07 22:23 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2026-07-07 23:03 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-07-07 23:35 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Nick Finnigan <nix@genie.co.uk> - 2026-07-11 16:52 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-07-07 08:46 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-07-07 09:01 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2026-07-07 11:05 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-07-07 13:41 +0100
              Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Woolley <david@ex.djwhome.demon.invalid> - 2026-07-05 18:49 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-07-05 19:03 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-07-05 19:10 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Woolley <david@ex.djwhome.demon.invalid> - 2026-07-05 19:27 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-07-05 20:13 +0100
                Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? David Woolley <david@ex.djwhome.demon.invalid> - 2026-07-05 19:20 +0100
      Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-07-11 09:48 +0100
        Re: Have BT been making unannounced changes? Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> - 2026-07-11 11:14 +0100

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