BT Halo is Live – Converged Unlimited 5G and Fixed Broadband

Customers of UK ISP BT (EE) can from today adopt the provider’s new converged “Halo” and “No Limits” plans, which aims to seamlessly bring together both their 5G mobile and fixed line home broadband (FTTC, FTTP, G.fast) networks. Existing 5G customers with BT Plus plans will be automatically upgraded to benefit from Halo.

Halo builds on what BT Plus started a couple of years ago. BT Plus is essentially a premium package that adds the operator’s Complete Wi-Fi Guarantee, dedicated UK and Ireland based customer support (this will soon become standard for all) and their “Keep Connected Promise” (i.e. if your fixed line broadband goes down then they’ll send a mini 4G Hub with unlimited data until it’s back up).

On top of the above BT Plus also included benefits for BT Mobile customers, such as double data across all mobiles on the Plus account, the fastest 4G networks speeds available (no speed capping) and they’ll enable unlimited data across all your phones when the fixed line broadband goes down. Ideally the ISP intended for BT Plus to be used by those who took both their fixed broadband and mobile plans.

By comparison Halo goes further than BT Plus, not least by allowing customers to optionally benefit (No Limits Plan) from the same unlimited data (i.e. not only during faults) and calls allowances both on mobile and at home (fixed broadband). On top of that you’ll also get enhanced support from their new team of 900+ Home Tech Experts to help people with digital tech in the home, as well as support in the workplace.

Summary of Halo’s Key Features (BT’s List)
* In-home support from BT’s Home Tech Experts.
* The fastest speeds from BT at home and on the go, with Fibre and 5G.
* Complete Wi-Fi – the UK’s fastest Wi-Fi speeds guarantee.
* BT’s latest Smart Hub with Wi-fi Controls to help family’s manage screen time.
* BT’s Keep Connected Promise.
* Unlimited mobile, home phone and broadband calls and data (on the new “No Limits” plan).
* Dedicated UK & Ireland customer service teams.
* And BT’s price promise, with no end of contract price rises.

As usual features like this don’t come free and the new Halo linked packages will thus start for new customers from £57.99 per month. Meanwhile over 1 million existing BT Plus customers will automatically have their package upgraded to Halo for free, with the Keep Connected Promise, no out of contract price rises and double mobile data at no extra cost.

However customers will have upgrade for a small monthly fee to receive inclusive Home Tech Expert visits and the BT Smart Hub 2. The press release also confused matters slightly by speaking about “unlimited data” on mobile at one point then then only “doubt data” at another. Apparently Halo by default still gives double data, like BT Plus, but you can make this “unlimited” with their new No Limits Plan (non-Halo customers cannot take this).

Pete Oliver, BT’s MD of Marketing, said:

“We’ve designed the ultimate converged plan to meet the needs of the modern family. Halo really is the best of BT – it offers unlimited, reliable 5G and fibre connectivity, and a host of other great features, including dedicated tech specialists who will come to customers’ homes, aimed at taking the stress away from our customers – and allowing them to spend more time on the things they love. A bonus for those of us who spend needless hours trying to get to grips with home tech issues and wrestling with the connectivity in our homes.”

All of this feeds into BT’s gradual move toward an all-IP network, where it won’t matter whether you’re on a mobile or fixed broadband connection because everything will be seamless between the two different underlying networks. In that sense what we see from Halo today may eventually become the new normal, but for now it’s a premium feature.

Take note that BT’s new Home Tech Experts can be booked to come to a customer’s home, with 2-hour appointment slots, 7 days a week. They are trained on a wide range of issues, including helping vulnerable customers.