I just received another hefty bill from BT and a leaflet came with it called, "BT Update" which appeared to have been constructed in as confusing way as possible.
All I want is a simply telephone service and a simple Broadband.
Can anyone make a suggestion as to which company is more cost effective than BT for what I want?
As it's in the Mobile Phones and VOIP forum, I can describe what we did:
- Had a disagreement with BT over a bill;
- Had the line cut off - resolution was impossible;
- Bought a 3G modem expecting it to be useless and to have to get the line set up again with someone else;
- Found it was just as quick as the ADSL, and so told Zen Internet to go ahead with the planned cease (has since been upgraded so it's twice as quick as ADSL now);
- Signed up for a Sipgate.co.uk VOIP account with a landline number (even with the right local STD code), 5.90 buys 1000 minutes of landline calls, 9.9ppm to mobiles, you can redirect to your mobile, have messages emailed to you - do much more than you can with a landline, basically.
This all works because we get a decent 3G service. So if what you're asking is - can I have a phone service and broadband without BT then yes, it's possible - Virgin Media cable or 3G. Everything else involves BT to some extent though you can save yourself some of the customer service nightmares by using a useful company instead.
If you can get a decent 3G service, don't mind forking out for a DECT phone and if the 3G turns out to be acceptable in speed terms (might be much quicker, might be much slower, might not even work well where you are) then yes, it is possible to go mobile and VOIP, in our case we get faster speeds and cheaper bills.
The VOIP won't work in a power cut. But then, where we used to live, nor did the landline.