Converted to digital line, emergency backup kit failed

[pogit1]

After a landline fault my home phone line was converted to a digital line (against my wishes) at 1am this morning I was woken to my life line saying phone line disconnected, the installed mobile back up clearly isn’t working as it should! 

anyone else experienced this?

there is no option in the faults reporting process to declare that you have both a broadband connected phone line and an emergency backup unit that has failed.

Prettypointless emergency kit if it fails!  Please escalate this as a matter of urgency!

[pogit1]

Thanks again but the most important part clearly isn’t being understood by the technical team as evidenced by the following part of they email..

“Under normal working circumstances where the broadband is fully functional all the customers phones would work and having the new ebul on this instance would be no different to the previous version. “

The whole purpose of the EBUL is it that it functions when the broadband is down.  The previous analogue line which was removed without agreement and even the EBUL v1 enabled all phones in the property to work in a powercut the v3 doesn’t do that.

I can only assume the relevant techs either don’t understand the need for the device and or are being discriminatory and are taking it upon themselves to decided who needs what which when these decisions are based on medical evidence is extremely concerning! 

Clearly, I am far from happy with that respond and want this escalated to the highest level this needs the company directors (or their immediate reps) involvement! 

Whats is the use of an emergency back up line if when it’s needed cannot do the job it’s needed to do.  Passthrough is an essential component of an EBUL where care lines and medical equipment is installed. 

Again thank you for you help and I do believe you and other understand the problems one of which is installers / commissioners / customer services members not understanding the basic product. 

Also can I assume it was your call I missed yesterday? 

[Megan_L]

Hi Pogit1, 

Thanks for your reply, I am sorry that the info they gave in the Email has vexed you further, I will of course try to help within the complaint case I am going to open for you within our PM (please check the purple envelope, top right corner as I've sent one to you now) 

I am sure it is not a case of discriminatory views, however I am sorry that you feel this may be the case.

Also, I wasn't the one who called you yesterday, sorry!

Please reply to me in our PM and we will take this further for you 🙂

Thanks,

Megan_L

[LenOLondon]

My back up phone which is a desk type phone that works with a mobile SIM card fitted in it, and during a recent short power failure, I could dial any number I wanted. I assume as I have an account for inclusive calls I should not be charged for those calls.

I would have thought that Virgin Media would have given everyone a modem power pack that has a few hours of built in battery power, so to keep phone service in action. I do know it can be done, but why have not done this?

[John_GS]

Hi LenOLondon

Thanks for posting on this thread and the feedback. Not something we offer currently but I will pass the feedback on

Best wishes,

[LenOLondon]

Well it can be done, I just hope Virgin Media O2 get something like that operasting. 

Plus are calls made on the emergency phone covered by inclusive calls on our normal landline contact, after all we have subscribed to 24 hour phone calls. Also when there is a power failure all calls to landline numbers out of order could be automatically diverted to the SIM card connected phone, why not?

[goslow]

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@LenOLondon wrote:

My back up phone which is a desk type phone that works with a mobile SIM card fitted in it, and during a recent short power failure, I could dial any number I wanted. I assume as I have an account for inclusive calls I should not be charged for those calls.

I would have thought that Virgin Media would have given everyone a modem power pack that has a few hours of built in battery power, so to keep phone service in action. I do know it can be done, but why have not done this?

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Is the backup phone with the SIM card one which VM supplied to you or an arrangement you have made yourself?

The reason that an in-home backup power source was not widely deployed is that to get an outbound connection, you would need the telephony equipment in the street to also have backup power. Some of this equipment does have battery backup power and some does not. So, even if you had in-home battery backup your home phone may end up being powered but still unable to call out.

[LenOLondon]

When I lived in London, I had my services from probably the most effecient phone company in the UK, it was Telewest, and it was asked by loads of people if there was power cut would our phones work. As it was obvious that power was supplied to the green street cabinets. The answer was, the TV service will go down immediately, but there is enough battery power for aound 10 to 12 hours

We later had a power cut, phones worked OK, TV went down. However when Telewest merged with NTL, they then put made a stupid rule for phone calls at 59 minutes redial or you'll get charged,  this was a NTL idea, but then the next power cut, the phones went down.

If Virgin Media wants to survive ther market for telecoms services , then 24 hour phone services need to be maintained, even if connecting via the O2 radio phone network to provide a full  time home phone service

[Roger_Gooner]

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@LenOLondon wrote:

My back up phone which is a desk type phone that works with a mobile SIM card fitted in it, and during a recent short power failure, I could dial any number I wanted. I assume as I have an account for inclusive calls I should not be charged for those calls.

I would have thought that Virgin Media would have given everyone a modem power pack that has a few hours of built in battery power, so to keep phone service in action. I do know it can be done, but why have not done this?

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The vast majority of power outages last for only a short while, and the average minutes lost per customer each year ranges from about 21 to 51 minutes depending on the distribution network operator. It would be a waste of money to supply power packs, and most customers have mobile phones anyway.

[Roger_Gooner]

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@LenOLondon wrote:

Well it can be done, I just hope Virgin Media O2 get something like that operasting. 

Plus are calls made on the emergency phone covered by inclusive calls on our normal landline contact, after all we have subscribed to 24 hour phone calls. Also when there is a power failure all calls to landline numbers out of order could be automatically diverted to the SIM card connected phone, why not?

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There is a cost in diverting calls to a mobile phone, and many people will not be prepared to pay.

[pogit1]

On old style networks yes a very small cost was involved.  As all most all lines now are virtual anyway and most providers own both a mobile network and a landline network any cost is basically what they want to charge not an actual cost to them.