May 02, 2024 - 328 views
An MS is urging constituents in North Wales to ask for support if they’re concerned about transitioning to a digital home phone service.
Llŷr Gruffydd, who represents the region in the Senedd, recently sponsored an event with BT Group in the Welsh Parliament to discuss the support they offer customers as they move to its Digital Voice service.
BT, alongside other telecoms operators, is replacing the traditional analogue landline with a new digital service.
According to BT, this is an essential upgrade to replace technology that is becoming obsolete and increasingly unreliable.
It says that Digital Voice will give customers the same reliability, trust and familiarity of their current home phone service and will enable new benefits and features, such as clear calls and the ability to block nuisance calls at the touch of a button.
BT Group is working in partnership with the charity AbilityNet in Wales to help improve the digital skills of older and digitally excluded people. This includes offering free digital skills sessions for the over 65s.
It is also running a series of community events across Wales.
Llŷr Gruffydd, of Plaid Cymru, said: “As the phone network transitions to a digital service it’s important that constituents have all the information they need.
“That’s why I was glad to sponsor the event with BT at the Senedd to discuss the support they offer.
“It’s understandable that constituents will have questions about this transition and that some will have concerns.
“I would urge them to get in touch with their phone provider so that they can get their questions answered and access the right level of support.
“I understand that although for most households, upgrading to Digital Voice will have no impact on how they use their phone.
“For example, the vast majority of customers will be able to use their existing phone because 99% of handsets are compatible with the digital service.
“The switch won’t cost customers a penny and they will keep their existing phone number.
“However, there are people in North Wales who could be affected, and therefore its important that they get the help, support and information they need.
“There are for example customers who live in areas where there’s a high frequency of power cuts, and there are some customers for whom using the landline is their only way of contacting emergency services.
“BT can provide them with a hybrid emergency backup phone or a battery backup unit.
“For customers who have additional needs, BT can put in extra steps in place to make sure they are covered.”
For more information visit: http://bt.com/digital-voice
