broadband with a cut off phone line .... anyone?

[lynda66]

ok i didn't pay my bill, cos too many other things to pay out ....... so bt cut off my phone line ..... no probs i don't use it anyway ....... so anyway, son has just lent me the cash to pay the bill, to stop them hassling me ....... my broadband through o2 is still working ....... so does anyone know what happens ??

if i pay up to date, then don't renew my contract, does the broadband stay on ........ or will they eventually cut it off ...... cos i just had this idea that if they leave that bit open, it saves me paying a phone bill every month ...... i did try the plug in one from 3 but it was crap and the modem thingy broke and they wouldn't repair it ...... so i ditched that.

i just really don't need a phone line other than for my BB ...... any clues??

[smallblueplanet]

I don't know the answer, I'm sure BT do though? I don't know if you've seen BT's new phone line plan - BT Basic?

http://www.btplc.com/inclusion/phone...asic/index.htm

Its for people on income support/JSA and is £4.50/month line rental.

[BrideXIII]

ok, i think i get what you are getting at:
do you need to pay your Bt phone bill to keep an open line which your BB is reliant on?

I don't think so, phone you BUY from Bt, BB you BUY from O2, it may require you to have a Bt line, but not that you have live phone, don't quote me on this, but i think this is what you are asking?

if in doubt, phone O2, not BT. BT customer service sux big time, almost as bad as british Gas

[lynda66]

yeah i want to know if i have to pay the line rental or if i can just pay o2 ........ and yes i can definitely say BT customer services suck ....... i just spent half an hour on my mobile to them trying to pay my bill, cos i cant get on their stoopid web site to do it ...... and it's still not paid.

well i may wait then and see what happens ....... thanks for that link SBP cant get it to work, but i'll go search for it that's a much better option than the £75 quid they have decided to pluck out of the air and charge me for 3 months. ...... and theres me thinking it was £13 a month

[BrideXIII]

I have a virgin line, when these houses were built, ntl was locating in this area and put the lines in for free......... i have been with them ever since, and their customer services are worse, but i have learnt to play the system, they are not bad wen it comes to packages, i have tv, phone and internet combined, it costs me, £60 a month, most of that is broadband cos i have high end no limit, phone is virtually free, and telly is basic, i don't use my phone much, so apart from free calls, its about £4 a month, rest is rental, this is maybe a lot, i dont know, i do know i cant switch without having a BT line put in which will cost me £150+ here. most internet deals require a BT line, so i am screwed, i still think i get a good deal tho.

[smallblueplanet]

thanks for that link SBP cant get it to work, but i'll go search for it that's a much better option than the £75 quid they have decided to pluck out of the air and charge me for 3 months. ...... and theres me thinking it was £13 a month

Odd it was working when I posted it - just tried it now and 'nothing'!

Here's another link with info

BT launches low cost phone service BT Basic - Which? News

[lynda66]

£60 a month *faints* my broadband costs me £7 ....... for 8mg with unlimited downloads ..... and in the last 6 months have had NO downtime ...... i have freeview, and bt line was £13.50 ....... if i can get on this basic thing ...... funny but i cant get on the page the whole lot will cost me £11.50 ....... hmmmmm methinks you need to look at alternatives my dear ....... even paying the bt installation and buying a freeview box, in a couple of months you will have saved the money by not paying that ....... the only thing with the o2 is you have to top up an o2 mobile by £10 every 3 months ...... so even thats cheaper.

[BrideXIII]

just to say, £37 of the £60 is internet, which should give you an idea of how low you can go if you dont need a superfast cable connection with unlimited upload/download.

thats £23 on phone and tv pm

Lynda i get your point, but you dont need the high speed internet wise that i need, which is why i have this package, most of my day, as a website owner is spent uploading/downloading design, virgin have the fastest domestic cable package available without a cap, I could do it for a lot less, but they are very flexible, i can pick and choose package wise, mainly cos i have been with them for so long, if i threaten to leave, they give in.

My internet is 50mbbs....... and will go up to 100mbbs when they upgrade this year, no cost to me, cos they are cable.

I am running a 4 pute network on that with no loss of speed

[lynda66]

Odd it was working when I posted it - just tried it now and 'nothing'!

Here's another link with info

BT launches low cost phone service BT Basic - Which? News

cool thanks, i thought it might be my pc ....... that definitely suits ..... must get on to them about that ..... if i need to i'd still rather pay nowt lol

[lynda66]

just to say, £37 of the £60 is internet, which should give you an idea of how low you can go if you dont need a superfast cable connection with unlimited upload/download.

thats £23 on phone and tv pm

thats still nearly 6 times what i'm paying

[BrideXIII]

thats still nearly 6 times what i'm paying

I know, but you pay for what you get, I cant do what i need to do on 8mb, what i am saying is, i get a good deal, for what i need, BT can't give me what i need without me going for a business line, which i cannot afford.
virgin do a bog standard line for a LOT less than what i am paying, i just cant do with a bog standard line

[lynda66]

ok i give up lol

[BrideXIII]

NOOO!!! dont give up, what i am telling you is you can get a good deal, cos you dont need what i need, research!!!! you are a 'normal user' virgin have good packages for that, i pay over the odds cos i need more, and even when i do, its still a btter deal than BT, cos Bt cant supply what virgin can......... its the fibre optic thingy

[lynda66]

yeah i'm sure they do ....... but i haven't got cable lol ........ they didn't bother doing where i live ....... cos all the old people that lived here before didn't want it ......... and it would cost a fortune to get that installed lol ....... i'll stick with my £11.50 a month ........ or £7 if i can get away with the not paying bt anything

[BrideXIII]

My stupid point is, i am a whizz with computers, and design, cant earn a living at it ( self employed)cos there is too many other people doing the same thing, but doing what i do, paying what i do, keeps my hand in, so when i need to get THAT job, i haven't been left behind