topic Re: Add Talk to Broadband? in Talk

Add Talk to Broadband?

DanDanDanDanDanDa — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 13:49:25 GMT

Hi everybody. I was just upgraded (didn't really have much choice) from Superfast to fibre Ultrafast and I've got the new contract for that. The engineer installed everything but made a right mess of the place but that's another story.

Now I notice I have no landline service from the router box. I tried cycling the power and there's no dial tone or any activity. Perhaps I picked the wrong package without Talk? But it's impossibel to find Talk on the Sky website. It isn't mentioned anywhere in any of the packages and doesn't even have its own drop down menu at the top. It's like it doesn't exist.

Any idea how I can subscribe to it again through the webpage?

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

Highlinder — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:10:18 GMT

@DanDanDanDanDanDa Which router do you have from the link below.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/broadband-diagnostic-which-sky-hub

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

DanDanDanDanDanDa — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:27:24 GMT

Thanks for the reply. That link won't work for me in Ireland.

It is a slim black hub, it has an "ROI" phone socket along with the other sockets which is what I tried the phone in. Is is connected to my new fibre wiring.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

Highlinder — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:34:54 GMT

@DanDanDanDanDanDa Does your router have a voice light on it and if so what colour is it?

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

DanDanDanDanDanDa — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:35:47 GMT

I have to say the website is an absolute joke. Surely I should be able to go into my contract and select Add Talk or something? For example, I found:
Sky Broadband and Talk - Broadband and Wireless Offers - Upgrade Online
And when I click it it just show me my current broadband contract with zero option to change anything at all. It's maddening.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

DanDanDanDanDanDa — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:37:30 GMT

I am not near it now, but I know I don't have Talk on my contract. I want to add it to my contract but the website barely mentions it and there is absolutely nowhere for me to change/upgrade my contract.
I've tried the Sky phone number and didn't get through to anybody in ages waiting.
Surely this can be done online?

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

Mark39 — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:55:23 GMT

@DanDanDanDanDanDa Sky Talk and Sky Broadband are bundled together, so you already have both. Let us know about the Voice light on your Hub when it's convenient. When was your broadband service activated? It's not uncommon for there to be a delay before the Talk service is fully activated as well.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

DanDanDanDanDanDa — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 15:02:50 GMT

Thanks again. The letter about my new contract states explicitly
"Your existing Sky Talk service will be ceased as part of your Fibre to the Home upgrade"
I simply don't have talk on my contract any more for some reason, maybe I picked the wrong new package or something but how do I get it back? There just isn't any "Ultrafast plus Talk" package to be selected.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

Mark39 — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 15:09:25 GMT

From Sky's website here:

"Sky Broadband Ultrafast: Subject to status. Speeds vary by location. Sky Broadband Ultrafast is available to 32% of UK homes. Not available to customers without a mobile signal at home or reliant on their landline for emergency services. Talk service uses your broadband connection to make calls. Average speeds: 145Mbps (download) and 27Mbps (upload). Average download speed: shown for fixed line connection to your Hub; excludes WiFi performance which varies by device and home environment. Sky Broadband Ultrafast Plus: Subject to status. Speeds vary by location. Sky Broadband Ultrafast Plus is available to 24% of UK homes. Not available to customers without a mobile signal at home or reliant on their landline for emergency services. Sky Talk provided as Internet Calls as standard and uses your broadband connection to make calls. Average speeds: 500Mbps (download) and 60Mbps (upload). Average download speed: shown for fixed line connection to your Hub; excludes WiFi performance which varies by device and home environment."

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

DanDanDanDanDanDa — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 15:25:59 GMT

OK but that doesn't say it DOES make calls without an explicit Talk package. It just says that's how it makes calls if you have that facility.
I clearly don't and my contract specifically says so.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

TimmyBGood — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 17:14:46 GMT

@DanDanDanDanDanDa

In the UK it's not possible to get Sky Ultrafast without a bundled Sky Talk PAYG voice call service. RoI may be different, but I'm afraid there's little experience of that in this forum.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

DanDanDanDanDanDa — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 17:41:29 GMT

My router has 4 lights. Right now with the internet working fine and no phone line I see:
Power - ON
PON - ON
LOS - OFF
100 LAN - FLASHING

These seem all good from what little I know.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

TimmyBGood — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 17:50:24 GMT

@DanDanDanDanDanDa

That's the ONT rather than the router (Hub)

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

DanDanDanDanDanDa — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 18:11:48 GMT

OK, I see:
power - ON
internet - ON

wifi - ON

voice - OFF

I guess on an Irish Sky broadband contract we don't get Talk automatically. But can it be turned on at all from the Sky Hub here or is it simply gone forever? It's impossible to tell because the Sky Ireland website doesn't say anything about it and it isn't mentioned in any of the products. They have hundreds of thousands of customers here and they couldn't even mention this.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

Mark39 — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 18:58:10 GMT

You didn't tell us when your broadband service was activated. Up to you, but I'd suggest leaving it for 24 hours then restarting your Hub (not the ONT) by switching it off for 30 seconds or so. See if that prompts the Voice LED to light. If not, report it to Sky,.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

TimmyBGood — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 09:07:07 GMT

@DanDanDanDanDanDa

I believe the significant difference between the nations is that the UK is actively working towards PSTN switch-off (although the target date for completion has just slipped from December 2025 to January 2027) while Eire has no announced programme: this means UK ISPs must provide digital voice service over any new broadband connection or upgrade by default.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

DanDanDanDanDanDa — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 10:49:12 GMT

Well guys I waited another 24 hours and turned off everything for 15 minutes and it still isn't giving me a dial tone or letting me dial any numbers. The "phone" light is still off on the router too.
I guess it is simple off either by default or permanently in Irish Sky installations. This is really annoying. I still have the old copper cable coming into the house so maybe there's a way to go back to that but it sounds messy having yet another box nailed to the skirting board.

Is there a way to get the landline number transferred to a WiFi handset connected to the router I wonder? Time for some research.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

DanDanDanDanDanDa — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 12:17:46 GMT

Absolutely infuriating but I have to get a new phone number now. I had no choice about accepting the fibre connection and there is apparently no way I can keep my landline number and Sky will give me a new one. Imagine if it was a business number? My company would be completely screwed!
Also you can forget about the cooling off period. Doesn't matter, your old number is gone the second the fibre is installed. Didn't see that anywhere in the information letter because it isn't there. And no, there is no "Broadband plus Talk" product on the Irish website and this wouldn't have save the phone number anyway.
Furious to be honest. This will take ages to be sure everybody knows the new number.

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

GD1 — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 14:44:28 GMT

@DanDanDanDanDanDa wrote:

Absolutely infuriating but I have to get a new phone number now. I had no choice about accepting the fibre connection and there is apparently no way I can keep my landline number and Sky will give me a new one. Imagine if it was a business number? My company would be completely screwed!
Also you can forget about the cooling off period. Doesn't matter, your old number is gone the second the fibre is installed. Didn't see that anywhere in the information letter because it isn't there. And no, there is no "Broadband plus Talk" product on the Irish website and this wouldn't have save the phone number anyway.
Furious to be honest. This will take ages to be sure everybody knows the new number.

Then you surely wouldn't be using a Domestic service for a business line use would you?

Re: Add Talk to Broadband?

Daniel0210 — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 14:50:21 GMT

@GD1

And also pointed out on another thread

https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Talk/Landline-phone-number-now-incorrect-after-full-fibre-installation/m-p/4685194#M89406