Changing from analog to digital means that you cannot use the telephone without an electric supply

[Yavanna]

What happens if there's a power cut?

Unlike some traditional corded analogue phones, a digital phone will only work in a power cut if it has a battery back-up, because it'll run using your home electricity. In these instances, phone companies are advising people to use mobile phones as a backup.

If you're dependent on your landline phone – for example, if you don’t have a mobile phone or you live somewhere where there’s no or poor mobile signal, then your telephone provider must offer you a 'resilience solution' to make sure you can make emergency calls during a power cut. This could be a mobile phone (if you have mobile signal) or a battery-backup unit for your landline phone. ... I am in this situation also a disabled adult who do I contact? 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Yavanna wrote:

If you're dependent on your landline phone – for example, if you don’t have a mobile phone or you live somewhere where there’s no or poor mobile signal, then your telephone provider must offer you a 'resilience solution' to make sure you can make emergency calls during a power cut.

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Unfortunately the situation is not as clear-cut as that: the most recent advice from Ofcom to CPs ('Communication Providers') is typically woolly and vague.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/264846/open-letter-999-programme.pdf 

We've not seen an indication that Sky has any form of Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) to offer to subscribers identified as being 'vulnerable' : it appears their interpretation of the Ofcom advice is to inform potential users of the issue and suggest they have a mobile phone available.

I've asked the question elsewhere, and will post any response here.

[Highlinder]

@Yavanna  Are you already with Sky or are you thinking of joinng Sky?

[TimmyBGood]

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@Yavanna wrote:

or a battery-backup unit for your landline phone. ...

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Incidentally, any such BBU must also be capable of powering the ISP router and, in the case of FTTP broadband, the Openreach ONT.  Just supplying current to the phone handset is not enough once PSTN isn't there.

[Yavanna]

@Highlinder Yes I'm already with sky talk 14 years +

[Yavanna]

Thank you. I'm trying to find out how I contact sky regarding this issue as I live in an area prone to power cuts and our internet often cuts out. 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Yavanna wrote:

I'm trying to find out how I contact sky regarding this issue

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You can try phoning, but I suspect front-line support may not have any particular information.

I'm hoping to get a response elsewhere which I'll post here: I'd observe that no ISP currently has a particularly good solution to this issue because a UPS capable of supplying several items of hardware for the duration of a post-storm powercut isn't a trivial item costwise and has a finite operational lifespan due to battery degradation.

As an example: this is the BT Business offering:

https://www.businessdirect.bt.com/products/cyberpower-back-up-for-bt-digital-voice-service--fttp 

[Chrisee]

@Yavanna have you been switched to internet calling already or are you concerned for the future?

If you have been switched did Sky check you had a reliable mobile phone at home? I switched my service last year which I did over the phone and the agent required me to answer scripted questions around access to emergency services and whether I had alarms or equipment that used my phoneline. It took several minutes. The implication was if I had not given the correct answers I would remain on my old service over copper. 

Only 2 areas are as yet any way down this journey they being Mildenhall and Salisbury both of which include rural lines. Hopefully Ofcom, Openreach and the providers like Sky will learn from these trials *

in the meantime I would register your disability with Sky'sAccesibilityy team at https:/skyaccessibilityy.sky

[Yavanna]

Thank you 🙏 I managed to speak to a advisor yesterday and everything has been sorted out.

[TB1555]

Our son has Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity so cannot have any WiFi in the home. He is worried about the changeover to digital phone as his only contact with the outside world is his landline. I spoke to a lovely man on the accessibility team who informed me that we could use an ethernet cable to connect our landline to the router. However, other EMS sufferers have tried this and are finding that the readings from the phone are still too high for them to tolerate.  Noone seems to be able to accept responsibility for those people who want to remain on a traditional landline even though it is supposed to be possible until at least 2027. Opentreach tell you that you must contact your own provider.

[Mark39]

@TB1555 not sure I understand what you mean. Your landline phone simply plugs into the socket at the back of your Sky Hub instead of being plugged into a wall socket. There's no WiFi involved, nor any ethernet cable.

[TB1555]

I know. It sounds simple doesn't it? However, if you suffer from EMS the answers are not always simple. A lot of EMS sufferers like my son also have difficulties with electrical equipment. In my son's case he is unable to use a landline unless someone else dials for him and he puts the speaker on and he listens from a distance.  Attaching it to the router would mean that this would be more complicated in his home situation. There is supposed to be provision made to enable vulnerable people to retain their landline as it exists at least until ,2027 and 2030 at the latest. What I am wanting to find out is who do we contact to insist that this happens?

[Mark39]

@TB1555 it's certainly Sky you would need to speak to and you would have to go through either the standard customer services area or Accessibility as you did before.

You  may have seen Sky's post pinned to the top of the forum for customers with specific needs - whether or not you might be able to use that, I don't know.

[TimmyBGood]

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@TB1555 wrote:

There is supposed to be provision made to enable vulnerable people to retain their landline as it exists at least until ,2027 and 2030 at the latest. 

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Yes, but that's to give suppliers time to enable broadband/WiFi and 'digital voice' use, not avoid it.

[TB1555]

It also gives vulnerable people time to come up with other options with time for research. If you were housebound and your only way of communicating with friends , family and the rest of the outside world was by using your existing landline I think you would be grateful for any extra time. The stress of trying to find a solution to this is a massive burden on our whole family. Bear in mind that there are approx 1% people in Britain suffering from EMS, that's about 65,000 people.  All of those people will be looking for ways to retain their landlines.