UK Home Phone Landline News

Openreach lets out 74,000 landlines in first three months of 2012

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:50:15 GMT

Home phone News

Openreach lets out 74,000 landlines in first three months of 2012

Monday 14 May, 2012

By Kelvin Goodson

Sixth quarter of growth in a row follows two years of decline and flatline.

Openreach, the division of BT responsible for managing the national telephone network, let out 74,000 landlines between the start of the year and the end of March.

BT as a whole saw the amount of money it makes from telephone calls and line rental dwindle

In total, Openreach has let out an extra 136,000 copper lines over the 12 months up to Saturday 31 March, 2012 - the largest annual increase since the division was founded in 2006.

In the 12 months prior to that, Openreach saw no growth in landline letting, and a 'significant decline' the year before that, according to BT's latest financial results.

It is also the sixth consecutive quarter that the division has seen an increase in the number of copper lines let out to home phone providers, enabling them to offer their own telephone services.

However, BT as a whole saw the amount of money it makes from telephone calls and line rental dwindle between the start of the year and the end of March.

O2, Sky and Virgin Media have all recently announced they gained line rental customers in the first three months of the year, with Sky gaining over 250,000.

Photo by dno1967b

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Oh my! O2 gains almost 100,000 home phone customers in three months

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:25:59 GMT

Home phone News

Oh my! O2 gains almost 100,000 home phone customers in three months

Friday 11 May, 2012

By Kelvin Goodson

Providers sees call package subscriptions rise by 46% in the first three months of 2012.

O2 gained 99,700 home phone customers in the first three months of the year, according to its latest financial results.

The decline in broadband sales was compensated for by this 'positive fixed telephony growth'

The provider now has a total of 315,800 home phone customers, up from 216,100 at the end of last year - an increase of 46%.

Almost 200,000 people signed up for an O2 home package between the end of March last year and the same time this year - an increase of 172%.

O2 has now gained home phone customers every quarter over the last 12 months, with an average of 16,642 people signing up each month.

O2 home phone packages are only available to new and existing broadband customers, but despite the increase in home phone sales between January and March, the provider lost 2,500 broadband customers over the same period.

However, Telefonica UK, the company that owns O2, said that the decline in broadband sales was compensated for by this 'positive fixed telephony growth'.

Last month, Sky and Virgin Media both announced increases in home phone subscriptions in the first quarter of 2012, with the former gaining over 250,000 line rental customers.

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Elderly man helps police hook crooks behind telephone scam

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:47:27 GMT

Home phone News

Elderly man helps police hook crooks behind telephone scam

Wednesday 9 May, 2012

By Anthony Hill

Peter Bish 'played along' with a fake lottery win to help catch fraudsters

A heroic Surrey pensioner has revealed how he tricked the criminals behind a telephone scam into sharing information which may lead to them being caught.

It's disgusting that someone wants to try and trick elderly people who are on a pension out of their money

Speaking to the East Grinstead Courier and Observer, Peter Bish, 79, from Lingfield, explained how a recent phone call from Canada informed him he was one of just three contenders for a £720,000 cash prize.

Realising he was being targeted by fraudsters in an elaborate fake lottery, Mr Bish decided he would simply play along with the 'charade' - in a brave attempt to get the scammers caught by police. 'I wanted to get as much information out of these guys as possible,' he told the newspaper.

A week after the initial phone call, Mr Bish was told he had scooped the jackpot. However, before he could collect his winnings, he would need to pay £1,800 into a Spanish bank account.

By this point, the alarm bells were ringing loud and clear. Mr Bish continued: 'That kind of money could've changed my life forever, but you have to be sensible and seriously think about whether it could be a scam. It's disgusting that someone wants to try and trick people out of their money - especially if they're elderly people who are on a pension.'

The pensioner has since passed on all the information he obtained to Surrey Police, who are now investigating the scam. A spokeswoman for Surrey Police said: 'I would urge anyone who has elderly or vulnerable relatives or friends to speak with them about these kinds of calls.

'These calls can be highly convincing with their promise of lottery wins, rewards or inheritances and often have a false sense of urgency - but I would urge people to remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.'

Photo by glamlife-studentportal

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Waitin' for a Superman: BT selling off red telephone boxes

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:52:16 GMT

Home phone News

Waitin' for a Superman: BT selling off red telephone boxes

Monday 30 April, 2012

By Kelvin Goodson

Iconic Jubilee kiosks on sale for the first time in 25 years as payphone use continues to plummet.

If you've got a couple of grand going spare, you could be the proud owner of a red telephone box if you send it in BT's direction.

You can buy a 20th century design icon that's famous around the world for your home or garden

The landline provider has put surplus K6 or Jubilee kiosks up for sale for the first time in over 25 years as the use of payphones has continued to plummet.

BT has teamed up with kiosk and payphone specialist X2 Connect to sell the refurbished cast iron phone boxes, finished in their original red and black livery, from £1,950.

Katherine Ainley, general manager for BT Payphones, said: 'Now you can buy a 20th century design icon that's famous around the world for your home or garden, or you could even buy one as a gift for the person you know who has everything.'

The company last sold the boxes directly to the public in the mid-1980s as thousands of them were auctioned off to fund an extensive payphone modernisation programme.

This time round, BT is cutting numbers to match demand, with payphone use having fallen by 80% over the last five years, and around 60% of phone boxes now losing money.

Ten years ago, there were 92,000 BT phone boxes on our streets, but this has now fallen to 51,500, with 11,000 of them being the traditional red phone box designed by English architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to commemorate the silver jubilee of the coronation of King George V in 1936.

Anyone interested in buying a phone box should call 01603 611 110, or visit www.x2connect.com/shop/BT__Red_Phone_Boxes_.php.

Photo by morebyless

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Virgin Media gains home phone customers in first three months of 2012

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:20:30 GMT

Home phone News

Virgin Media gains home phone customers in first three months of 2012

Wednesday 25 April, 2012

By Kelvin Goodson

Landline provider loses non-cable customers but gains almost 7,000 new cable users.

Virgin Media saw the number of people using its home phone service rise during the first three months of 2012.

6,900 more people signed-up for Virgin Media's telephone service between the end of December and the end of March

Overall, 6,900 more people signed-up for the provider's telephone service between the end of December last year and the end of March this year.

The number of customers using Virgin Media's national home phone packages - the service delivered over the traditional copper wire network - fell by 8,000 over the three months.

However, the company gained 14,900 cable telephone customers - receiving the service powered by Virgin Media's fibre optic network - over the same period.

Despite the gains made over the first three months of the year, Virgin Media actually lost almost 40,000 home phone customers over the 12 months up to the end of March.

National home phone customers dropped by 6,300 to 163,300 and cable customers fell by 33,300 to 4.2 million, leaving a total of almost 4.4 million.

In spite of the losses, Virgin Media remains the second largest provider in the UK behind BT, which has 20 million customers.

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Hull phone provider KC increasing prices from June

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:44:53 GMT

Home phone News

Hull phone provider KC increasing prices from June

Wednesday 18 April, 2012

By Anthony Hill

KC claims call plans are still unbeatable, despite a looming price rise

An East Yorkshire phone company has said that it still provides the 'best value' landline in Britain, despite having announced a wave of price increases.

These are modest increases that apply just to our calls-only plans and older broadband services

According to the Hull Daily Mail, letters will be sent out this week, informing all KC Talk customers of a 50p price hike on their monthly line rental. There will also be a £1.50 price rise for customers on an older Karoo broadband package. Phone and broadband bundles will not be affected.

Nick Thompson, director of consumer services at KC, the Hull region's main home telephone and broadband provider, said: 'These are modest increases that apply just to our calls-only plans and older broadband services that have been superseded by much faster packages.

'The increases are less than the rate of inflation. Our customers will continue to enjoy Britain's best value call plans. We're the only UK home phone provider to give customers free local calls 24/7.'

While there are dozens of home phone providers offering landline services in the UK, the area of Hull is an exception, as Britain's last remaining telecoms monopoly. KC is the biggest telephone supplier in Hull and for many household it is the only option for getting a landline installed.

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Phone calls to HMRC cost taxpayers time and money

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:05:16 GMT

Home phone News

Phone calls to HMRC cost taxpayers time and money

Friday 13 April, 2012

By Anthony Hill

Callers wait average of 29 minutes on phone to HM Revenue and Customs

Britain's taxpayers could face a shock when their phone bill arrives if they've spent time calling HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for help with their tax affairs.

We have been appalled by the number and length of calls people on the lowest incomes have to make

According to the Low Incomes Tax Reforms Group, which carried out a 'mystery shopping' campaign with a random set of calls to the tax office, it takes on average 29 minutes for the phone to actually be picked up.

Calls to the 0845 number are likely to cost between 1p and 4p a minute depending on the time and day they are made. Mobile phone users will usually be charged more - up to 40p a minute - which could result in a total cost of £11.60 for 29 minutes.

The Low Incomes Tax Reforms Group, which lobbies on behalf of the UK's lowest earners, said: 'We have been appalled by the number and length of calls people on the lowest incomes have to make to HMRC to get their tax credits or tax affairs sorted out.

'Unfortunately, 0845 numbers are nearly always more costly than local or national calls. People who cannot get through after a short period of waiting should make a note of when they rang, and if any adverse consequences occur because they were not able to do what HMRC required them to do, they should complain and ask to be compensated. It really is just not good enough.'

A spokesman for HMRC pointed out that the department handles around 60 million telephone calls each year. 'During busy periods, there will be times when customers will find it more difficult to get through,' he said.

'We are working hard to improve contact centre service levels and have made good progress. We are managing busy periods better by deploying extra people to deal with short-term increases in demand.'

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New technologies dont stop the chatter

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:39:59 GMT

Home phone News

New technologies don't stop the chatter

Friday 16 September, 2011

By Garnet Roach

Despite Facebook and text messaging, people still love to talk.

More than 10 million Brits still call home every week, according to new research from TalkTalk.

When it comes to kids calling home, the younger generation prefers to talk on the move

However, calling from a mobile phone rather than a landline is now the most popular way of keeping in touch with friends and family.

Studying five different ways that people can keep in touch; text, Facebook, email, mobile phone and landline, 'people in the UK are most likely to stay up to date with their loved ones by calling them from a mobile phone,' said TalkTalk Mobile.

But parents still stick to their home phone when staying in touch with children who have left home, with 54% calling from a home phone, compared to 36% from a mobile, said researchers.

But when it comes to kids calling home, the younger generation prefers to talk on the move - almost half call their mum from a mobile, compared to 39% from a home phone.

Although both mobile and home phone were more popular than Facebook for staying in touch, those who did use Facebook to contact friends and family did so an average of 3.2 times a week - compared to just 1.2 times for home phone.

'In an age where the rise of social media as a way for people to contact each other is frequently discussed, it's good to see that verbal communication is still important,' said Mark Schmid, spokesperson for TalkTalk.

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Ofcom outlaws rollover contracts on landlines

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:05:19 GMT

Home phone News

Ofcom outlaws rollover contracts on landlines

Wednesday 14 September, 2011

By Kelvin Goodson

Telecoms regulator to make it easier to switch home phone packages from 31 December 2011.

Ofcom is to ban rollover contracts, which see landline and broadband customers tied into deals that are automatically renewed unless they specifically opt out, from December this year.

About 15% of UK home phones are on an automatically renewable contract

BT is the largest home phone and internet provider that offers rollover contracts at present, but a number of smaller companies tie in residential and business customers with these agreements.

Ofcom estimates that 15% of UK home customers are on a rollover deal, or automatically renewable contract (ARC). These deals renew themselves, with penalties charged for breaking them, unless the customer actively opts out of them.

Ofcom chief executive, Ed Richards, said: 'Ofcom's evidence shows that ARCs raise barriers to effective competition by locking customers into long-term deals with little additional benefit.

'Our concern about the effect of ARCs and other 'lock in' mechanisms led to our decision to ban them in the communications sector.'

A BT spokesperson said that the company is 'disappointed' with the ban as its customers 'are happy with the discounts offered by these contracts' and it does not believe there is proof that these deals damage competition.

BT has ceased selling new residential rollover contracts with immediate effect, despite the ban not coming into force until 31 December, while existing customers on rollover contracts will be contacted about the alternatives over the next few months.

However, rolling contracts up for renewal before 31 December will rollover as usual unless the holders contact BT to cancel the contract during the 30-day notice period before renewal.

Providers will have to move their existing home and small business customers on rollover contracts to alternative deals under Ofcom's requirements, with rollover contracts to be phased out completely by 31 December 2012.

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UK telephone number supply secured

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:09:47 GMT

Home phone News

UK telephone number supply secured

Wednesday 7 September, 2011

By Kelvin Goodson

Ofcom to introduce local area code dialling where numbers are scarce.

Ofcom has announced how it plans to protect the future supply of telephone numbers in the UK.

The increase in competition among landline providers over the last six years, as well as some providers holding many unused numbers, has put pressure on the UK's phone number supply.

Ofcom stresses that communities will be informed well in advance

Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, will manage provider demand for phone numbers in the future by introducing local area code dialling in places where numbers are in short supply.

From next year, landline users in areas where phone numbers are very scarce will have to dial the area code as well as the telephone number even when making local calls.

Ofcom has also proposed a pilot scheme to charge landline providers for local numbers in areas where they are limited to encourage providers to use them efficiently.

Together, these measures will ensure that the existing phone numbers of home phone users and businesses will not need to be changed.

According to Ofcom's research, this is 'the least disruptive option for homes and businesses' to ensure that more numbers are available in those areas.

Ofcom expects this measure will need to start in Bournemouth by the middle of next year, meaning that a landline user in the town wanting to call another Bournemouth number will have to dial the 01202 code as well as the telephone number.

The regulator has forecast that Brighton and Hove, Aberdeen, Milton Keynes, Bradford and Cambridge will be the next places where local area code dialling will be needed, but stresses that communities will be informed well in advance if that is the case.

Ofcom's proposed pilot scheme, which will see providers charged 10p per phone number, per year, in around 30 of the areas where numbers are most scarce, will launch next autumn and be reviewed after two years.

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UK Home Phone Landline News

Openreach lets out 74,000 landlines in first three months of 2012

Home phone News

Openreach lets out 74,000 landlines in first three months of 2012

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