Telecom Services
How do I get connected to telephone service?
To get phone service at home, you have 3 main choices:
a) Your building is served by BT only, you get the line AND the service
from BT.
The 'Standard' service is £9.26/month and includes the landline
itself and 80 free local minutes per month (evenings and weekends).
Rates are very high, unless you choose a package, e.g. 'BT Together'.
This package is £11.99/month, but provides 200 free local minutes, a
10% discount on 10 friends and family numbers, and significantly lower
national and international rates than with the 'Standard' service.
b) Your building is served by BT only, you get the line from BT,
but the service from another phone service provider.
You end up paying £9.26/month to BT for the bare landline and get
your service from another phone company. Their rates are usually even
lower than the 'BT Together' rates. You will receive two monthly statements,
one from BT (for the line) and one from your telephone service provider.
c) Your building is connected to the networks of BT AND an alternative
network operator.
Some buildings have been equipped with new lines or technology that
enable customers to avoid BT altogether by getting the line and the
service from an alternative provider.
How do I choose my long-distance service provider?
Some people don't want the hassle of 2 monthly bills, or they don't
trust the alternative providers or they don't have the time to sort
out all the different tariffs. To most other people options b) or c)
will look more attractive. That way you can get rates of just 5p/minute
to continental Europe, the U.S. or Australia (anytime), although you
may have to pay a monthly fee of a few pounds to get those cheap rates.
NTL, which started as a cable company, recently acquired the consumer
business of Cable & Wireless and is now clearly the largest phone
service provider after BT. Telewest, another cable company, is in third
place. Furthermore, there are tons of other phone service providers,
most of which don't own physical networks and just resell capacity.
How will I know if other companies serve my building?
To find out if you have an alternative to BT for your landline, call
the alternative provider, give them your exact postcode and they will
tell you immediately, if they service your building.
The big decision
You should devote a lot of time to research your ideal service provider.
Try to avoid making a hasty decision. Here is a selection of telecom
service providers:
I've chosen an operator. What's next?
Most operators stopped charging a connection fee. Some of them may
ask for proof of residence (utility bill) and/or bank statement.
You should anticipate a waiting time of 7 to 10 days for your BT line
plus potentially further time for your alternative long-distance service
provider. Cheap calling cards from street shops are an economical intermediary
solution. |
