TalkTalk Business, have they gone 'digital voice'

I found the copper side of my TTB line cut today. I have been using FTTP for internet and copper for phone calls since early March, TTB 'chat line' insist I have not had a copper service since March, they insist my phone number only relates to my FTTP service!
Whilst I await contact from me escalating my problem it occurs that maybe they have gone to a 'digital voice' type product.

Did you migrate from a previous Talktalk FTTC/ADSL service?

The service you pay for will be shown on your bills. As far as I know, all Talktalk FTTP services are without voice, so your bill would have to show a standalone voice-only service if that's what you expect to have. (I don't know if they sell such a thing; I can't find it on their website)

Hence it's possible that they accidentally left the voice service on the copper line when you switched to voiceless FTTP, and they finally got around to disabling it.

If that's the case, you'd better get your number migrated to a VOIP provider, before it gets lost in the ether.

I was with TT FTTC residential, I then moved to TTB with a promise of FTTP and copper line with 'allday calls',
The first change was a straight swap of FTTC, the installation of the hybrid line was delayed due to cv-19, but went ahead in March.
I am billed for Fibre and 'allday calls', can't recall the complete breakdown of bill at moment.
The chat line operator says the phone number only relates to the FTTP and no copper service, when I first signed up AFAIK they had no VOIP type service which is why I had the hybrid line, I've read somewhere they where going to introduce a VOIP service.
One oddity, I have received several sales type emails from them saying FTTP was available in my area if I wanted to move to it, which seems to have ignored that I'm already on FTTP as well as copper, my assumption was the system saw the copper line and generated the email.

I've taken out a new TTB contract recently, and it's due to be installed next week. This is FTTC and they are installing a new phone line with a phone number, so they aren't doing digital voice yet. My order lists FTTC broadband and the telephone line rental separately.

Edited by jpm (Fri 16-Jul-21 12:31:22)

I've just brought up my bill, it shows.
Charges for OGEA******** £29.95
Charges for (my phone number) £10.00

Clicking to expand phone number it shows the £10 as 'reoccurring charge' which is expected, and then I can bring up a list of calls.

Clicking on OGEA******* it shows £29.95 as 'reoccurring charge', once again as expected, it also has a button to bring up calls, these show as a blank page.

Then they can't argue with that: they've agreed to provide a service, and you're paying for it! That's assuming that the £10 is line rental, not just a calls add-on. However they shouldn't charge you for a calls add-on without a corresponding voice service.

I did find the voice services from TTB: they start at £16.95 (I guess +VAT). TTB can also sell you a SIP trunk but you'll need your own VOIP phone to work with that.

I haven't heard any announcement of Talktalk or TTB moving to digital voice services. It would require new routers with ATA port or DECT base station. Or does the router they provided have this already?

I'm beginning to think the contract wasn't set up correctly, my account shows three products.

OGEA*******, Business Full Fibre 100, connected, (starts) Mar 16, 2021, (finishes) Mar 15, 2023

(telephone number), Complete Fibre Broadband 2020, disconnected, (starts) Jan 19, 2021, (finishes) Jan 18, 2023

(telephone number), Business Full Fibre Voice, Connected, (starts) Jan 18, 2021, (finishes) Mar 15, 2023

Up till now my bill has been complicated by two different discounts, at first it was a discount per month, then it was the three months free internet offer, now it seems to have settled on just two parts a bill for 'Business Full Fibre 100, and a bill for 'anytime calls'.

Whatever it's damn annoying, this morning I managed to get a 'hens tooth' i.e. a telephone call from GP, it totally dropped on mobile, had to be driven 2 miles up road to get good signal, was told I had to phone consultant at hospital, of cause I didn't have all the relevant paperwork with me, so had to be driven back home then out again to make call.
Whilst my power and water supplier have me listed as 'vulnerable' I don't meet TT's criteria for this, "computer says no".

In reply to a post by burble:

Whilst my power and water supplier have me listed as 'vulnerable' I don't meet TT's criteria for this, "computer says no".

I wonder if that's because you're taking a business service, not residential.

telephone number), Business Full Fibre Voice, Connected, (starts) Jan 18, 2021, (finishes) Mar 15, 2023

Would imply, to my inexperienced mind, like they are providing a VOIP based call service to you.
Are you using the CP supplied router, and if so, does it have a telephone jack on it somewhere ? Have you checked this for dial tone ?

I know of some who have gone for Business Services becasue they can get a 4 hour response time (or better) which could be critical for a vulnerable person. Vulnerable on a rsidential service may "jump the queue" but will they get same day? Unlikely, so a rapid response business could be the reason.