In reply to a post by BatBoy:

So you think O2 aren't a competitor?

O2 Mobile is a competitor of BT? Only in the sense that all mobile firms take calls away from BT.

In reference to www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/bt-4g-mobile-network-spectrum-116137:

BT Plans To Re-Enter Mobile Market With 4G Spectrum

BT 4G network could be launched next year, according to CEO Ian Livingston

In these days of ubiquitous mobile internet access is there still a real demand for dial-up as an emergency back-up?

Looking at the slides for last year's financial results, BT aren't intending to use their 4G spectrum as a standard mobile operator.

They are looking at indoor and small urban cells themselves, alongside partner macro operators. They distinctly label it as "wholesale opportunity", so appear to be aiming at the same market that the mobile operators are in when they share radio network equipment.

They also seem to want to use it to offer a better bundle to their business customers.

Finally, I suspect that they'll use it as part of the BDUK solution for the final few percent, with their own hardware to mimic fixed-line broadband service.

For a very tiny percentage, where mobile isn't a possibility, perhaps.

I use 3G as a backup, and it is useful when out, but it isn't directly the same as using an ISP-specific backup. Outbound email handling almost always needs to be done a slightly different way, for example.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Did it specifically recommend PlusNet, or did it say your ISP and that happens to be PlusNet?

Yes, to quote:

Still need dial-up internet?
If you need to keep a dial-up connection and don't want all the extras you get with broadband, we can help by moving your service to Plusnet, a BT-owned company. If you'd like to move your dial-up service to Plusnet, give us a call on 0800 917 9987.

Yikes!

For about 10 years I have used btinternet/btopenworld email addresses from when I used to have a dial-up account with BT (haven't had BT as my ISP since!). Later they changed their Ts & Cs so you either dialled up every 90 days to preserve the email accounts; or pay £1.50 x 12 months for a 'premium' email service. Needless to say, I just dialled up 4 times a year.

The latest announcement about the dial-up ceasing does not cover this, although their webpage on this http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/44702... does say "Your email service won't be affected by this change".

That is, so it seems, true! I called BT (0800 917 9987 - helpful Belfast call centre) and they confirmed that if you have existing basic, free BT email addresses then all you have to do is access email accounts within every 150 days (she actually said via via webmail) even if you are not with BT as an ISP and you don't subscribe to 'premium' email either. As per this http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/43867...

The switch to Critical Path from Yahoo is a separate issue but they say that Outlook etc configurations will be unchanged.

I'm getting a personal stand-alone domain for email in any case now, but thought that the stuff about retaining BT email addresses without cost may be useful to others in a similar situation.

O2 are going to use some of it also.

Hi Boothroyd,

I've tried for 2 days now to speak to someone in the Uk but keep getting put through to India (?) and being told I must upgrade to the Premium Email service.

I don't suppose you got an email confirming what the Belfast call centre told you?

Edited by deleted (Wed 21-Aug-13 18:02:45)