| Topic: BT or TalkTalk? |
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| 1. Author: auldpar Date: Mon 3rd Aug 2026. 15:40 I`ve just got a letter from BT saying that when BT switch me to a digital service I can`t have my broadband with another provider. My broadband provider at the moment is TalkTalk. It looks like I`ll have to either: 1) Switch my broadband to BT, or 2) Switch my landline to TalkTalk. I`ve never had any real problems with TalkTalk. Any advice on who`s best? Do you save money by having both with the same provider? Reply |
| 2. Author: ipswichpar Date: Mon 3rd Aug 2026. 16:34 I'm a wee bit confused auldpar..... If your network connection is being moved to fibre then it`s and Openreach move (they are part of the BT group but run independently). Openreach can`t tell you what provider you have to use. I thought they also had a digital voice service running over the top of it. Are you still in contract with TalkTalk? I suspect they will want to keep you to that contract if they can). I`ve never bought anything from TalkTalk but I have worked with them commercially. I`d personally never buy from them but if they have served you will it`s always a good consideration...you only notice this stuff when it stops working! What`s the bit about landline? Are you wanting to keep the same number? But generally, yes, it`ll be cheaper to have both from one provider. USwitch and MoneySavingExpert are generally good places to look to save a few quid. Also, if you have been with TTG for a while, you might find the annual price increases mean it`s now very expensive vs what else is offered in the market. Post Edited (Mon 03 Aug 16:35) Reply |
| 3. Author: auldpar Date: Mon 3rd Aug 2026. 17:14 Thanks Ipswichpar. I`ll quote the letter - `you can no longer take broadband and a landline from different providers`. Is that wrong? Meanwhile, I always believed that you could not have broadband without a landline. My research just now seems to say this is now not true. My landline is virtually unused these days. Maybe I should just get rid of it and stay with TalkTalk ? Reply |
| 4. Author: JTH123 Date: Mon 3rd Aug 2026. 17:22 auldpar, Mon 3 Aug 17:14 If its any help we got rid of our landline about 2 years ago and 76 yo mother in law did the same a few months ago. She wears one of the watches that detects falls and reports back to fife council and we wondered if it needed the landline but hers didn`t. Reply |
| 5. Author: ipswichpar Date: Mon 3rd Aug 2026. 17:30 auldpar, Mon 3 Aug 17:14 That statement from the letter isn`t true. You can sign up for a VOIP service if you wanted to retain a phoneline. But for your standard Joe then it`s probably more or less practically correct. One thing that`s worth checking if someone in the household needs or may need a health pendent or similar that needs some level of connectivity. Some of them, particularly the older ones, may have some special requirements that some services may struggle with. Many of the providers for a years have separated the charges for broadband and phone lines, and add on a few quid for the line (a lot of the time very historically it was just generally the charge for call packages). I know some folks of certain generations are still wed to their landline but if you aren`t then it gives you the opportunity to ditch it. With the switch to fibre and the removal of the copper network all the benefits that the copper network gave in terms of working during power cuts etc will fall away. Just make sure when you are asking for service that you see what they can provide in terms of battery back up..... they should be looking to provide 4-8 hours and if you tell them that theres a health care need, if they can provide it, it should be free. I would strongly recommend checking the prices using your postcode to see if you can compare them. Particularly if you are moving you might get 100 quid or so in vouchers to tempt you to move. And if your postcode doesnt come up with pricing for fibre broadband because it isn`t live yet, pick one relatively close that does and the pricing should be very similar to give you a chance to compare. Reply |
| 6. Author: auldpar Date: Mon 3rd Aug 2026. 17:52 Thanks for your comprehensive reponses. I`ve decided to go for full fibre and ditch the landline. I`m still in contract with TalkTalk so I`ll stick with them meanwhile and review at the end of the contract. As a household we are not yet needing the health warning devices. Perhaps my username gave the wrong impression! I used to manage a team at work where they were all a lot younger than me and one of them saddled me with the nickname `auldman`. Reply |
| 7. Author: veteraneastender Date: Tue 4th Aug 2026. 16:04 I’ve been with TT since the Middle Ages - happy with the Fibre 65 package and half price landline deal which they were quick to offer when I called their Loyalty Team when renewal came due. Reply |
| 8. Author: Buspasspar Date: Tue 4th Aug 2026. 16:29 Same here vee They are the only provider I have used and the fibre 65 is more than adequate for me .. Just renewed for another 18 months at the same price plus a new tv box and remote on its way as the one I have is not supported by them anymore We are forever shaped by the Children we once were Reply |
| 9. Author: fcda Date: Tue 4th Aug 2026. 17:56 Avoided TT since 2004 when they lost my landline number in a house move and refused to accept any responsibility. A long time ago but still justified it seems. According to a recent ofcom report: "TalkTalk was the most complained-about landline provider, with complaints rising on the previous quarter." Source: [url]https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/latest-telecoms-and-pay-tv-complaints-revealed-q3-2025[/url] Reply |
| 10. Author: NMCmassive Date: Tue 4th Aug 2026. 22:57 I’ve been with both while atm I’m with neither. I’d go back to BT if it suited but I’ll never go back to talk talk COYP Reply |
| 11. Author: d3monstrate Date: Wed 5th Aug 2026. 13:00 There was a time (and some still have) a service where they have broadband with one provider, but they insisted on keeping their landline service with another (usually BT) through the same physical line, so imagine it will just be a warning that this is no longer possible with FTTP. It shouldn`t affect the vast majority. Reply |
| 12. Author: veteraneastender Date: Wed 5th Aug 2026. 13:26 I think that’s an accurate observation - when we had Full Fibre installed I asked Openreach to take away the redundant copper cables as telephone service was only via broadband thereafter. Reply |
| 13. Author: Buspasspar Date: Wed 5th Aug 2026. 17:48 vee .. I`m confused which is normal .. Fibre 65 is not full fibre it is only fibre to your nearest street cabinet but copper to your house .. are you maybe on fibre 150 ? We are forever shaped by the Children we once were Reply |
| 14. Author: veteraneastender Date: Thu 6th Aug 2026. 20:41 I’m on TT Full Fibre 65 base plan + landline. Voice calls VOIP. I had to go under the floor to run a telephone line from router to the main base station Openreach hauled out all the old copper cabling a few days later - the engineer`s van was stowed out with copper he had collected on his rounds. Post Edited (Sat 08 Aug 10:25) Reply |