BT forcing super-fast broadband customers to pay for landlines they don't need

BT is selling broadband customers deals which include landlines they do not need, it can be revealed.

New top of the range "full fibre" broadband connections are being rolled out to millions of homes by telecoms firms to provide homes with the fastest available internet speeds, without the need for a landline. 

This is unlike older-style internet connections, which have a copper element and do require a landline to function. 

However the Daily Telegraph has found that BT customers paying £54.99 a month for super fast speeds through full fibre connections are being forced to buy landlines and calls, which are a compulsory element of all-inclusive monthly fees.

Customers who say they don't want a landline included in the package are being told by BT customer services that this is not an option. BT's package includes broadband with an average speed of 145Mb/s, line rental for phone and broadband, and free weekend calls. 

Last night experts said BT's prices were "dangerously confusing", adding that it was unfair that the cost of providing unnecessary landline and calls was being automatically built into packages.

Dani Warner, broadband expert at uSwitch.com, said: It is disappointing that some providers continue to insist that their customers must subscribe to a service which they don’t use and, in many cases, don’t actually want.

“While providers may say that the cost of landlines is essentially free, giving consumers a choice about which services they take is important, and we’d expect customers to be able to tailor their subscription as they require."

"Full fibre broadband is changing the way consumers interact with the internet and consigning buffering to the scrap heap. 

"Alongside the rise of smartphone use, the way we use voice services at home is changing, and ever decreasing numbers of people use or even need a landline.

David Hickson, director at the Fair Telecoms campaign, said: "One of things we've always resented is that telecoms firms build line rental into the cost of a certain bundle of calls. 

"At BT it means anyone who pays line rental to gets inclusive calls. BT is able to set the price at zero by bundling it in with the line rental. You could say that is dishonest, as it distorts the value of price bundles.

"Furthermore the fact that the break point between the broadband service and landline connection is indeterminable, resulting in a dangerously confusing situation for consumers."  

It comes as demand for landline phones has plummeted in recent years, with total annual call time nearly halving from 103 billion minutes to 54 billion minutes between 2012 and 2017.    

Over the same period, mobile calls rose to 148.6 billion minutes.

So far nearly 2 million homes have access to full fibre broadband, with the figure set to rise to 15 million by 2025, according to Ofcom.

A spokesman for BT said: “The vast majority of our customers have landlines and make calls as well as using the internet in their homes every day. When customers sign up for broadband, the price of the service includes the line rental to make the price as clear as possible.

"We’re currently not seeing the demand from our customers to take fibre without home phone lines, but we will continue to review our products and services to make sure we’re providing our customers with the best products and services for their needs.”