I was just wondering how I switch over to Talk Talk as they say I require a BT line which I clearly don't. Would I need to take a BT line and stick with BT for 12 months then transfer to Talk or is it possible to tell BT I just need the line activated so I can go over to Talk Talk straight away.

A year ago I cancelled all my Telewest services including telephone. Within a couple of hours of my number being transfered to BT I ordered a UKOnline unbundled internet. This was operational in 8 days and I have been very happy with it ever since.

I would also think carefully about using any company but BT for voice billing. Only BT have to allow alternative suppliers such as 1899 etc. that are so much cheaper.

Be careful about how you move to BT. I moved my existing Telewest number with me and Talk Talk say they can't provide service on my BT line for their Talk 3 + 'Free broadband' service, due to not having any mechanism to route the calls from Telewest (ported numbers still involve the 'donor' company in routing incoming non-local calls).

If you go for a new BT line (not a reconnection of an existing BT line) and a new number, then I believe there is a minimum of 12 months before you can move the line to a LLU operator. If reconnecting an old line, then there is only a 3 month wait. You can route your calls to anyone you please from day one though, including via CPS. It's only the physical line that has a minimum contract period.

Keeping the voice line with BT, there is no problem choosing an 'unbundled' data service, as there is no call routing involved.

TalkTalk require a BT to begin with unlike Bulldog who will install a line.

If you have had BT at this address in the past or a previous owner has then it's free connection and you only need to remain with BT for 3 months, if you have no BT line into the house or the BT line has never been used by anyone before then there is a charge for connection and you need to keep the line with BT for 12 months.

My only advice is steer well clear of TalkTalk for broadband, and don't let them take over line rental, for reasons given above.

Reasons not to be with TalkTalk:

No Free calls at the weekend.
0845 customer service line.
Having to put up with BT's crappy network.
Too much hassle and Terms and conditions!

Furthermore, What do you mean by saying Bulldog have to install a line. I've alwyas thought that they use BT's network like all the other companies do, but take over the line and install the line and equipment with their own engineers. Please tell me more.

What about if the Mercury or Energis network passes your home?

As they're one of the world's leading and most innovative communications providers, how do you work that one out?

Mercury and Energis networks are part of the Cable and Wireless UK group and trade as Cable and Wireless.

Bulldog is owned by Cable and Wireless and was wondering if they plan to run Bulldog down Mercury or Energis lines.

Since it is the second largest telecoms company

Most of BT's network is 40 years old.

Other reasons:

Some areas are not even compatable for broadband providers.

They could not keep hold of their mobile network.(How can they be innotive)

They don't provide cable tv services down one line like Kingston comms. (No reason to say BT are innotive here)

Their public phoneboxes are dirty all the time compared to Spectrum interactive who maintain and clean their kiosks out and who are expanding their call box sites regardless of mobile phone usage increases.

Customer service is terrrible, especially when your held in a queue for 10 to 15 minutes.

BT scored being the worst which was rated by The register,the guardian and a few more where Telewest,18866 and One Tel scored the best.

France Telecom,MCI(Verizon),Vodafone,Cable and Wireless and Deutsche Telekom offer services globally offering all 4 or 5 services (TV,internet,phone,mobile and pager services) in those countries which they operate in where BT only offers services in the United Kingdom and is planning to launch a virtual mobile network in hong kong.

France Telecom run France and Poland's pre-dominant and largest telecom companies. France Telecom also offers mobile and internet services in about 20 different countries around the world under the Orange and Wanadoo brand. As well as offering Cable TV and Internet via its own Cable operation called 'Noos' in France.

Deutsche Telekom are the pre-dominant telecom company in Germany offering TV,Internet,phone,mobile and pager services. They also offer a mobile service to around 30 countries around the world under the T-Mobile brand as well as offering Wifi-Hotspot internet access within the T-Mobile operating areas. The company offers Cable tv services in Germany and in some parts of scandinavia once known as Eurobell.

Vodafone is the largest mobile service provider and operates in all large countries and nearly every country in the EU.

Cable and Wireless offers Telephone,internet,pager and mobile services to half of the world including pacific and caribean islands. The company also offers services to the UK and Guernsey and is the second largest provider in the UK mainland. They also created the worlds first digital mobile and digital payphone service under the Mercury and One2one brand however, these have been sold to Deutsche Telekom.

IPM Communications offers Holland,France,Italy and germany payphones services plus providing equipment to 80 telecom operators including BT. IPM once run the UK's second largest payphone operation known as Interphone and Infolines when they took over the Mercury kiosks.

I could go on.......

So it shows that BT isn't really the best and innotive.

'Most', you say? Are the exchanges? Is the core network?


Can any other telecomms company provide access to these broadband providers in all such areas?


You mean they sold it off? Great.. but what's that got to do with the quality of their network?


And Kingston Comms don't provide a telephone service to the whole of the UK.. I think BT win that one.


Nothing like a sweeping generalisation to make your point...


Are you saying BT don't clean their phoneboxes? Don't you think the fact that you notice more dirty BT boxes might just have something to do with the fact there are thousands more BT phoneboxes than any other payphone provider, even after some have been removed?


Ah, another sweeping generalisation there, then..


Have you ever tried calling ntl?


Being the worst what.. for customer service? Well that's a shame. But has nothing to do with the quality of their network, does it?


Lovely facts. But what does this have to do with the quality of BT's network?


Well thankyou for that wealth of informative, albeit completely irrelevant information.


You do go on..


When did I ever say they were the best? I simply inferred that as one of the world's leading communications providers, they might just know a thing or two about running a reliable telephone network.

The 'half the world' was sold off during Graham Wallace's disasterous reign. C&W are currently planning to reduce their customers in the UK from 30,000 to 3,000 and their network is fibre based, so no use in providing local ADSL connections.

Quote from the current CEO of C&W

"Pluthero warned that the business was in "bad shape" and went on to say: "Congratulations, we work for an underperforming business in a crappy industry and it's going to be hell for the next 12 months."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/28/c_w_jobs/

Most of those customers will go onto NTL Business. Which means that it won't make much difference to C&W.

Most calls such as long distant and international calls and mobile calls routed through NTL will be routed via Cable and Wireless's network.

Cable and Wireless also provides the operator and emergency service for NTL,Telewest,T-Mobile,Virgin,Carphone,Opal Telecom,Wight Cable and MCI customers.