Isle of Wight (IW) residents with a landline will have received an email from BT recently, highlighting an event to help customers understand the switch to Voice Over IP (VOIP) phone service.
BT announced last year their phased approach to switching phone lines from analogue to digital (VOIP), with the South East switchover planned for Spring 2024.
Email to IW customers
News OnTheWight reader, John, got in touch to share the email, which mistakenly referred to Isle of Wight PO postcodes as being in Portsmouth and invited customers to an information event across the water.
No events planned for the Isle of Wight
Keen to find out whether BT would be hosting any events on the Island for Isle of Wight customers (to avoid having to pay a ferry fare to find out more), News OnTheWight got in touch with BT.
A spokesperson for the telecoms company told News OnTheWight,
“There are no events planned for the Isle of Wight currently.
“We have a range of events across the South East and our team is on hand to explain to customers what Digital Voice is, why the change is necessary, and what it means for them.”
The spokesperson confirmed BT would NOT be paying the ferry fare for IW customers to attend meetings on the Mainland, but helpfully provided a link to the BT website, where you can find out about the dates and times of all the meetings.
Older demographic may struggle
Given the larger demographic on the Island of older residents, who may struggle to understand the need for the switchover and what’s required, some may feel BT’s reluctance to host a meeting on the Island will result in unnecessary stress and confusion.
