Recommendations for elderly lady about to lose copper phone

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Rikkitic

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#318613 4-Feb-2025 10:33

This subject comes up from time to time but only now do I need to know the details.

An elderly lady, not demented but cognitively and physically challenged in some aspects, is being compelled by Spark to change her landline phone. She lives in a nursing home which provides Internet to the residents but does not have her own ISP account. For years she has had a copper landline in the home but Spark is now removing that. The replacement options she is being offered are excessively expensive and we are wondering about alternatives.

I had a landline with ATA on my farm for several years and that worked fine. It was also a lot cheaper than the old Spark connection. I now have a cheap dumb phone on Skinny, which also works fine but is probably not suited for this lady. Can anyone advise on the alternatives, if any, to the Spark-imposed one? Having a phone connection is important to her and I would imagine there ought to be something else that would meet her needs. Maybe even just a cell phone with super-size buttons but ideal would be an ATA so she could just keep using the phone she is used to. What I am not sure of is how to do that if she does not have her own Internet provider. Suggestions welcome.

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#3339025 4-Feb-2025 11:07

Hi there - I do work at Spark but I am so far away from the areas that would be helpful here so can't personally assist, but I did ask and got told there's good info here to have a look at:

https://www.spark.co.nz/help/vulnerable-consumers.html

It's important to note that not everyone qualifies (one example I have heard of is that if the care facility offers a medical alarm or bell, that MAY mean the person is ineligible for the vulnerable customer benefits) but the people in this part should be able to help.

Also, if the line is not in her name (but under the care facility), that too can affect eligibility.

I am absolutely not saying this is the best or only solution - but I think it would be worth getting in touch through that avenue.

Cheers - Neil G

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Wheelbarrow01

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#3339044 4-Feb-2025 11:51

It's probably not easy to make any suggestions without further information. The OP says that the nursing home provides internet to residents which I assume is via a communal WiFi setup - that seems pretty standard in such an environment.

A couple of questions - Does this elderly lady has a direct billing relationship with Spark for her landline? Or is the landline provided via the nursing home's PABX (or similar) system - and she pays the nursing home for the service? Most homes offer one or the other depending on the type of accommodation.

Retirement villas and apartments etc are usually serviced via an external RSP such as Spark. Resthome rooms and hospital suites are commonly via the home's PABX (or similar) systems. But of course there are always exceptions.

Another key point is who is offering the "expensive" alternative? Is it Spark, or the nursing home? This likely depends on the answer to the previous question...

The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of my employer Chorus NZ Ltd

Rikkitic

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#3339046 4-Feb-2025 11:53

Talkiet:

Hi there - I do work at Spark but I am so far away from the areas that would be helpful here so can't personally assist, but I did ask and got told there's good info here to have a look at:

Hi, thanks for the reply. I don't think it would apply in this case because the lady has hospital level care and there is no issue with her health and safety. This is just about her personal phone connection. But thanks again for taking the trouble to respond.

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nztim

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#3339047 4-Feb-2025 11:53

What are the "replacement options" she was offered?

Surely it will just be a $50 LTE Provided landline; it comes with $50gb of data which she doesn't have to use just disable the Wi-Fi in the LTE Router... her copper land line will be costing her $68 p/m

I guess the question is some of the rooms in rest homes can be a faraday cages due to medical equipment so may need an external antenna

I am assuming the landline is in her room, if it is a faraday cage you could put the LTE modem at the patch panel area then patch it through to her room

You can get a cheap UPS for ONT/LTE Connections here https://www.constantvigil.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorTXrVuB1uD65JmG8beHQf318oNLk7HRPqcqGlVRyoAaK-rQqJP

I would NOT recommend a ATA adapter and SIP account because

Who is responsible for it?
What network will it be on? can someone on the same network hack it?
The RSP providing a SIP only line takes no responsibility for any fraudulent tolls if your SIP account is hacked by someone on the same network that breaks into the ATA

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

Rikkitic

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#3339052 4-Feb-2025 12:03

Wheelbarrow01:

It's probably not easy to make any suggestions without further information. The OP says that the nursing home provides internet to residents which I assume is via a communal WiFi setup - that seems pretty standard in such an environment.

A couple of questions - Does this elderly lady has a direct billing relationship with Spark for her landline? Or is the landline provided via the nursing home's PABX (or similar) system - and she pays the nursing home for the service? Most homes offer one or the other depending on the type of accommodation.

Retirement villas and apartments etc are usually serviced via an external RSP such as Spark. Resthome rooms and hospital suites are commonly via the home's PABX (or similar) systems. But of course there are always exceptions.

Another key point is who is offering the "expensive" alternative? Is it Spark, or the nursing home? This likely depends on the answer to the previous question...

Thanks also for the reply. I am not directly involved in this but am just trying to help out. I think you are right that the home has a communal wifi setup. That is what it sounds like to me. However, the lady in question does have a direct billing relationship with Spark and she receives invoices every month at her former home address though payments are automatic. My understanding of the situation is that Spark is removing the copper connection and offering a couple of 'upgrade' options in its place, both of which are deemed too expensive compared to the existing setup. That is all I know. I am just trying to collect information to help clarify possible other options for the lady's children, who are trying to organise things for her.

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robjg63

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#3339053 4-Feb-2025 12:04

My parents (mid 80s') got moved off copper 5 years or more ago.

Spark provided a benchtop mobile router (4G or 5G with preconfigured SIM card) and the old phone handset just plugs in the back.

It actually provides a wifi hotspot as well - they dont use this though.

It is something like 50GB per month - but the phone call traffic is not counted in that data and the phone wont stop if you used up the data.

I think it's about $50 per month.

I think this is probably the one:

https://www.spark.co.nz/online/shop/landline/plans

I dont think my parents were charged for wireless modem from memory - becaus Spark was doing a big 'Copper landline replacement' program at the time.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

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Rikkitic

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#3339059 4-Feb-2025 12:08

nztim:

What are the "replacement options" she was offered?

Surely it will just be a $50 LTE Provided landline; it comes with $50gb of data which she doesn't have to use just disable the Wi-Fi in the LTE Router... her copper land line will be costing her $68 p/m

I guess the question is some of the rooms in rest homes can be a faraday cages due to medical equipment so may need an external antenna

I am assuming the landline is in her room, if it is a faraday cage you could put the LTE modem at the patch panel area then patch it through to her room

You can get a cheap UPS for ONT/LTE Connections here https://www.constantvigil.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorTXrVuB1uD65JmG8beHQf318oNLk7HRPqcqGlVRyoAaK-rQqJP

I would NOT recommend a ATA adapter and SIP account because

Who is responsible for it?
What network will it be on? can someone on the same network hack it?
The RSP providing a SIP only line takes no responsibility for any fraudulent tolls if your SIP account is hacked by someone on the same network that breaks into the ATA

Thanks for that info. I will pass it on and come back here later today. I do not think the lady uses the Internet service that is available, however it is provided.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

nztim

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#3339061 4-Feb-2025 12:13

Another option is.... if fiber is already installed there are one or two voice ports on the ONT, these could be used to provide a voice only service which just needs to be patched to her room

@wheelbarrow01 or any of us in the business can do a simple address check for you to see if there is an ONT(s) present, and if there is a spare voice port available to liven up a voice only service

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

farcus

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#3339069 4-Feb-2025 12:32

My dad is in a retirement home and has a phone plugged into a LTE router. As mentioned above - costs approx $50 month. Has some data included but he has no devices capable of using any of it. He does have a smart TV but has no idea how ot use it. Simply uses it as an old school phone.

Did try switching him to a mobile phone a while back but that was a bridge too far for him.

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#3339114 4-Feb-2025 15:25

Rikkitic:

... about to lose copper phone

Like this? (pasting image did not seem to work)

Tardis BBC Television Center (cropped) - TARDIS - Wikipedia

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#3339128 4-Feb-2025 15:51

Maybe look at something like a Desktop cell phone like https://bigbuttons.co.nz/products/big-button-wireless-4g-sim-deskphone-nz

with a cheap prepay cell plan. You'll have the initial cost to buy the phone, but the monthly ongoing cost should be under $20 with the right plan.

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Rikkitic

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#3339353 4-Feb-2025 21:36

Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions. I think a decision has been made to get a desktop-style cell phone that the lady can easily use and to set up an account for her. For some reason the Spark plan price she was given seems to have been around $80 a month though the online page linked above is around $50 or $60. In any case she can get by on a lot less so that is probably what they will do. Thanks again to all for the helpful advice.

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nztim

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#3339403 5-Feb-2025 08:38

If this works, it's a great solution just a remember to check the room is not a faraday cage

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

robjg63

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#3339469 5-Feb-2025 09:44

Rikkitic:

Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions. I think a decision has been made to get a desktop-style cell phone that the lady can easily use and to set up an account for her. For some reason the Spark plan price she was given seems to have been around $80 a month though the online page linked above is around $50 or $60. In any case she can get by on a lot less so that is probably what they will do. Thanks again to all for the helpful advice.

That is probably due to Spark not reviewing plans. My parents were paying more than was listed on the Spark site.

I had to get them to allow me to make changes on their plan and I re-signed them onto the $50 a month plan.

Saved them a few dollars per month - It wasn't as much as $80 a month though.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

snj

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#3339491 5-Feb-2025 11:05

Just a small devils advocate thing to check. What are you planning on doing with her landline phone number? Assuming she uses it to not just make, but also receive calls, it could cut her off if she forgets to update friends (or if they forget to write it down properly).

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