Digital Poverty — What One Man’s found. (Pt 3: Connections and Prices.)

22nd June, 2020.
Updates, 30th June, 2020.   (See below.)

Pt 3: Connections and Prices.

Foreword.

Hi: this is the third in a series about digital poverty.



If you’ve not read part one or two?

You can find Pt One, about schools, here, and Pt two, about job hunting, here.   Pt four, is now available, here.

~≈†≈~

Introduction.



Just to remind you?



My name’s Paul: I’m an unemployed former barman, call centre agent and dogsbody.



One trying to keep himself occupied in Lockdown.

The last of these pieces?

Told you about jobhunting with no internet connection.



This is the third in the series.

~≈†≈~

Pt 3: Connections. 

Let’s talk about that home internet connection.

A while ago, I was looking at my options: shopping around for cheap broadband, as I’d lost my job.



I came across BT’s Basic + Broadband option.

It’s a cheap option: £10.07 for wi-fi access, 15gb monthly limit, 10Mbps speed.

It’s not an option for me, right now: it’s slower than my current deal, and has a very tight data limit, and doesn’t supply a tablet or laptop.

Were I not connected at all, though?

It would be a very attractive offer.

Especially as there’s no connection fee: which is what stopped me from signing up, for many years.

It’s exactly the sort of thing I’d go for, were I not online.

My next thought?

Was to see if other broadband providers did similar deals.

I picked some fairly big name providers — Sky, Virgin, TalkTalk, EE and the Post Office — to see what they could offer.

I sent them all near enough the same email to their press desks.



Tell them I was an unemployed blogger planning a piece on digital poverty, that I’d seen BT’s Basic+ Broadband offer, and wanted to know if they could match it.

The Post Office have responded, in a half hearted sort of way.

In an email dated 3rd June, 2020, their representative, Nigel, told me that he’d forwarded my enquiry to their Homephone and Broadband team, who worked in conjunction with TalkTalk.



He also told me they had no email address he could provide.

Nor could he tell me when I could expect a reply.

Nor what they did with TalkTalk.

That?

Is something I find disappointing.



Granted, I’d not given them a publication date: but I would have expected something, by now.

Unlike EE and TalkTalk, who’ve both responded.

~≈†≈~

EE

In an email dated 2nd June, 2020, EE’s representative said:

We’re conscious that the coronavirus pandemic is affecting nearly everyone in the country and that many people and organisations are dealing with enormous challenges as a result.   As you say, it’s also left some individuals without internet access since local libraries have been closed.

We’ve introduced a range of support for vulnerable people.   Our contact centres are prioritising calls from vulnerable customers.

We’ve introduced a £5 cap on the cost of any phone calls for BT landline-only customers.   EE mobile customers having already registered with us as vulnerable, will get unlimited mobile calls, texts and data.

To support vulnerable people who don’t have access to the internet, we are donating 1, 000 tablets with pre-paid SIMs as part of the DevicesDotNow campaign.   The equipment we have donated will be distributed to vulnerable people in need through the Good Things Foundation’s network of online centres – community centres and grassroots organisations in communities across the UK.

We are receiving a large number of requests for support with devices and solutions to help people stay connected at this difficult time and we’ve taken the decision to prioritise requests from the NHS for connectivity support.   Sadly, we’re unable to help with your request to match the cheaper broadband deal available with another provider.

They also suggested getting in touch with Mobile UK, the trade association: to see if they could help.

That’s something I plan to do at a later date.

I’ve mixed feelings.

EE seem keen to be helping, with the price cap.



But the charity they mentioned?



Seems to work with local hubs that are only available online.



During normal times, when jobseekers can use the local library?

That’s fine.



But is awkward, during Lockdown.

~≈†≈~

TalkTalk.

TalkTalk have also responded.

In an email I received dated 11th June, 2020, Shanel Rambally from the TalkTalk team told me:

Thanks for contacting us about your concern in relation to your request to match an offer seen with another provider.

To find out more about our available offers, you can visit our website: www.talktalk.co.uk

If you’d like more information, there’s also a lot of detailed help and advice online in our Help Pages and our online Community.   We’re also here to help on Live Chat (click the tab on all our help pages).

For starters?



TalkTalk’s site seemed to have no search bar: no magnifying glass logo to tell me where I could search their site for deals.

No way of checking to see if they had any equivalent to BT’s Basic deal.

However, they did have a list of their current offers.

At the time of writing, the cheapest deal was £21·50, with unlimited downloads, no connection fee or line rental.

Some £11·43 dearer than the BT Basic offering.

Granted, this offer from TalkTalk has unlimited downloads and a 17 megabits per second speed — BT Basic doesn’t give a speed and has a 15gb limit — could account for that price difference.

For me, BT’s offering still looks like a better deal.

For someone with no connection, it’s better than nothing, and affordable.

Additionally?

TalkTalk — or the person sending that email — have not been  able to tell me how they’re helping those on a low income, or the vulnerable.

However, I have been given the email address for TalkTalk’s Press desk.

As I write?

As I write, that’s a contact I intend to use.

I’d like to have some sort of response from them.

~≈†≈~

Thus far, I’ve had some sort of response from the Post Office, TalkTalk and EE.

The Post Office have told me I will be contacted by the relevant team.



Bar that, I’ve heard nothing from them.

If they are doing anything to help either the unemployed, school children or the vulnerable — even on the level of BT’s deal?

They’ve not me what it is.

TalkTalk have only been able to point me at towards their deals.

Beyond a cheap price, they seem to offer nothing specific to those of us who are unemployed.

Nor could they tell me what charity offerings they were making.

Unlike EE: who at least could show they were handing out tablets.

And told me about their price cap.

Going on what I’ve seen thus far?

BT are the only affordable option, in terms of price.

Those of us looking for a connection have little option but to choose them.

There’s also little available in terms of devices.

That?   Is something for another article.

~≈†≈~

30th June, 2020.

Just as a last minute update?

TalkTalk have contacted me, today: by email.

And have confirmed that they would not be able to match BT’s Basic + Broadband offer.

Their cheapest offer wild remain the one I highlight in the original version of this pieces: £21·50, with unlimited downloads, no connection fee or line rental.

That’s a good offer.

But, for those of us on a severely restricted budget?

Not necessarily something that’s affordable.