I begrudge paying BT a full line rental charge as I don't use my landline, but I still want broadband. Raj Panjwani
The line rental charge does not pay for the phone service, and is payable whether you use the line for voice calls, broadband, telex, morse code or anything else. Even with LLU (local loop unbundling), where another supplier takes over the service from BT, a line rental charge is still payable, though it may be hidden in the total charge. BT has voluntarily reduced its fully unbundled line rental charge from £119 to £80 a year, but a broadband supplier who takes over your line will have to pay this to BT, and will therefore pass on this cost plus any overheads.
Ofcom has been reviewing "how much it costs BT to lay and maintain the copper access network connecting homes and businesses to its exchanges," and BT's cost of capital, so the charge may change, but it isn't going to go away. Of course, cable suppliers such as Blueyonder can offer "broadband only" options without using BT lines.
