frequently asked questions
for broadband related questions click here
Q: What is involved in changing from my current supplier to Onebill Telecom?
Q: Will I still receive a bill from BT?
Q: Why do I have to pay by Direct Debit?
Q: Will there be any changes to the way I use the phone?
Q: I have received my first bill. Why does my monthly fee appear higher than the rate advertised when I joined?
Q: Will I need any equipment/ Will an engineer visit?
Q: What should I do with previous suppliers' equipment now that I have joined Onebill Telecom?
Q: What level of service can I expect?
Q: Will I still be able to dial directory enquiries / emergency services etc?
Q: Will I still have webtmy number(s) listed in the telephone directory?
Q: I require a new telephone line installed. Can Onebill Telecom provide this?
Q: Will I be able to add new lines / faxes / PC's or change my number in the future?
Q: What are Email Alerts?
Q: How do I deter unsolicited phone calls, faxes and emails?
Q: I do not recognise the destination on my itemisation.
Q: I need to know the type of and/or make a complaint against a premium rate service that has been called.
What is involved in changing from my current supplier to Onebill Telecom
A: Changing to Onebill Telecom is a simple process with no interruption to service, and you keep the same phone number you currently have. We inform BT that we will be billing you for your line rental, line services and calls in the future. You will have access to our online billing system which includes convenient spend analysis tools and controls to help you manage your bills.
Top
Will I still receive a bill from BT
A: No, once you have switched, you will only receive one single monthly bill from Onebill Telecom, including all call and line rental charges.
Top
Why do I have to pay by Direct Debit
A: Direct Debit is the only payment option because of the low margin nature of this business and the high administration costs of running a Credit Control Department. Direct Debit is safe and fully protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee. Any person settling invoices by Direct Debit is covered by the standard Direct Debit Guarantee. This Guarantee is offered by all Banks and Building Societies that take part in the Direct Debit Scheme. The efficiency and security of the scheme is monitored and protected by your own Bank or Building Society. If an error is made by us or your Bank or Building Society, you are guaranteed a full and immediate refund from your branch of the amount paid. Onebill Telecom will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited, your bill will be viewable on our website at least 10 working days before the payment date. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Onebill Telecom Ltd. asks you to. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by writing to your Bank or Building Society. Please also send a copy of your letter to us.
Top
Will there be any changes to the way I use the phone
A: None whatsoever. You will continue to enjoy exactly the same high quality calls, keep your same telephone number and no additional equipment or action is required on your part. You just pick up the phone and dial as normal. The only difference will be the logo on the letterhead and a significant reduction in the amount you are paying.
Top
I have received my first bill. Why does my monthly fee appear higher than the rate advertised when I joined
A: Your first bill from Onebill Telecom will include the monthly fee pro rata for the portion of the month in which you transferred plus one month in advance. Thereafter your monthly fee will be at the advertised rate. This is exactly the same way as any other supplier would charge you for line rental. You may be eligible for an advance line rental refund from your current telephone service supplier for any line rental paid that covers the period after you have transferred to Onebill Telecom. The amount will depend on whether you are billed quarterly or monthly in advance.
Top
Will I need any equipment/ Will an engineer visit
A: No, Onebill Telecom is an equipment-free service, all the work is carried out at your local telephone exchange, and there will be no disruption to your service. You can continue to use your current telephone handset exactly as you are used to.
Top
What should I do with previous suppliers' equipment now that I have joined Onebill Telecom
A: All previous suppliers equipment should be removed prior to transfer to Onebill Telecom. Most equipment can be unplugged easily or switched off. We are happy to provide advice should you require it. Please contact Customer Services on Phone for assistance.
Top
What level of service can I expect
A: We use the highest quality digital networks therefore your calls and line quality will continue to be crystal clear and 100% reliable - the only thing you'll notice is our lower charges. In the unlikely event of a fault, simply call us on our fault freephone number 0800 917 2739, and we will quickly arrange for the fault to be repaired by a qualified Openreach engineer. We will follow this up and ensure any problems are resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner.
Top
Will I still be able to dial directory enquiries / emergency services etc
A: Yes, you can continue to use your favourite directory enquiry service. Calls to the emergency services operate in exactly the same way as dialling 999 or 112 from any other telephone.
Top
Will I still have my number(s) listed in the telephone directory
A: Yes, unless you prefer to be ex-directory, in which case your number won't go in the BT directory.
Top
I require a new telephone line installed. Can Onebill Telecom provide this
A: Onebill Telecom can arrange the installation of new lines. The service is carried out by openreach engineers working on behalf of Onebill Telecom. To order a new analogue or digital line, simply contact Customer Services via the HelpDesk.
Top
Will I be able to add new lines / faxes / PC's or change my number in the future
A: Yes, simply contact Customer Services on Phone with your request.
Top
What are Email Alerts
A: This is an integral feature of the Onebill Telecom experience and allows you to set up e-mails to be sent to you if certain criteria are met, such as notification if calls are made to certain numbers and/or calls are made at certain times, and/or if calls cost over a certain amount. If an expensive call is made, you will find out within 3 working days, rather than having to wait for your bill to come through before you find out, by which time additional expensive calls may have been made. This service allows you to keep an eye on your household's phone usage, without keeping the phone under lock and key. We can offer additional services such as Premium Rate Call Barring to avoid such calls being made, if you wish. A monthly fee is payable for this service.
Top
How do I deter unsolicited phone calls, faxes and emails
A: Simply register for our CallGuard service. Registration is entirely FREE and does not affect your telephone service in any way. If you are a customer of Onebill Telecom and would like us to prevent unwanted sales calls in future, contact Customer Services today via the HelpDesk page of your online account. In addition, you can also add Anonymous Call Barring to your line services to block calls where the caller has withheld their number. A monthly fee is payable for this service.
Top
I do not recognise the destination on my itemisation.
A: The destination will show the area or country called for numbers starting in 00XX (International Calls) or 01/02XXX (Local, National Calls), for 08XX (Non-Geographic Calls) numbers it describes the service and for 07XX (Mobile Calls) or 09XX (Premium Rate Calls) it states the network and/or owner of that number.
Top
I need to know the type of and/or make a complaint against a premium rate service that has been called.
A: PhonePayPlus are an independent organisation who can provide you with information on the type of number that has been called and handle any complaint you may wish to make. To contact them please phone 0845 026 1060 or visit their website at www.phonepayplus.org.uk.
Top
broadband questions
Q: Can I get only Business Broadband?
Q: How to switch to Onebill Broadband from my current provider?
Q: Does Onebill provide Modem?
Q: Does Onebill provide email accounts?
Q: How long does it take to set up broadband to my account?
Q: What are my email server settings?
Q: If I have any problems could I call the Onebill Help line?
Q: What computer equipment do I need?
Q: Will ADSL affect my normal telephone connection?
Q: Will all BT Select Services be supported?
Q: What is the fair usage policy?
Q: Why is Dial-up being replaced with Broadband?
Q: What is the length of contract for broadband?
Q: What is broadband and why is it so popular?
Q: How do I set up my E-mail account?
Can I get only Business Broadband?
A: Onebill only provides business broadband if you have Onebill Line rental. You can add Onebill Business Broadband to Basic Plan that includes cheap line rental, Low International call rates, Capping on Local, National and Mobile calls.
Top
How to switch to Onebill Broadband from my current provider?
A: All you have to do is contact your current provider in order to ask for your MAC (Migration Authorisation Code). We cannot migrate your broadband to Onebill without this code. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us.
Top
Does Onebill provide Modem?
A: If required Onebill will provide you with the model of your choice:
- Model Zyxel Prestige 660–R 1 Port wired router / 2 micro-filters for 35 +VAT.
- Model Zyxel Prestige 660HW(T1)/G202 / wireless USB dongle & 2 filters for 55 +VAT.
Both routers come preconfigured. This means that all you have to do is plug it in and you can connect to the internet. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us.
Top
Does Onebill provide email accounts?
A: Yes we do. Onebill will provide you with a mailbox with 25Mb storage space free with your broadband account. For more info feel free to contact us.
Top
How long does it take to set up broadband to my account?
A: Provided there are no complications, your broadband account with be live within 10 days. For More Information, feel free to contact us.
Top
What are my email server settings?
A: If your email address has onebillinternet.co.uk in it then your mail server settings are as follows: Incoming mail server: pop3.managedbroadband.co.uk Outgoing mail server: smtp.managedbroadband.co.uk If your email address has @obt.co.uk in it then you mail server settings are as follows: Incoming mail server: pop.obt.co.uk Outgoing mail server: smtp.obt.co.uk For more information, feel free to contact us .
Top
If I have any problems could I call the Onebill Help line?
A: Yes. If you need help with anything with regards to your Onebill broadband connection, please call 0845 026 1060 and select option 2 for broadband.
For more information, feel free to contact us.
Top
What computer equipment do I need?
A: Generally speaking, you will need the following: PC with the minimum specification of Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Me (Millennium Edition), Windows, 2000 or Windows XP or Macintosh operating system versions 9.1 or later - 550MHz or above CPU - A minimum of 20 GB available hard disk space - A minimum of 128 MB RAM - An available USB port . For more information, feel free to contact us.
Top
Will ADSL affect my normal telephone connection?
A: Not at all. The purpose of broadband is to be able to talk and surf at the same time. As long as you are using your microfilters correctly you will not notice any change in the quality of your phone line. For more information, feel free to contact us.
Top
Will all BT Select Services be supported?
A: No, there are some services that are incompatible with broadband. These services are: Pulse metering, caller redirect, remote call forwarding and night busying. For more information, feel free to contact us.
Top
What is the fair usage policy?
A: Onnebill Telecom’s Fair Usage Policy is designed to make sure your broadband service is quick and reliable whenever you use it.
Who will be affected?
A very small number of customers constantly transfer large amounts of data throughout the day. This type of activity uses a lot of bandwidth and can significantly reduce the speed at which other customers can access the Internet during peak hours. Approximately 1% of customers use more than 30% of the available bandwidth during peak hours. We don't believe this is fair to the majority of our customers.
How will I know if I am a high user?
If you regularly stream video and audio files and use Peer 2 Peer software you may fall into our high user category. If you are a high user, we reserve the right to place you in a context with other high users. Your speed will depend on what you and other high users are using the internet for during peak periods of the day. If everyone is using the internet for browsing and email then your service should be as normal. If high users are constantly streaming audio and video and using Peer to Peer software then you will experience a degraded service and greatly reduced speeds. Depending on the severity of your usage, we may place you into a high user context and apply a charge without prior notice and inform you by post. In most cases we will inform you beforehand and allow you 5 days to lower your usage.
If I am a high user, what can I do about it?
We suggest that you immediately restrict your usage to Business only usage. Streaming, Peer to Peer and other non business applications consume large amounts of bandwidth and data usage. We also suggest that if you are using a wireless router that you check to ensure that your wireless signal is secured. If it’s not secure, it is very easy for someone to use your broadband connection without your knowledge to download large amounts of data. You should also ensure that you have an up to date anti-virus and that you do regular virus scans on your computer(s) to ensure that a virus is not transferring data that you are unaware of.
Top
Why is Dial-up being replaced with Broadband?
A: Since approximately the year 2000, broadband internet access (cable and ADSL) has been replacing dial-up access in many parts of the world. The reason for this is mostly due to broadband connections featuring speeds which far exceed the capacity of dial-up, many of which provide speeds greater than 1 Mbit/s, as well as reducing prices under dial-up prices. An increasing amount of Internet content, online gaming and streaming media require large amounts of bandwidth.
Top
What is the length of contract for broadband?
A: It is 12 month contract, as for all other Onebill contracts. Business broadband is provided in association with phone packages. However Total Business package is an exception with a contractual term of 24 months. For More Information, feel free to contact us.
Top
What is broadband and why is it so popular?
A: Broadband is a form of high-speed internet access. Since approximately the year 2000, broadband internet access (cable and ADSL) has been replacing dial-up access in many parts of the world. This is due to the fact that broadband’s connection speeds far exceed the capacity of dial-up (usually 10 to 100 times faster) and because it is usually more economical than pay per minute dial-up. An increasing amount of internet technologies, such as e-commerce, online gaming and media streaming require large amounts of bandwidth, which only broadband can provide.
Top
How do I set up my E-mail account?
A: Download the help file here to set up your Onebill E-mail account.
Top