topic Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls in Broadband

Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

Phil53124 — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 12:52:20 GMT

I have discovered that it is possible to connect a normal landline phone to my 5G home hub router (ZTE888) to make and receive calls. As it is a DECT phone, I can then have multiple extensions, giving me the multi-room equivalent of the land line service I used to have.

However, currently the home hub is offered as a data only service, and you will be charged if you make 'out of plan' calls, even though the Terms and Conditions you're sent say they will be free to non-premium numbers.

I have suggested to Three that allowing calls to be made and received via the home hub SIM would make their 5g home hub package even more attractive.

However, I think it will take more than me to persuade them.

So if you agree, please like or reply.

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

Phil53124 — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 07:20:35 GMT

Three seem to be missing a trick, as I think many home owners enjoy the convenience of using multiple DECT phone extensions from a single land line home phone number. This would provide an equivalent, but much cheaper, service using the hub SIM as your home number.

This would also mean you could continue to use the DECT phones you had with our land line.

Added to which, if you move home, you can take the hub and home number with you.

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

JonathanB — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 17:58:26 GMT

Hey @Phil53124,

I have passed this feedback on from couple of community members, but as you say it'll take more for us to consider this sort of change. I can see your point of view, but to use the service, you do need mobile coverage, and also we support Wi-Fi calling.

I'd be really interested to see how many customers do agree with you though.

Thanks for passing on the suggestion and feedback

Jonathan

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

Phil53124 — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 08:01:30 GMT

Jonathan,

I want to use it like a land line, with multiple extensions in different rooms.

I think there are a lot of land line users who are put off from using the Home Hub, because it means they will no longer have a home phone number or the convenience of not having to take a phone with you when you move around your house. So you should really ask non-home hub users what's putting them off. For me, the other big one was losing all internet coverage. For that reason me and my partner have moved one of our mobiles to a provider that doesn't use the Three Network

Also, since the home hub has a data connection, it must also have a voice and SMS connection too .

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

DWCBailey — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:16:38 GMT

Can the DECT connection be used to distribute the internet round the home? I find that the Three hub's wifi is woefully weak and adding extenders slows everything down, being able to use the old phone extensions would be an ideal way of extending coverage

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

Steve3 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 10:11:23 GMT

My solution was to use the three 5g SIM data only hub for broadband, I must say it peforms really well. Then bought this for my landline connection with a cheap £4.99 per month SIm with unlimited calls and text plus 5gig of data on a 30 day contract. See below.

HUAWEI Unlocked B311s-221 4G/LTE Router VOIP VPN Bridge Mode (White). Inc 1 x External Antenna. Works with any Sim Worldwide (Renewed

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

Gregory1965 — Wed, 29 May 2024 12:43:04 GMT

This would be a good idea as the Router could be used as a failover router if the main Fibre Optic service goes down and still allow phone calls to be made via a standard landline phone plugged into the Three Home Hub.

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

MichaelLyon — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 11:53:53 GMT

Even just receiving calls and using Mobile phones to make calls would be helpful, which is what we do with our landline.

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

Gregory1965 — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 12:33:50 GMT

Then what about TP-LINK Broadband Over Mains Adapters that can be had from ASDA that should solve the problem but you will need at least four packs.

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

paul1957 — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 12:34:00 GMT

trying not to appear to dull but are you saying that if you put a sim with data texts and calls in this router you can use it with a landline phone to receive and make calls ?

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

JonathanB — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 12:13:08 GMT

Hi @paul1957,

In theory this could work, but we don't test or provide support for the handsets described in this topic so we can't make any guarantees.

Thanks,
Jonathan

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

jonm — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 12:30:50 GMT

Have you or any others that have 5g hubs been charged for making calls through the hub with dect phone?

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

paul1957 — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 12:37:38 GMT

Hi if you have a data sim you will be charged for calls but if you have a call texts and data sim you won’t as their included

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

nevmc — Sat, 17 May 2025 18:03:28 GMT

I was thinking this myself, I have just lost my landline from going from virgin to three, noticed there is a phone connection in my three router, can I simply connect my old dect phone and have calls to the number allocated to my broadband, would I be charged if my 'sim' in the router is data only????

Someone from three please explain!!???? 👍👍👍

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

PeteG — Sun, 18 May 2025 13:45:06 GMT

Hello there.

Welcome to Three Community.

The phone port on the Hub is not active, the feature you're looking to use is also not supported natively on the network.

Pete.

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

Gregory1965 — Sun, 18 May 2025 21:27:17 GMT

Was thinking that I would do the same thing but use it in bridge as a failover for use with FTTP so if something happens to my fibre connection it would failover to the Three Router and would most likely let me setup the old landline phone again

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

nevmc — Mon, 19 May 2025 10:12:46 GMT

Thanks Pete, I guess that's that then!!!!!

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

paul1957 — Mon, 19 May 2025 16:31:41 GMT

Hi I bought an unlocked m888 and use an id mobile SIM card with unlimited data texts and calls and a detect phone plugged into it works fine

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

SteveA — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 12:35:08 GMT

I know it is an old post, but I totally agree that altering the software to simply enable the RJ12 phone socket to allow me to connect my DEC phones as others have requested would be ideal. It can receive text messages and so voice should be possible. We recently moved and do not have a land line and I am of an age where I do not permanently carry my mobile phone around with me. When it rings I am always at the opposite side of the house. If they enabled the socket, even just for incoming calls, all the phones would ring and it would make the 5G router a versatile tool.

I hope they can reconsider doing this.

Re: Using the wireless 5G home hub to make and receive calls

JonathanB — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 12:54:59 GMT

Hi @SteveA,

No worries at all, although it's an old topic I do think it's more helpful for people to add replies to the same topic rather than creating new ones, it gives us a better view on how popular the feedback is. I can certainly flag the feedback that we're still seeing interest in the feature.

Thanks,
Jonathan