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http://www.which.co.uk/technology/phones/guides/how-to-buy-the-best-dect-cordless-phone/cordless-phone-questions-answered/
Cordless phone questions answered
Why would I want a Dect cordless phone?
If you want the freedom of being able to move around and continue with daily activities while making calls over your landline, a cordless telephone is your only option.
A few analogue cordless phones are still available, but Dect (digital) models offer a greater number of features than their analogue counterparts, and we've found that the sound quality when making and receiving calls is consistently good.
Read Which? reviews of more than 250 Dect cordless phone packs, from the major brands including BT, Siemens, Philips and Panasonic, to find a cordless phone with the best sound quality.
What if I’ve already got a mobile phone?
There are several good reasons for keeping a landline, even if you also own a mobile phone. Though the mobile networks claim excellent coverage, there are areas where it can be difficult to get a signal.
Cost is also a key factor. It can be expensive to rely on your mobile phone, even if your tariff includes lots of free minutes. And, as calls to mobile phones cost more than calls to landlines, you may find that your friends and family don’t call quite as often if you ditch your landline.
Many people choose to keep a landline as they need it to access the internet. And having a broadband connection opens up a third possible route for making phone calls – Voip.
Will my Dect cordless phone work in a power cut?
No – most digital cordless phones don’t have battery backup – if the power fails so does your phone. Some rare models, such as the BT Diverse, which combines a standard corded phone with a separate wireless handset, offer an alternative.
All Dect cordless phone base stations need to plugged into a mains electricity socket, as well as a phone socket.
Can I use my cordless handset with a different brand base station and vice versa?
Most phones are GAP (generic access profile) compatible. This means you can use an old handset with your new base station. However, some functions like paging might not work if you use equipment from different brands.
Can I use a digital cordless phone with a hearing aid?
Digital cordless phones can cause interference with hearing aids – an audible buzz. Older analogue hearing aids tend to be particularly badly affected by interference, but newer digital hearing aids cope better.
Try phones before you buy one, and visit the RNID website for more information on suitable handsets.
If you can't try before you buy, ensure that the shop will allow you to return the handset if it’s not suitable after you've tried it at home.
Do cordless phones emit radiation?
Dect cordless phones use radio signals to communicate between the handset and base station.
However, according to the Health Protection Agency, the distance is so short that the power emitted is negligible and perfectly safe.
Can cordless or mobile phones interfere with pacemakers?
According to the British Heart Foundation, you can safely use a mobile phone or a cordless phone with a pacemaker, but it's best to keep the phone more than 15cm (6 inches) from your pacemaker.
You should always use the ear on the opposite side to your pacemaker, and you shouldn't put the phone in a pocket over your pacemaker.
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