This article is for customers setting up and using a Battery Back Up. This can power your BT Smart Hub and Openreach modem so you can still make essential calls using the Digital Voice service.
About Battery Back Up
A Battery Back Up (BBU) will keep your Smart Hub and broadband services, including Digital Voice, working for at least an hour in the event of a power cut.
We recommend you use a BBU if you use a health alarm or medical pendant connected to your Digital Voice service or don't have a mobile phone as an alternate phone service. To request a BBU, contact us.
There are two kinds of Battery Back Up:
- Battery Back Up
- Battery Back Up Plus
Battery Back Up is black. Battery Back Up Plus is white.
Set up a Battery Back Up for your Smart Hub
- Open the battery compartment of your Battery Back Up and partially slide the battery out.
- Connect the red wire to the red terminal.
- Slide the battery in fully and replace the cover.
- Plug Battery Back Up into a plug socket using the power cable.
- Turn on the plug socket.
- The Battery Back Up status light will show green.
- Unplug your Hub’s existing power cable and keep it safe in case you need it in future.
- Connect the hub to Battery Back Up using the Hub connector cable supplied with Battery Back Up.
- Your Hub light should show green, then amber, then blue.
- The Battery Back Up takes 24 hours to charge fully but you can still use your hub in the meantime.
Set up a Battery Back Up Plus for your Smart Hub
- Connect the power supply to the port on the Battery Back Up.
- Plug the Battery Back Up Plus into a power socket near your Hub.
- Turn on the plug socket.
- The battery icon on the front of the Battery Back Up Plus should light up and animate to let you know it’s working and charging.
- Turn off your Hub.
- Unplug your Hub from the wall.
- Remove the power cable from the back of your Hub and keep it in a safe place.
- Replace the power cable with the new one labelled Router/Hub.
- Plug the other end of the cable into the port on the Battery Back Up Plus labelled Battery Backup.
- After a few minutes, your Hub should be back up and running. The light in the centre should return to aqua.
- It will take the Battery Back Up Plus about 6 hours to charge fully. You can use your hub in the meantime.
Set up Battery Back Up / Battery Back Up Plus for your Openreach modem
With Full Fibre Broadband, you will need to connect your BBU to the Openreach modem to keep that modem also powered during any power outage. If you have a Battery Back Up (the black one) we'll send you 2 devices. However, the BBU Plus can power both the fibre modem and your Hub as long as they are within 2 metres of your Battery Back Up Plus.
Follow these steps to set up a second Battery Back Up or your Battery Back Up Plus for your Openreach modem:
- Unplug your fibre box’s existing power cable and keep it safe in case you need it in future.
- Connect Battery Back Up/Plus using the plug marked ONT with the Y cable supplied with Battery Back Up/Plus.
- The fibre modem lights should show green.
- The battery takes 6 hours to charge fully.
If you have Battery Back Up Plus, you won’t need a second device unless your Hub is more than 2 metres from the fibre box. If you can, move your Hub closer to the Openreach modem.
Contact us if you need a second Battery Back Up Plus.