Frequently Asked Questions

£14/month covers both hardware and VoIP service. The phone becomes yours; the service is the ongoing subscription. You could source a VoIP phone separately (Yealink T31W retails £50-80) and find your own provider, but you'd lose the pre-configured 4-digit speed dial, group calling bridge, and managed setup. Virgin/BT offer VoIP if you have an existing landline number with them, but without the family-specific features. The old copper network shuts down 31 January 2027, making VoIP the only landline option regardless.

VoIP uses TLS encryption for call signalling and SRTP for voice traffic – same security architecture as FaceTime or WhatsApp calls. More secure than traditional copper landlines which had zero encryption. The service runs on Yealink T31W phones (WiFi-capable desk phones) via the Statcom/NebulaCloud platform. Other SIP-compatible phones can work but require manual configuration and lose auto-provisioning.

The risk exists for ages 9-12. Data shows 40-60% of children with basic/alternative phones report some social friction – ranging from mild teasing to exclusion from group chats. Three mitigating factors: Kite Phone isn't positioned as "you're too poor for a smartphone" – it's a home phone with distinct purpose. Group calling capabilities address the coordination function peers use WhatsApp for. The "Smartphone Free Childhood" movement is normalising delayed smartphone adoption; collective class/friend-group agreements dramatically reduce individual social cost. Trial feedback: Luca, Anuj and their 2 other friends (all aged 10) that were part of the November 2024 trial, used the group calling to great effect and also setup a regular band practice time. At that age, function matters more than device type.

4-digit speed dial to stored contacts (dial 1003 to reach Mia). Group calling: conference bridge allows 3+ friends on one call simultaneously for after-school catchups, homework help, event planning. This replicates the coordination function of group chats without text-based always-on communication. Parents can add friends' landlines, parents' mobiles, and eventually friends' mobiles to the contact directory. The phone reaches any UK number (01, 02, 03, 07) included in unlimited allowance.

For ages 5-8: typically no. Most primary schools don't require personal devices; shared school equipment handles digital requirements. For ages 9-12: increasing friction. Some schools require smartphone apps for digital IDs, event notifications, or homework portals. Kite Phone doesn't solve this – it's a communication device, not a computing platform. Options: Shared family tablet (WiFi only, stored in common area) for school portal access. School-issued Chromebook handles Google Classroom. Secondary/supervised smartphone for specific school apps without general use. Kite Phone addresses the "my child needs to contact friends" pressure point, not the "school requires digital access" requirement. These are separate problems.

Kite Phone handles voice communication only. No apps, no internet access. Homework requiring digital tools needs a separate device – ideally a shared family tablet or the child's school-issued Chromebook. This is intentional: the phone does one thing well (calls) without creating moments for app-based distraction or algorithmic manipulation.

They don't – on this device. Yealink T31W has no camera. For projects requiring photos, options include: Parent's phone (supervised), Dedicated digital camera (£30-50 for basic point-and-shoot), School-provided devices. This is a feature, not a limitation. Removes camera-based social dynamics (selfies, image sharing, photo manipulation) entirely.

Trial evidence: 40+ calls in week one (Lochan, age 8). Children adapt to available tools. The phone works; the interface is simple (pick up, dial 4 digits, talk). Resistance typically stems from social comparison ("my friends have iPhones") rather than functional inadequacy. Younger children (5-8) show near-universal adoption. Ages 9-12 show higher initial resistance that tends to normalise within 2-4 weeks if parents maintain consistency.

The phone is home-based. No mobile capability. For after-school activities: Activity supervisors have phones for emergencies. Pick-up coordination happens via parent-to-parent or parent-to-activity-leader communication. For older children with genuine mobility needs, this device isn't the solution. Kite Phone addresses home-to-friend communication, not location-independent connectivity. If your primary use case is "reaching my child at gymnastics," you need a mobile device or GPS watch.

Yes, potentially. The "Dorothy's Fridge Tweet" principle applies – determined children find connected devices. School Chromebooks, friends' phones, home smart TVs all provide unmonitored access points. Kite Phone doesn't claim to solve the total internet access problem. It removes the always-available, personally-owned, algorithmically-optimised smartphone from your child's possession during formative years. Incidental access on shared devices carries different psychological architecture than personal device ownership with infinite scroll, push notifications, and social validation metrics.

Until secondary school (ages 11-12) is achievable for most families without significant educational friction. By Year 7, smartphone ownership approaches 70%+ and school requirements intensify. The goal isn't permanent prohibition – it's delaying exposure during the 5-12 window when dopamine response systems are most vulnerable to algorithmic manipulation and self-regulation capacity is lowest. Kite Phone buys time. The evidence base suggests that delay strategy yields better outcomes than early-smartphone-with-controls strategy (60-90% bypass rates by age 10-11).

No calls. The Yealink T31W connects via WiFi to the VoIP server. No WiFi = no phone service. This is the same limitation as any internet-dependent communication (WhatsApp, FaceTime, etc.). Mitigation options: Most UK households have reliable broadband. Phone can connect via Ethernet cable (more stable than WiFi) if router is accessible. Mobile phone remains available for emergencies. If your internet connection is unreliable, factor this into your decision.

Potentially yes. Number porting to VoIP is standard procedure. Contact Kite Phone with your existing number; they'll check portability with the underlying provider. Standard porting timeline is 7-14 working days. There may be a one-time porting fee. Note: if your existing landline is with Virgin or BT and you want to keep that specific number, verify porting eligibility before committing.

£40 + VAT per user licence. For a single-phone household, that's £48. For three phones, £144. This applies if you cancel before the 36-month minimum term completes. The fee covers the provider's early exit from their upstream commitments and subsidised hardware cost recovery.