Motorola FW500 - analogue or something else?

YorkshireMidge — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:19:52 GMT

My elderly mother-in-law is about to get switched from PlusNet to EE in a fortnights time, as we want her to retain her landline. She is completely blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other and really struggles with any tech such as phones. I assume her disability/vulnerability might be flagged somewhere on the current Plusnet service as a Motorola FW500 has turned up alongside a new hub yesterday and it certainly wasn't requested.

I've read the blurb and I understand what the phone is/does, but I'm not clear whether it impacts the way her hub will be configured. As far as I can see, it will plug into the same phone port in the hub as any other legacy analogue phone, but it isn't clear whether that is what it actually is.

https://ee.co.uk/help/device-help/digital-home-phones-hybrid-phone

The reason I'm keen to clarify the point is we're not planning on using it for the following reasons:

She can still use her Doro Mobile if the broadband was to go down
She's in an over 55s flat with a management company centrally run and recently updated emergency call system which is completely separate from her broadband/phone
She will struggle to adapt to any new type of phone
She has a BT Big Button 2600 with nuisance call blocking, and keeping scammers away from her is more important than any functionality the Motorola phone provides, when you consider the above points too

Thanks.

Re: Motorola FW500 - analogue or something else?

XRaySpeX — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:41:32 GMT

The Motorola FW500 is just like a normal analogue-connected phone that plugs into back of router or an ATA adapter remote from router except that it incorporates a SIM for the mobile network as back up in case there's a power cut & the DV goes down. It is aimed at the vulnerable with big buttons. See Emergency Hybrid Home Phone

Re: Motorola FW500 - analogue or something else?

YorkshireMidge — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:50:15 GMT

Thanks for the clarification @XRaySpeX

Re: Motorola FW500 - analogue or something else?

XRaySpeX — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:52:39 GMT

Thanks! You're welcome 🙂 ! Glad I could be of assistance & trust it is now sorted.

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Motorola FW500 - analogue or something else?

Re: Motorola FW500 - analogue or something else?

Re: Motorola FW500 - analogue or something else?

Re: Motorola FW500 - analogue or something else?