Ditching the Call Plan

[#1]

Hi, I am considering the following changes;

1) Ditching the 'Call Plan' that I used to refer to as 'Line Rental' and saving £11.30 / month
2) Porting my existing geo / 'landline' number to Andrews & Arnold

This is the response from A&A to my query;

I am with Plusnet currently and still have another year on the contract.

That said I can remove the 'Call Plan' aka line rental and calls without
affecting anything.

Can I stay with Plusnet for FTTC and port my phone number over to VOIP
with you guys?

If so, what is setup cost / monthly costs etc?

Thank you for your email.

Providing Plusnet are able to regrade you to SOGEA and quarantine the number so that it is no longer associated to the line.

To request a port to VoIP of your existing number please use this link - https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-order/

The port charge is £12 then £1.44pm + any call charges. The port process takes 6 to 10 working days subject to the losing provider.

Once the port completes any associated services such as a PSTN or Broadband will automatically cease. We do advise you check with the current provider that there is no associated services you don't want ceased and that you wont incur any termination charges their side and that they will stop billing once the port completes.

Has anyone done exactly as above and how did things go? Did you keep your fixed IP? Was there any interruption in service and so on? 

Assuming Plusnet can do what A&A are asking?

[#2]

Once the port completes any associated services such as a PSTN or Broadband will automatically cease. 

Oh? So the answer is no then, as I want to keep Plusnet FTTC?

Plusnet should be able to move your service to SOGEA, which is FTTC but where the number is detached from the line.

[#3]

@cpcnw  it can be done.

You need to request that Plusnet change you to SoGEA ( Plusnet product is called Fibre ). This is basically FTTC broadband but with no phone service. Once the changeover is complete, your phone service will be ceased and you then have 30 days to port the number to A & A. Since your broadband is no longer associated with the phone number it will remain active when the number is ported.

[#4]

@cpcnw 

Call PlusNet Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 to confirm your options.

As stated you have 30 days to move your number if you transfer to SOGEA. Do not initiate the transfer before you're moved to SOGEA (this could cancel your account).

You need to ensure your current phones work the VOIP - you may need to buy an Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA). VOIP doesn't work during power cuts so if this matters you need power backup. There will also be some downtime in your phone service.

There is little saving to be made with PN as you still have to pay for the line.

Brian

[#5]

Already have VOIP phones with Draytel and Sipgate Free

> There is little saving to be made with PN as you still have to pay for the line.

I have £4.50 pcm ref dizi atm

Open to other suggestions tho?

[#6]

To be honest, with my ref discounts, I can't find anything cheaper than Plusnet in my area!

[#7]

@cpcnw 

Short of Full Fibre you have limited options.

For now you can stay "as is" with internet and landline or move to Internet only (SOGEA) with your phone number ported to VOIP. You will need to move by end of 2025 at the latest when PSTN is withdrawn.

As SOGEA continues to use the copper line from the Cabinet to your house you still pay for it (actual phone services cost very little).

I suppose you could look at Mobile internet but I have no experience of this.

Brian

[#8]

That said I can remove the 'Call Plan' aka line rental

For clarification to other readers, 'Call plan' and 'line rental' are not the same.

• 'Line rental' is the charge for providing the connection infrastructure which enables the delivery of
  • ADSL or FTTC broadband services
  • POTS / PTSN voice service to receive and make phone calls
• 'Call plan' is a pre-payment for the cost of phone calls made over the connection in place of pay as you go charging per call

As mentioned by others, SoGEA (which does not provide analogue voice services) is not much cheaper than FTTC as the copper circuit costs still need to be covered.

Are you paying for a 'call plan' in a situation where you do not make out going calls?

If yes and you have a VoIP service, why not just ditch the call plan?  Leave the FTTC and POTS / PTSN service in place as is for the moment and make all out going calls over the VoIP service?  AIUI you should be able to make the presented CLI on your VoIP service the same as your landline number if required.