Heard that PLUS NET are closing the F9 webmail system

[#1]

I have heard informally that PLUS NET plan to close the F9 webmail system that I have been using for years. 

I am wondering what I need to do to move it elsewhere and to who. 

I would prefer not to have to pay as currently it is included in the plus net broadband fee so are there any recommendations for online free services that can take over the email hosting.  

Is the process difficult; i have about 5 email accounts that my family use.

Any advice or recommendations appreciated. 

[#2]

Where have you "heard" this?

Until Plusnet make a formal announcement, this is just a rumour.  It was mooted a year or two ago, but there has been no formal progress on such a strategy, beyond...

1. Removing the option to retain email after closing a subscription account
2. Removing the email option on all new accounts

Where users have used the naked ISP domain name version of email addresses, they have a fairly urgent need to plan for the future, for they will need to establish a new email address and communicate that to all correspondents.  This is especially urgent if they are contemplating changing ISP, which might be the case if they are planning to upgrade to FTTP and want to keep their existing telephone number.  [We have not yet had a formal announcement on how the Ofcom right to port for landlines might change this space.]

Where users have used their own domain name for email, all that they need to do is to find a new hosting provider for their domain name and migrate their hosting.  Mythic Beasts looks like a good starting point.  See Hosting - Shell Accounts - UK-based - Mythic Beasts (mythic-beasts.com) email only gives double Plusnet's FUP storage for just £2pcm.

There are plenty of free single mailbox (address) providers, such as Google, Outlook and Yahoo - personally I favour Outlook for single email addresses as it integrates very nicely across PCs, phones and tablets for sharing contacts, calendars, reminders, notes and to do lists ... etc.

[#3]

According to PlusNet support, "there is a planned closure of our email platform as per information publicly available through our Community forums.".

[#4]

@RobDickson Would be good if they could point to this 'publicly available' information.

[#5]

Or is ‘they’ referring to a poorly trained agent who is aware that new accounts no longer come with an email add.on, giving out confusing information that’s open to interpretation?

[#6]

Hey there guys,

Nothing has been communicated to match what has been said, so I wouldn't worry about it.

[#7]

Cheers, @willcutforth 

[#8]

@RobDickson - sadly one cannot believe everything spoken by first line support - if they cannot provide a link to such claims, they are probably not correct.

As @Baldrick1 hints, there is too much misinformation / misunderstanding spoken by first line agents.

Really good to have @willcutforth (one of the well informed guys) confirm what has been advised by the community members - email is not available to new customers and cannot be retained by departing users.  That is a country mile different from an announcement to close the service.

All that said, in these days of changing ISPs with the same frequency of changing one's mobile phone, using an ISP's email domain name for one's email service becomes questionable wisdom.

[#9]

Thanks for your messages, and for confirming that what I was told was wrong.