What happens to my POTs-based broadband when POTs dies?

[#1]

@OldLes @Archer 

PN have been a pain regarding phone services ever since they introduced FTTP with a conmplete lack of information provided.

When PSTN goes, the copper lines between the Exchange and the cabinet will largely become redundant and may be removed for recycling if cost effective but the copper line from the cabinet to your house will remain (unless you get FTTP). OpenReach have a product called SOGEA which uses the copper line from the cabinet to provide internet. There's a product for ADSL and one for phone line only (over VOIP).

I believe PN are doing a managed withdrawl from phone services by not offering any to new customers or those going to FTTP. It may be they are also no longer offering phone services with contract renewels but I'm not certain about that.

When the time comes to close down, they'll have far fewer customers to deal with regarding phones. All will be transferred to SOGEA or equivilant whether they like it or not.

You can jump the gun by requesting a move to SOGEA but if you want your phone number you need to be aware of what to do to port it to a VOIP provider asap after the change. There's a few days down time on the phone service.

What's not been mentioned is VOIP doesn't work during power cuts.

E-mails are similar but, as yet, there's no news of closure. New customers do not get e-mail and departing customers cannot retail the address.

Brian

[#2]

@bmc What's not been mentioned is VOIP doesn't work during power cuts.

 E-mails are similar but, as yet, there's no news of closure. New customers do not get e-mail and departing customers cannot retail the address.

It’s quite fascinating to read posts on this forum. In this particular thread and the [expected] demise of Plusnet. As far as I can see I must agree with others given that they have or are in the process of closing one service after another.

In 20 odd years I’ve never used a Plusnet email address preferring instead one I could use with any provider, in case I changed ISP. In fact I haven’t changed ISP because Plusnet has always had good reviews and been competitive - not to mention the fun of the ‘haggling’ [nonsense] at contract renewal time !

However, I had placed an order with another ISP but due to various cockups I’ve cancelled it and decided to renew with Plusnet and go FTTP even though I’m convinced I’ll be a BT or EE customer before the end of the 24 month contract. I assume that if that were to be the case they would honour the price or let me leave without penalty.

Another point which frequently gets a mention is that VOIP won’t work during a power cut. Quite true of course but that is also true of many, perhaps most people currently on PSTN because everyone I know has cordless phones. I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t !

A point not mentioned with VOIP is that some providers at least don’t have access to services like 1471, 101, 111 etc. Apparently this is because VOIP is not [usually] tied to a geographical address as with PSTN. Not completely sure of the details on that.

I suppose we have to move with the times but change is not always for the better.

[#3]

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@Batfrog wrote:

In this particular thread and the [expected] demise of Plusnet. As far as I can see I must agree with others given that they have or are in the process of closing one service after another.

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It looks to me (and I think they have said as much) like BT is splitting their customers into 3 groups that will match the three brands: Business customers - who will be serviced/managed by BT,  Premium consumer customers (willing to pay more for more features and services) - who will be serviced by EE for broadband, phone and Mobile and Cost conscious customers (cheap skates) who only want cheap broadband and resist being milked for other services... who will get broadband from Plusnet. I used to be with Plusnet but moved to EE FTTP before Plusnet supported FTTP as there were no early cancellation charges if I moved to EE and took a two year contract... however it's unlikely I'll stay with EE when my contract is up. I will have to see what's on offer then and who will do a 1 year broadband only contract.

As far as PoTS is concerned anyone wanting a land line will have to go VOIP one way or another and as has been said that may well be over an 'old' copper line from your home to the cabinet - that is broadband carrying your VOIP connection.  If you only want broadband then that may be FTTP (optical fibre) where it's available or copper to the cabinet where it's not - until it is.

[#4]

Hi @jab1 

First of all many thanks for your help and advice in the past. My contract with P/N expires February 2024 and most of the landline calls are scam ones, which I block, so really considering just using mobile. However unsure on the future of PN which seems a shame as I have been with them over 20 years, I appreciate technology is moving on but for me (80 next year) it is moving too fast for me, still prefer a real person behind a till or at the end of a phone.

I see you are not with P/N so I am open to and would really appreciate any suggestions but that would really depend on costs.

Once again many thanks

Jack

[#5]

@mort7890 I am now with Zen - I basically moved because I could see where they were going to move/have moved, i.e. BT Retail in all but name, which filled me with dread for the few times I would need assistance - without trying to sound boastful, I probably know more than a lot of the first-line phone support and can solve most of my issues without ISP help.

I am still on FTTC with a SoGEA (broadband only) connection, but the Zen router has a phone connection which means I still have 'landline', but it is only used for incoming calls from a couple of my contacts who, for personal reasons, still use that rather than their mobiles.

Having endured BT  Retail (for my family), TalkTalk, and SKY, I personally wouldn't recommend any of them, but I suspect they are a little cheaper than Zen  - with the resulting poorer service. Horses for courses, I suppose.

As a point of interest, is Full Fibre (FTTP) available to you?

[#6]

Hi @jab1 

Many thanks for the information again really appreciated.

Currently FTTP is not yet available at my premises according to the BT checker, any reason for the question please.

Jack

[#7]

Only reason just to see if you could get whilst it is reasonably cheap (from cheap suppliers 😀)

[#8]

Hi @jab1 

Cables have been and still are being pushed around in close proximity to our premises at the moment but unsure of when connection will be available, the phone lines around us are all underground whether that is beneficial or not I am unsure. The speed that I currently obtain far outweighs our usage as we do not play games and do not have any TV subscriptions.

Jack

[#9]

You will only know when it is available when it appears on the checker (as WBC-FTTP), as will any supplier who uses the BT network - if it is Openreach doing the cabling - note there are a lot of altnets (private fibre companies) installing it as well.

[#10]

@mort7890 

You can check on OR to see if it's actually planned for your property.

www.openreach.com

Brian

[#11]

Since my Plusnet broadband currently costs £21.16 / month (including line rental)  I will have to hang on to that deal for as long as possible (Oct '24). Any FTTP deal costs more (even with the inducement-to-change offers which are not as bad as the long term costs). I thought I would have to switch to FTTP due to the BT changes, but the info in this thread suggests Plusnet will let it stand until then. Maybe they will make me an offer closer to the digital switch over as it might be a pain to handle just a fewer hangers-on!

Being old, I am more than happy to be a nuisance to get a better deal 😁

[#12]

@jab1 I am now with Zen - I basically moved because I could see where they were going to move/have moved, i.e. BT Retail in all but name, which filled me with dread for the few times I would need assistance - without trying to sound boastful, I probably know more than a lot of the first-line phone support and can solve most of my issues without ISP help.

Having endured BT  Retail (for my family), TalkTalk, and SKY, I personally wouldn't recommend any of them, but I suspect they are a little cheaper than Zen  - with the resulting poorer service. Horses for courses, I suppose

Couldn’t agree more, but then the same is true of most customer service first-line responders with their ‘Computer says ’ type response. I personally have experienced this with BT, Sky and TalkTalk. To be fair though once you can get past this first line of defence of ‘is it switched on?’, ‘have you re-booted it? ‘ to someone a bit more ‘tech’ minded you can usually make progress.

Just to be a complete turncoat from my previous post I have today renewed with Plusnet or rather gone over to FTTP with them. They (eventually) offered me a good deal when I said I could do better elsewhere. Time will tell if Plusnet is still operating come the end of my contract.

For my purposes 74mbs without any bells and whistles is quite adequate but the agent tried his best to get me to go faster, not to mention trying to sell me a mobile contract, presumably with EE, although the conservation didn’t get that far. The point is, sales are where the main thrust is, not surprising I suppose when you consider Plusnet is running a TV campaign.

Nice pleasant chap though he was I did have a little difficulty with his accent, definitely not ‘Yorkshire’ but then they seem to have dropped the Yorkshire thing a while ago?

Like others I’ll be playing the ‘porting’ game in a week or two, should be interesting, fortunately losing my current landline number wouldn’t be the end of my world!

[#13]

Well, my two and only contacts with Zen tech support didn't go that way - in the first case I was a tad unsure what was 'wrong' - although it wasn't - just my interpretation of something that was happening but I t was sorted in ten minutes, with a comprehensive email explanation by return. Second time - a line fault - they started with the textbook stuff, but once I told the lady I knew what the problem was she booked an engineer for the next day with no further 'discussion'.

Suppose it helps that their 'first-line' are trained techs, and not call-handlers.

[#14]

Hi @jab1 

FYI it's City Fibre digging up the pavement

Jack

[#15]

@mort7890 In that case, you will (currently, when it is available) only be able to get FTTP from ISPs using the CF network.