Keeping existing BT landline but upgrading to Full fibre on Plusnet

[#1]

Evening, look for some help please.

I currently have a landline phone contract with BT and a broadband only deal with plusnet that is now out of contract. Having both separately has never been an issue but I seem to having problems now trying to upgrade to Full fibre with plusnet and keep my existing landline with BT which is needed to my living circumstances.

Despite being told on 2 separate occasions from plusnet there wouldn't be any issues in keeping the landline with BT, on putting orders in for FTTP I have received emails on the contrary saying that I'm thinking of leaving BT and moving my phone line to another provider which is not what I want.

Has anyone successfully upgraded and kept their existing landline or is it inevitable that I will lose my landline?

Thanks

[#2]

@adrijohn

 A possible solution, and a way of avoiding loss of your landline when the openreach PSTN switchoff comes would be to set up a phone account with a VOIP provider such as sipgate, using a temporary number that they provide. You could use an Analogue Telephone Adapter connected to a LAN port on your router. After ensuring that all is working port your BT number to your sipgate account, this will close your BT account and you will not then be paying them line rental. When this is functioning properly change your PN broadband to FTTP and continue to use your phone through the ATA and the router's LAN. As PN do not provide voice on their router it will be necessary to use your own ATA or a phone that connects to the LAN with an RJ45.

[#3]

After ensuring that all is working port your BT number to your sipgate account, this will close your BT account and you will not then be paying them line rental. When this is functioning properly change your PN broadband to FTTP

I'm afraid that won't work! Porting your number to sipgate will cease the landline. The PN broadband cannot exist without a landline and thus it also will be ceased, leaving no PN account to upgrade to FTTP.

[#4]

@MisterW

Thank you for the heads up. I had assumed the broadband and telephone were on separate lines.

[#5]

@adrijohn in your situation there is a possible solution. Order FTTP from Plusnet as a new customer, selecting the option to retain your existing landline with your current supplier.

Then when FTTP is up and running, two options exist, just cancel your PlsuNet broadband leaving the landline phone with BT OR do as @DelT suggests, port your landline to sipgate which will cease it and the PN broadband.

Only downside is that you will lose your Plusnet email and any referrals you have on the old account. There will be no email available on the new account

[#6]

A pointer for those (including myself) advocating the use of a free Sipgate Basic account to port a landline to; I haven't just checked the Sipgate site myself, but I've read elsewhere that apparently and the Sipgate Basic account (which changed to Sipgate Starter recently) is no longer free to newcomers.

[#7]

@RobPN thanks for the heads up. Looks like it might also not be free for existing users sometime next year! Might have to think about porting to A & A , their subscription is £1.20/month