FTTC and VOIP.

[#1]

Help needed.

I was moving away from Plusnet at end of conract. The service I was going to is BRSK. I needed a query answered but BRSK's customer service was dire so I cancelled within the 14 day cooling off period and renewed with Plusnet.

I have FTTC with a telephone package. Can I install VOIP ? Before anyone jumps in and says this has already been answered I have seen the other posts about this and cannot understand them at all. I need a simple explanation as to what is required to do this.

I am 75 years of age and quite capable of doing most techy stuff. I want to move away from the landline phone and Plusnet as their costs have risen very rapidly over the last few years. I appreciate that I am tied in for another 18 months but I have downgraded my call package and want it ready in future to just transfer the internet. If Plusnet had allowed VOIP I probably would have stayed. Any help would be appreciated.

[#2]

@fatyamyam 

FTTC is a digital product which is supplied via a cabinet, utilizing only the "final mile" of copper to your house. You do need to move to VOIP by the end of 2025.

To do this, you need to get PN to move you onto a SOGEA connection which is FTTC without a phone service. You have 30 days from the day of change to "port" your number to an independant VOIP provider. Note that some providers can't (or have been unable to in the past) handle a ceased line (which is what yours becomes).

If you just want a VOIP account to have things set up and running you are free to do so - this would have nothing to do with PN. Note this wouldn't have your current phone number.

Do not under any circunstances try to port your number before changing to SOGEA - this would lead to the cancellation of your PN account.

Brian

[#3]

Brian.

Many thanks for your swift response.

I find it very odd that one solution to replacing the phone line is to leave the copper wire in place ! The idea of asking Plusnet to switch it to a SoGEA connection is a leap of faith which I am very reluctant to make. I wanted to move to BRSK because the internet and phone would have been dealt with together. It was because the date quoted by Plusnet did not match up that I found out about BRSK's shocking customer service.

What happens when we are forced to lose the landline ?

Will it be ported over to a VOIP automatically ?

[#4]

@fatyamyam 

When PSTN goess, only the final copper connection from the cabinet to your property will remain in use. The copper wire back to the Exchange becomes redundant.

As PN aren't doing a VOIP phone service you'll be moved onto a SOGEA connection. PN will move you to BT free of charge for internet and VOIP but I gather they're not the cheapest.

The question you need to look at is how much do your use your phone nowadays? Also, what's the mobile signal like at your house? Many people have switched to mobile to replace their landline.

Brian

[#5]

Brian.

Thanks for this. Being of a certain age I use a phone (mobile or landline) as a phone and I would certainly want to keep the landline number.

Keeping in mind what you said about being transferred I'll stick with my contract and see what is offered at the time the landline is replaced.

Thanks again.

Much appreciated.

Fatyamyam.

[#6]

@fatyamyam 

You should use the time to research both ISP's who do both and independent VOIP providers. Also, with VOIP you need to think about connecting your phone and power backup as VOIP doesn't work without power.

As I see it you have 3 options.

1) Abandon the landline and use mobile only - you've already ruled this put.

2) Move to an ISP that does both. PN will probably offer you a transfer to BT / EE though I believe their prices aren't great. There are other ISP's who do both - Zen Internet being one who have a good reputation (though, as ever, not the cheapest). This is the simplest option and they should be able to advise on phone connections. Indeed, I believe with both BT and Zen you can simply plug into their router.

3) Stay with PN and sort your own VOIP solution. Your choice of provider might well depend on your phone usage. If you're happy to make all outgoing calls via mobile then A&A are an excellent option. (£15 to port your number and £1.44 pm).

If you don't wish to muck about getting your phone to work with an Analogue Phone Adapter (ATA) I believe A&A offer the option to divert all incoming calles to Voicemail and e-mail you the details. They also can handle ceased lines.

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-information/

With any independent provider I believe you can do away with your phone and use an App on your mobile.

Brian

[#7]

@fatyamyam 

As @bmc suggests use the intervening time before the landline is switched off to research options available to you at your address.

As you probably know, Plusnet (PN) use the Openreach (OR) network to provide their products. PN are part of the BT Group as are OR. See if there are any wholesale Altnets that serve your area. as it is often the case that provision over those Altnet networks can be cheaper for an ISP than over OR and those savings tend to be passed on, in whole or in part, to the customer.

For instance, Zen was mentioned as one provider that does both full fibre and a VOIP product (that product is significantly cheaper than the BT/EE digital voice offering if you do less than 1000 minutes per month via landline - Zen charge a flat fee of £6 per month for 1000 minutes of calls to standard landline and mobile numbers). Thus Zen may not be as expensive as first thought. As you just plug your existing analogue phone into their router there are no additional equipment costs or porting / connection charges. Also, they do not have in-contract price increases. They will be more competitive if they provide a service to your address via an Altnet. Zen used to serve my address using OR but they now use CityFibre (CF) and have adjusted their prices down by £7 per month in doing so.  If you look on their website you can get the costs for your address and see how competitive, or not, they are. I know quite a lot about Zen since they were my chosen option when my PN contract ended in the summer and I wanted to retain the landline and its number without hassle. 

There are, of course, many ISPs out there  who offer a combined full fibre broadband and VOIP /digital voice product some over the OR network and others over Altnets. Good hunting!

[#8]

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@jgb wrote:

For instance, Zen was mentioned as one provider that does both full fibre and a VOIP product (that product is significantly cheaper than the BT/EE digital voice offering if you do less than 1000 minutes per month via landline - Zen charge a flat fee of £6 per month for 1000 minutes of calls to standard landline and mobile numbers). Thus Zen may not be as expensive as first thought. As you just plug your existing analogue phone into their router there are no additional equipment costs or porting / connection charges. Also, they do not have in-contract price increases. 

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I migrated to Zen in June last year - no regrets at all. Very responsive when I had a couple of of tech/billing queries.

[#9]

It's certainly worth checking out what you actually need.  If you're averaging less than 300 minutes a month, then the A&A deal works out cheaper than Zen.  

I moved my elderly parents over a few months ago.  They had a call package, but when I actually looked at what they were using on it they are now actually making massive savings on it.  They don't really know that anything has changed (other than from me telling them).  They have only had DECT phones for many years now, so if there is a power cut (pretty rare were we are) then they'd have been without a phone previously as well as now, so no real difference there either.

[#10]

Thanks to all for very useful advice.

Plenty of food fior thought and all very much appreciated.

With thanks,

Fatyamyam.