Migrating to SOGEA and VOIP

[#1]

Looking for some advise from users who may have been here / done that.

My broadband/phone contract comes to an end in two months time and I'm intending to convert my Plusnet Broadband / Phone bundle into a Plusnet SOGEA contract and then port the landline number (which I've had for 30 years) to A&A.

I know it should be "easy" but just wanted to confirm the exact sequence / timing and whether there were any gotchas.

I'm on Unlimited Fibre Extra and hopefully there won't be any changes to the broadband part, though last recontracting I ended up with half the speed and had to raise and incident to get it restored.  I've also got a fixed IP which I hope will be retained.

The main thing I'm unsure of is when to initiate the port to A&A

• on the same day I recontract with Plusnet - do I need to mention to Plusnet my intention to port the number?
• wait for a random number of days
• wait for the telephone to stop working - I believe I will continue to get dialtone even after the phone is "turned off" but that at some point calls will stop working

Do I need to do anything special at the A&A end - give them a heads up

Hopefully nothing will go wrong but thought I'd ask here in case there is a right way and wrong way of doing this.

Kevin

[#2]

@kmarchant 

Don't tell PlusNet.

Set your account up with A&A in advance.

Initiate the port on the day you transfer to SOGEA (confirming first the line is "dead").

Be advised the automatic port may fail due to the number being "ceased" - in which case you get A&A Support to phone and arrange a manual port.

There may be a few days downtime.

Brian

[#3]

Thanks Brian, @bmc 

Many thanks for the quick reply.  I've already got the A&A account going and have a test number/ATA etc. 

So I need to wait till the point the phone stops working i.e. transfer to SOGEA has been complete - I had assumed this won't be immediate but hopefully won't eat up too much of the 30 days porting period.

If you've been through this do you remember how long it took for the phone to stop?

Kevin

[#4]

@kmarchant 

I don't have a landline, VOIP or otherwise. I base my observations on posts to this forum.

If you "port" your phone number before you go to SOGEA it'll trigger an account closure as there's no landline for the existing product. Your upgrade would go out the window and you'd lose your PN email and any other add ons you may have.

Brian

[#5]

In my case I went from FTTC to FTTP and the phone to VOIP, much the same as you really.  On the day the OR engineer took away the copper wire so the phone obviously was no longer working (at least for me!).

As the engineer drove away I applied for the number port (not to A&A) and received an email confirmation within half an hour or so to confirm and shortly after another giving me a date and time for completion - 13 days later.

It all went without a hitch. THE MAIN thing to remember is NOT to apply for the port until your new service is up and running.

[#6]

I did this a while back. I switched my PSTN broadband/phoneline bundle to a SoGEA broadband package, and migrated my landline phone number to VoIP with A&A (who are brilliant).

TL;DR, it did not go smoothly. I wrote up my experience here.

Worth checking with Plusnet helpdesk to see what they now offer to help with this type of migration, but unless they can give you a cast iron guarantee that they have a proven solution, then the safest possible way to do this, with least risk of losing your landline number (and the way I would do it if I had to do it again), is to wait for your contract to expire.

As soon as it does, then port your phone number to your chosen provider (which will terminate your broadband as a side-effect) and then start a new broadband contract (which can still be with Plusnet). You may have a bit of downtime on your broadband, but I'd rather that than the stress of possibly losing my (also 30 year) landline number.

[#7]

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@rmappleby wrote:

Worth checking with Plusnet helpdesk to see what they now offer to help with this type of migration, but unless they can give you a cast iron guarantee that they have a proven solution, then the safest possible way to do this, with least risk of losing your landline number (and the way I would do it if I had to do it again), is to wait for your contract to expire.

As soon as it does, then port your phone number to your chosen provider (which will terminate your broadband as a side-effect) and then start a new broadband contract (which can still be with Plusnet). You may have a bit of downtime on your broadband, but I'd rather that than the stress of possibly losing my (also 30 year) landline number.

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How can you start a new contract with no broadband connection? It's been terminated. And your phone line is being ported. Do everything on your mobile? Good luck.

[#8]

@mechanic123 The fact that a fixed term contract expires does not mean you lose your service - merely that it will continue - but at the 'out of contract' price which you are advised at when you take out the contract.

[#9]

Ah, not the impression I gained from previous posts. Happy to be corrected.

[#10]

Not helped by some using the terms 'service', 'connection', and 'account' interchangeably in posts.

[#11]

Now the issue is attracting the attention of the Guardian!

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/feb/24/analogue-switch-off-bt-customers-left-for-weeks-withou...

[#12]

So all that article demonstrates is that BT's internal systems handling "Digital Voice" for THEIR customers, is as useless as ever.

If those customer's had migrated in advance to a real VoIP service with a reputable provider, then they would probably not have had the problems with the inferior "Digital Voice" solution being imposed by default on BT phone customers.

The moral of the story, - if you are still using an analogue phone (and don't have special needs), then find a proven VoIP provider and get your landline upgraded sooner, rather than later (when you might suddenly be pressured into making a less than ideal line conversion).

There is no point in delaying upgrading to VoIP  (in the hope that it won't happen),  as all the "issues" raised in the Guardian article are now last years fear headlines, which since early December 2023 have been addressed, or have imminent alternative solutions in the pipeline.

If you do have special needs or vulnerable in any way, then it is important that you let your existing analogue phone provider know about your situation, so that when it comes to the time when your landline gets switched off because you haven't voluntarily migrated to VoIP, that your provider will be aware in advance that you need special attention and possibly be required to provide transitional solutions such as "SOTAP for Analogue", an uninterruptible power supply, or a landline handset with a built-in backup mobile SIM card, etc.

[#13]

There's scenarios that your precis possibly don't cover.

Your statements.

"The moral of the story, - if you are still using an analogue phone (and don't have special needs), then find a proven VoIP provider and get your landline upgraded sooner, rather than later (when you might suddenly be pressured into making a less than ideal line conversion)."

"If you do have special needs or vulnerable in any way, then it is important that you let your existing analogue phone provider know about your situation, so that when it comes to the time when your landline gets switched off because you haven't voluntarily migrated to VoIP, that your provider will be aware in advance that you need special attention and possibly be required to provide transitional solutions such as "SOTAP for Analogue", an uninterruptible power supply, or a landline handset with a built-in backup mobile SIM card, etc."

Two people occupying one house decide that they are going to live apart. One person (classed as non-vulnerable) moves out at the request of the other. But the person moving out holds the contract for the existing phone line and broadband connection. They leave that in place (and continue to pay for it), because it would inconvenience the remaining person (classified as vulnerable) in the house.

The remaining occupant of that place (classified as vulnerable) has tried (repeatedly) to migrate the broadband and phone provision to another provider. Namely BT/EE. From another part of the BT group (namely Plusnet).

Meanwhile the person that moved out is being badgered to renew the contract for the broadband and phone provision for the place where they no longer live.

The moral to that story? My personal perspective/insight? Project managers are incapable of imagining all scenarios. There can be no exceptions, because their plans are perfect.

For power supplier(s) switching accounts to another payee, and ultimately an alternate power supplier(s) has been so much easier.

But (apparently) it's the Plusnet way...

And, oh. Mobile network coverage is sh*te. Stuff is being switched off before useable replacements are in situ.