Will plusnet provide a voip landline service?

[#1]

@corringham 

That makes sense.

I am in Milton Keynes, and from what I saw when they were constructing around the city, and residential areas, it was all "new build" - ie no duct sharing.

IIRC, when Virgin Media took over the old Cable TV system around here, they were unable to reach agreement with BT / Openreach about duct sharing - so they never installed here, and Milton Keynes lost its cable TV system.

[#2]

I am on Ossett, W.Yorks, and around here the CityFibre installation was a mixture of new build (new ducts where the existing were full or blocked) and using existing Openreach ducts (where capacity permitted). I have not seen any powered cabinets but smaller distribution cabinets where the individual fibres for each end user spring from, and, for overhead service, distribution is from their kit on existing Openreach poles (with some older poles replaced). 

[#3]

Re the original topic of conversation, I have just had a promo email from Sky for "full fibre" - on that they stress that this deal is NOT suitable for customers with poor /no mobile coverage or in need of a landline ,so looks like Sky are going the same way ie no VOIP service with their FTTP.

[#4]

so looks like Sky are going the same way ie no VOIP service with their FTTP.

It wouldn't surprise me. The suppliers of Digital voice are still charging , particularly for calls, the same exhorbitent amounts that they were charging for landlines. Anyone with an awareness of voip will realise that other voip providers are MUCH cheaper ( mine is around 1.5p/min ). Of course, now that their phone number has been decoupled from their broadband, they are free ( subject to any minimum contract ) to easily move their number to a 'real' voip provider. There will, of course, still be people who just want a landline replacement, but I suspect that number is in decline.

The Digital voice providers are then in a situation where the number of users doesnt justify the maintenance and support costs of the service...

[#5]

 - on that they stress that this deal is NOT suitable for customers with poor /no mobile coverage or in need of a landline ,so looks like Sky are going the same way ie no VOIP service with their FTTP.

 If true that’s a bit worrying for me as I’ve just set up a non-techy friend with Sky with landline (VOIP) in an FTTP only property.

That said I’ve just gone through the motions of checking Sky availability at my address and they are still offering a ‘landline’ and inclusive call packages.

If they are withdrawing VOIP I wonder if they will honour the 18 month my friend has just signed up for?

[#6]

so looks like Sky are going the same way ie no VOIP service with their FTTP.

Maybe it's all in the interpretation. I have a neighbout with Sky. She has a Sky router that has a router with a bukt in ATA and a working 'landline' plugged into it.

I  suspect that this might be just a way of pointing out that during a power cut there is no working phone. An extract from the Sky Router help pages.   https://www.sky.com/help/articles/set-up-hub-broadband-hub-do-you-have-internet-calls

[#7]

This thread seems to have swerved on and off the original subject of whether or nor Plusnet will offer a [VOIP] landline service before the close of PSTN. I have read a lot on the subject and of course there is no clear answer on if or when. I’ve also read up on VOIP, BT, Sky etc etc. I think too that I’ve learned a lot of stuff.

Since my existing Plusnet contract will end in a few months and I want to keep a ‘landline’ but not with Plusnet because my costs will increase form £30pcm to £55pcm I’m currently thinking of changing to Plusnet FTTP [70ish Mb] and going to ‘Virtual Landline’ for an ‘all-inclusive calls’ package. Their reviews are good on the whole and of course VOIP is very flexible.

I’ve never had a problem with Plusnet and I get a few quid a month credit from referrals so……………….

Anybody have any experience with ‘Virtual Landline’. Their ‘all-inclusive calls’ package [except 0800’s] at £7.95 sound good – a bit too good perhaps ?

Of course there will be some hardware costs but doing nothing isn’t really an option.

[#8]

Virtual landline = VoIP.
Are Plusnet now offering this?

It's too late for me, my Plusnet contract - running for 20+ years - runs out next month, my order for Zen fttp is now in, once delivered I will port my phone to sipgate and Plusnet can whistle.

I would have stayed with Plusnet if there had been a clear path forward, but there wasn't

[#9]

@peterhr  "Virtual Landline" is a VOIP provider nothing to do with Plusnet ..... https://www.virtuallandline.co.uk/ 

[#10]

Yes, yes I know that I was asking if anybody had any experience with them ?

[#11]

I already have a sipgate VoIP account that I just need to port the number to. For me the line is free, just pay for calls.

The problem is the transition, if you port the phone number PN cancel your contract. If you upgrade to fttp first PN can make porting the phone difficult.

[#12]

If you upgrade to fttp first PN can make porting the phone difficult. 

If you read through this thread https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Order/Unable-to-port-landline-number-after-signing-up-to-Full-Fibre... you will see that's not the case. It seems that some voip providers don't even attempt to port a 'non active' number. Once a port request was actually received by PN the port progressed sucessfully.

[#13]

It has been made clear to me that as BT Wholesale switch off PSTN, BT retail customers will be provided with some form of gizmo in the property that will enable customers to continue using their existing DECT handsets to both make and receive calls.  In the case of broadband users, this will not be necessary as the DECT phone will be capable of being plugged into the router.  I have even been assured that little mini battery service backups will be provided FOC to those people considered to be vulnerable enough to need it.

It would seem PLUSNET is no longer offering a landline service (as at 19 June 2023) but is still providing a landline service to existing customers.

Given this, and the lack of any clear communication from PLUSNET it would seem that PLUSNET will not be providing any similar service to BT retail.

Is it yet time to consider switching broadband/landline provision to BT retail?  And if so, how easy will it be to simply instruct PLUSNET to make it so?  Or will we be forced to cancel one contract and start another?

[#14]

Digital Voice is far more than a little gizmo to plug your DECT phone into with a little battery!

[#15]

Of course that is very true, but is that why PLUSNET will not be doing the same as BT?