Will plusnet provide a voip landline service?

[#1]

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@peterhr wrote:
Doesn't a chainsaw fix poles on your land without wayleave

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You may jest, but the only way I got their attention was to "accidentally" pull their overhead wires down with the digger jib.  Had them out within half an hour.  Best of all it turned out that their local area bloke was an absolute star.  Knew his management were a disaster area and he bent over backwards to sort things.  He free-issued underground cable and ducting, I agreed to put it in a trench we'd already dug for power and he sorted out a polecat to pull the old poles out (and they gave me the old poles as well).

Never did hear from Openreach head office, even after all this.  Their underground cable is technical still under our land, but it runs around the boundary so I'm not bothered by that.  I also got a free underground cable run to the new house I built, as the very helpful local chap sorted that bit of cable out as well and gave me a free BT66A outdoor junction and some gel crimps to terminate the cable ready for the phone installation.  Caused a slight issue with BT, as when they came to wire up the master socket they had no record of the cable coming to our house . . .

[#2]

Another person looking to understand how this process is going to work. I'm on FTTC and bundled phone line and calls package, and my contract has only a few more months to run. I don't want to leave Plusnet, and would be perfectly happy to move to the new SoGEA offering, but I also don't want to lose my landline number.

Have any of you managed to make any more progress with PN on this, or are we waiting for some brave soul to move their BB over, and then see if their VoIP provider can retrieve their phone number from the void?

If not then there may be a better way. I had a talk with the AAISP techies and they suggested that PN should be able to combine the SoGEA order with a number transfer. After some googling, I found this presentation on the BT Wholesale website. It apparently describes a process for ordering a SoGEA connection, and transferring the existing phone number to another VoIP provider at the same time (the VoIP providers CUP ID needs to be specified as part of the SoGEA order). Sounds like this could be the process that we need PN to be adopting...

https://www.btwholesale.com/assets/documents/help-and-support/broadband/broadband-ordering-guides/bz...

Page 16 is the interesting part. Rather than selecting "controlled cessation" for the phone number, it seems they can select a number port. They then get to specify the CUP ID of the receiving VoIP supplier as per Page 17. So, it looks easy enough, but my understanding is that PN don't use the standard BT order portal, but rather some software that makes the BT portal easier to work with - so if that software doesn't support this aspect of the SoGEA order process, then PN may not even be aware of it.

Thoughts?

[#3]

How about ordering a new fttp connection from during the final month of the fttc contract.  Then porting your number to the sip provider terminating the fttc service

[#4]

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@peterhr wrote:

How about ordering a new fttp connection from during the final month of the fttc contract.  Then porting your number to the sip provider terminating the fttc service

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Might work if you can get FTTP.  We've been told that there are no plans to provide FTTP here.  The discussions a few of us had a year or two ago suggested that the earliest date when we might get FTTP would be some time after 2030.  I believe that this is the case for a lot of people who live outwith large towns or cities.

There should be a simple mechanism for freeing up a landline number so it can be ported to another provider when a FTTC customer opts to lose the phone line early and switch to SoGEA, but at the moment that seems a bit hit and miss from what's being reported here.

[#5]

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@rmappleby wrote:

Another person looking to understand how this process is going to work. I'm on FTTC and bundled phone line and calls package, and my contract has only a few more months to run. I don't want to leave Plusnet, and would be perfectly happy to move to the new SoGEA offering, but I also don't want to lose my landline number.

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My understanding is that you will be able to keep your existing product at renewal - including the land line (at least until PSTN is withdrawn) - but any change of product would lose the land-line.

Of course, my understanding may not be correct...

[#6]

At the moment I too have FTTC + all inclusive calls from Plusnet at a very competitive price. This is because 18 months ago I threatened to leave Plusnet after 20 odd years and go to ‘Now Broadband’ who at the time were offering this same package for £25! Whereas Plusnet wanted to charge me £35 (ish) Much to my surprise after a bit of a lecture from Plusnet on how good they were and their many awards etc they said they would match the price but with a 2 year contract. The only problem was of course their inflation plus price hike each year.

I recently got a VOIP number with A&A which works well.  I’m a bit undecided whether to change my number and let everyone know, which is not really that much of a problem to me. I had the experience of changing numbers six years ago when I moved house. With hindsight It’s a pity I didn’t go VOIP then!  Maybe I’ll  wait and see what Plusnet FTTP offers are available at the time or maybe find a new ISP or whether to try and port my existing number as has been said, in the last month of my Plusnet contract. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions !!

Needless to say once you’ve gone VOIP number problems go away.

[#7]

There should be a simple mechanism for freeing up a landline number so it can be ported to another provider when a FTTC customer opts to lose the phone line early and switch to SoGEA, but at the moment that seems a bit hit and miss from what's being reported here.

@JSHarris there is, the Ofcom mandated rules, give the right to port the number for up to 30 days after its been ceased. From what I'm advised, PN are making this available, the problem seems to be that sometimes the receiving voip supplier checks if the number is active and  doesnt attempt the port if its not. Providing they do attempt the port, its been successful.

The main downside with this procedure, is the temporary loss of service between the cease and the port, but AFAICS there's really no reason why ports cant be quicker than the normal 10 days in this situation

Of course, my understanding may not be correct...

@corringham i believe your understanding is correct.

[#8]

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@JSHarris wrote:
Might work if you can get FTTP.  We've been told that there are no plans to provide FTTP here.

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Similar issue here. In our case it is coming, just not any time soon.

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@JSHarris wrote
There should be a simple mechanism for freeing up a landline number so it can be ported to another provider when a FTTC customer opts to lose the phone line early and switch to SoGEA, but at the moment that seems a bit hit and miss from what's being reported here.

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I suspect the mechanisms do exist, we just need to get PN to step up to use them. For example, back in 2015 BT Openreach announced this offering to their customers:

WLR021/14 WLR renumber with number export

11/12/2014 For Information

This briefing is for WLR Communications Providers. This briefing advises on the launch of a new renumber capability and is for all WLR Communications Providers (or their customers).

In response to an Industry agreed Statement of Requirements, SOR8357, Openreach will be launching a new WLR renumber product as part of EMP - Release 2750 scheduled for delivery on 24 January 2015. The new product will enable WLR CPs to place an order to renumber a WLR service and simultaneously export the original number to an alternate network. Any associated SMPF product will be retained on the renumbered WLR line. This is documented in the WLR product description on the WLR PSTN page of the Openreach website.

WLR = Wholesale line rental
WLR CP = WLR Communications Provider, ie PlusNet etc
SMPF = Shared metallic path facility. Basically where the broadband and voice (baseband) services over the end users copper wires are (or can be) shared between two providers

So assuming this offering hasn't been withdrawn, it allows PlusNet to put a new number on an existing line, export the old number to a VoIP provider, and keep the broadband running without interruption. Unfortunately Openreach require a customer login to access all their documentation so its hard to find out if that option really still exists.

It would really help if there were some way to talk to/email some knowledgeable PN techies. The CSAs on the phones are great, but this isn't the kind of discussion they have been trained for.

[#9]

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@corringham wrote:
My understanding is that you will be able to keep your existing product at renewal - including the land line (at least until PSTN is withdrawn) - but any change of product would lose the land-line.

Of course, my understanding may not be correct...

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I think you are correct. But come Dec 2025, the PSTN is going to be switched off, which will coincide with the end of my next contract, and I'd really like to get this sorted out well in advance of that, rather than waiting for the inevitable car crash. Also, moving to SoGEA and VoIP will save me quite a bit of cash too.. 😉

[#10]

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@MisterW wrote:
@JSHarris there is, the Ofcom mandated rules, give the right to port the number for up to 30 days after its been ceased. From what I'm advised, PN are making this available, the problem seems to be that sometimes the receiving voip supplier checks if the number is active and  doesnt attempt the port if its not. Providing they do attempt the port, its been successful.

So that's really interesting, because that wasn't the message I got from the CSAs when I called in to query this. The message I got was that the number would be ceased, and because it was no longer associated with me there was no guarantee I would be able to get my VoIP provider to acquire it for me, and indeed that someone else might be issued it.

Really would help if PN officially documented how they will get us through this (common?) use case.

[#11]

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@rmappleby wrote:

But come Dec 2025, the PSTN is going to be switched off, which will coincide with the end of my next contract, and I'd really like to get this sorted out well in advance of that, rather than waiting for the inevitable car crash. 

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The very last PSTN lines will be switched off by Dec 25 - most will be switched well before then. I expect pressure to bear on anyone in an area where the majority have already been switched - it may become impossible to renew a PSTN line well before the deadline, and I wouldn't be surprised if extant contracts are changed mid-contract.

It is going to be a car crash though.

[#12]

@rmappleby 

A&A seem to understand the process and have successfully ported several PlusNet numbers after members switched to either FTTP or SOGEA.

Speak to the PlusNet Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 to confirm your number will be "held" for 30 days after switching to SOGEA.

Then confirm with A&A that they can port a held number and how long the port is likely to take.

If you jump, you can set up your A&A account in advance then iniatiate the port asap you know you're on SOGEA.  There will be a few days downtime.

Brian

[#13]

I suspect the mechanisms do exist, we just need to get PN to step up to use them. For example, back in 2015 BT Openreach announced this offering to their customers:

WLR021/14 WLR renumber with number export

@rmappleby that does still exist BUT the order is fraught with possibility of error and so there is AFAIK only one ISP that will attempt it , A & A, and they will only attempt to port to their own voip service. AIUI that is so they have visibility of both the renumber and the port orders, and so if anything goes wrong they can cancel the orders before it screws up!

In addition , the Plusnet ordering system is highly automated (it has to be because of the volumes) and almost certainly doesnt have the renumber with export option.

[#14]

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@bmc wrote:

A&A seem to understand the process and have successfully ported several PlusNet numbers after members switched to either FTTP or SOGEA.

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Thanks @bmc that sounds really reassuring. 

I agree, A&A really are excellent; they will be my VoIP supplier. I'll see where I get to, and report back

[#15]

@rmappleby 

One other thing to mention. You need to sort your phone out before the port so it works.

You may need to get an ATA.

Brian