landline still working following SOGEA switch

[#1]

Hi

I was told after I renewed my broadband contract that it would be SOGEA broadband and I would lose my landline number. I had an email to conform the switch has been completed but the landline phone is still working? Any ideas, I don't mind either way, but was told it would be dead and my broadband connection should be slightly faster as a result. 

Thanks 

[#2]

Hi @awells 

The phone line cease is due to complete today so it should go off at the latest by midnight.

If it's still working tomorrow let us know 

[#3]

I'm waiting for the opportunity to switch to SOGEA without changing my product (Unlimited Fibre Extra), as I'm happy in losing my landline number (I've been using VoIP for years).

The question is, does the line rental cost get dropped from SOGEA charges, or is it retained to pay for supporting FTTC cabinet and copper to premises infrastructure?

[#4]

As an addendum to the above;

@Townman rightly points out;
'I find it amazing how so many people simply do not get that a line is required to deliver the service, irrespective of the desire to use a voice service'

What appears to be missed by this statement is that on SoGEA, you are no longer using the PSTN hardware, the expensive maintenance element of the landline service, so surely the only additional infrastructure over FTTP that requires supporting on SoGEA, is the FTTC cabinet, and the copper line to the house.

Surely the line rental SHOULD therefore be less than with FTTC with home phone?

[#5]

It could be argued that call charges cover the costs associated with the exchange equipment which is made redundant by SOGEA, leaving the cost of maintaining the circuit little changed.

[#6]

Thanks Townman

If you accept that argument, i.e. the call costs cover the PSTN equipment maintenance, and then compare the 'out of contract' prices for similar services;

Unlimited Fibre Extra: £54.39

Full Fibre 74: £34.32

Thats an additional £20 to cover the infrastructure maintenance for FTTC + Copper to premises.

I don't know what the 'in contract', or 'out of contract' prices are for SOGEA, or indeed if line rental is listed as a separate entry, (maybe a member could enlighten us), but I'm sure many of us will frown at being charged an extra £20 extra for switching to SOGEA, rather than choosing FTTP.

Furthermore, why is there no line rental with FTTP, when, just like ADSL & FTTC, there is obviously equipment to be maintained?

[#7]

Some have reported SOGEA being £2 cheaper than FTTC (with voice).

FTTP being fibre is intrinsically more reliable than copper.

[#8]

That implies everyone who is currently on ADSL, or FTTC, who is either unable, or chooses not to upgrade to FTTP before the PSTN switch off, will be switched to SOGEA, and pay about £18 more for essentially the same speed service?

Whilst I could switch over to FTTP tomorrow, there are many who can't, either because it's not available, or their current infrastructure makes it impractical, e.g. they have no power near a suitable FTTP entry point.

These are the consumers who will be unfairly penalised.

[#9]

I think the price Townman suggests is the difference of the in-contract cost between SoGEA and FTTC that some people have experienced. 

Out of contract price for SoGEA is currently £30 a month. 

In-contract prices for either product can vary and is something worth discussing with the Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632. 

[#10]

@bgiles  Why do you think people switching to SOGEA will be paying out of contract prices? I have an "upgrade" offer to move to it for a couple of pounds per month less than my FTTC contract.

[#11]

@RealAleMadrid 

I'm trying to compare like-for-like, which is difficult when many of the 'in-contract' packages are discounted on a per user basis, hence looked at the out-of-contract prices.

This is what I believe we ALL see in 'Legal bit' of our deals;

Unlimited Fibre Extra (12 and 18 month contracts) i.e. FTTC

Prices and terms are subject to change during your contract.

For Plusnet customers that sign up for 12 or 18 months (as appropriate). Line rental is included in the price (line only, no calls included). Price from month 13 or 19 (as appropriate) currently £54.39 a month (incl. line rental). Outside of your 14 day cancellation period, if you choose to end your service within the minimum period, you will have to pay an early termination charge.

Full Fibre Broadband (12, 18 and 24 month contracts) i.e. FTTP

Prices and terms are subject to change during your contract.

For Plusnet customers that sign up for 12, 18 or 24 months (as appropriate). Price from month 13,19 or 25 (as appropriate) currently: Full Fibre 74 - £34.32, Full Fibre 145 - £40.04, Full Fibre 300 - £45.76, Full Fibre 500 - £53.77, Full Fibre 900 - £62.92. Compatible line required. Otherwise an installation is required. We'll include a wireless router. Outside of your 14 day cancellation period, if you choose to end your service within the minimum period, you will have to pay an early termination charge.

@Gandalf 

I see no option in my portal to change to SOGEA, but if it were there, and the out-of contract price was around £30 like you say, that's £24 less than Unlimited Fibre Extra, I would take it up, knowing the in-contract would very likely be less than I'm paying for 74MB FTTC.

[#12]

Be useful to have a simple guide as to how to go about switching to SOGEA before the end of a contract, retaining your phone number so it can be ported to a VOIP provider, etc.  We are due to have our landline shutdown in the spring.  Our Plusnet contract (FTTC with phone) runs out in the spring. 

Ideally I'd like to make sure that we never have a break in landline phone service when the PSTN shuts down, as we very much rely on it (no mobile signal, partially sighted elderly relative some distance away that relies on calling us every day).  I've got a seemingly reliable battery-backed VOIP phone working on a different number as an experiment, but must keep our old number and transfer that to VOIP as far too many people know that number and some of the older ones would struggle to programme new numbers in to speed dial.

Be great if there could be a 100% accurate and reliable guide to switching to SOGEA, keeping you phone number to be ported out, whether there would be termination penalties for being forced to do this before contract expiry, etc.  Needs to be in really simple language too, as we have a couple of elderly friends that also use Plusnet landline phones and I am sure they would struggle if they had to do what I've done over the past few weeks just to retain an emergency-capable phone.