topic Re: Renewing BB and Home phone in My Account/Billing

Renewing BB and Home phone

susanm — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:55:01 GMT

My contract ends 31st March and I'm thinking of staying with PN but need reassurance about the changeover to VOIP phone before i make this decision. I have been offered a new contract with another provider (cheaper to) but I've been with PN for years and I must admit never had any issues .

* will I be sent a new router when I renew and can my existing home phone be plugged into this router to work when the VOIP changeover happens
* Will I have to buy a new phone ,I'm concerned as i don't need the extra expense.
All this will help me make my decision to stay with PN as it will be easier for me in the end

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

MisterW — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:17:03 GMT

but need reassurance about the changeover to VOIP phone

What changeover to voip ? BT retail are changing people to voip but Plusnet have no plans to do so, in fact they have no plans for voip at all.

At the moment you have two options, can recontract on your existing product which includes a landline, or you can change to a Fibre without phone contract and get voip through a separate provider if you still require a landline phone number

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

dvorak — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:21:24 GMT

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Broadband to My Account / Billing

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

aks100 — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:26:29 GMT

My mother-in-law is with PN and contract ending 8/Feb. She is in her eighties and does not have or want a mobile. The lack of a 'landline phone' option is terrifying for her, and I'll need to get a single supplier to resolve this switchover.

Is it possible to port her current LL number out, without loss of service?

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

bmc — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:32:27 GMT

@susanm

PN do not offer a VOIP service and are unlikely to do so in the future.

While you can renew your contract with a phone service this is likely the last time you'll be able to do so.

If you leave PN you lose any add ons - eg e-mail.

Have a look at the FAQ's on A&A to read up on VOIP (and check out their prices). It is potentially cheaper to go internet only with PN and VOIP from another provider.

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

Brian

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

aks100 — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:35:44 GMT

Thanks, it means managing two providers, but I'll have a look.

How do I port her number out for VOIP, and keep he BB connection alive, even with PN?

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:40:28 GMT

@susanm wrote:

* will I be sent a new router when I renew and can my existing home phone be plugged into this router to work when the VOIP changeover happens
* Will I have to buy a new phone ,I'm concerned as i don't need the extra expense.

If you choose to move your landline number to a third party VoIP provider (such as A&A ), then you can keep your existing phone handset, but you would need a "VoIP ATA adaptor" costing £45 to £95, to convert your handset, to be able to plug into an ethernet socket on whatever broadband router you have.

As you mentioned "extra expense", when you are looking at other providers, make sure you carefully check what your typical monthly calls are likely to cost. Beware that many "digital voice" alternatives are charged at similar rates to existing out of bundle analogue phone calls, whereas "VoIP" calls are typically MUCH cheaper and you have a better choice of phones etc

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

MisterW — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:52:24 GMT

@aks100

Is it possible to port her current LL number out, without loss of service?

No, porting out the current number will cease the broadband and landline.

How do I port her number out for VOIP, and keep he BB connection alive, even with PN?

You change to a Fibre (or Full fibre if available) , which ceases the landline and changes to broadband only, you then have 30 days to port the number to a voip provider.

Being brutally honest, in that situation I'd suggest moving to BT who will provide digital voice. It will cost more , but they will provide all the equipment and handle the transfer. If you call PN customer options , they can arrange the transfer (although they will need to speak with m-i-l to confirm). Bear in mind that digital voice/voip will not work in a power cut situation so a charged mobile is still a very good idea.

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

bmc — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:58:55 GMT

@aks100

If you go to a provider who offers both there should be little or no downtime on the phone. I'm afraid their would be if you chose PN for internet and port the number to a VOIP provider.

Brian

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

susanm — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 22:29:25 GMT

I spoke with customer services at PN this week and explained my concerns about the landline issue . I explained I still wanted a BB and a home phone package and asked about the changes and would there be any problems when home phone went digital . The staff member told me there would be no problem whatsoever and I wouldn't notice any difference . The change would be from copper to digital causing no issue to me .
I was quoted a contract price including home phone for 18 months .

So if this is the case was the staff member giving me wrong information. ?

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

RealAleMadrid — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 22:48:08 GMT

@susanm Don't believe a word of it, Plusnet are not providing a digital phone service.😫

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

greygit1 — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 23:01:32 GMT

Being brutally honest, in that situation I'd suggest moving to BT who will provide digital voice. It will cost more , but they will provide all the equipment and handle the transfer. If you call PN customer options , they can arrange the transfer (although they will need to speak with m-i-l to confirm). Bear in mind that digital voice/voip will not work in a power cut situation so a charged mobile is still a very good idea.

A 'PAYG' tellingbone call package with SOGEA from BT is (I think) a quid more expensive than Pnet ?

An all-inclusive call package with BT will definitely be more expensive (about a tenner a month more?).

(Similar technical sort of stuff happening in my life, but very different personal circumstances).

The BT-supplied h/w appears to be geared at the 'plug-and-play' level (although I've yet to have real-world experience of how it performs).

Another option could possibly include investigation as to whether there's a LLU player (which means Talk-Talk or Sky) at the local level.

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 23:36:49 GMT

@susanm wrote:
So if this is the case was the staff member giving me wrong information. ?

I think all of the answers could be interpreted as true depending on what the staff member was talking about.

@susanm wrote:
... asked ... would there be any problems when home phone went digital . The staff member told me there would be no problem whatsoever and I wouldn't notice any difference .

It is true to say that once your phone handset is converted to VoIP, that it works as it has always done, and in some ways better, so in daily use you wouldn't notice a difference.

However you would still have the hassle of porting your existing number to a third party supplier or changing ISP, then either buying a new VoIP phone or sourcing an adaptor to convert your current handset, and there should have been mention that digital/VoIP phones don't work during a power cut (unlike the existing telephone which do).

@susanm wrote:
The change would be from copper to digital causing no issue to me .

Upgrading your broadband from FTTC to SoGEA won't cause any issues to your broadband service and email etc.

You would carry on using your existing router, and cables, as they are now with no changes other than unplugging the disabled phone from the wall socket.

@susanm wrote:
I was quoted a contract price including home phone for 18 months .

That must be a renewal quote for the continuation your existing setup (i.e. broadband and PSTN phone service) for another 18 months. Note that the UK phone system switch off is at the end of 2025 so an 18 month extension from now is about as long as they can offer you.

HOWEVER, as others have said, Plusnet DO NOT provide VoIP or "digital voice" alternatives for customers with existing traditional analogue telephone service.

If you came away from the conversation thinking that Plusnet were offering you a digital/VoIP phone service, then the staff member was either at cross purposes, or gave you the wrong information.

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

susanm — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 09:33:35 GMT

Thanks to you all .

So , as PN have offered me an 18 month BB and home package phone ( anytime / unlimited )from 31st March can I assume I will be OK for the next 18 months and then after 18 months and prior to contract ending find myself another provider .? This would be easier for me and give me another 18months to understand these changes .

I find all this confusing and don't have family support so I do appreciate your help .

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

RobPN — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 10:54:11 GMT

@aks100 wrote:

My mother-in-law is with PN and contract ending 8/Feb. She is in her eighties and does not have or want a mobile. The lack of a 'landline phone' option is terrifying for her, and I'll need to get a single supplier to resolve this switchover.

Is it possible to port her current LL number out, without loss of service?

@aks100

Is your MiL in receipt of any means tested benefits such as Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)?

If so, she could move to BTs 'Home Essentials' scheme which covers Internet and Digital Voice at a very low cost.

see https://www.bt.com/content/dam/bt/help/home-essentials/102076_Home_Essentials_Online.pdf

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

Baldrick1 — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:54:46 GMT

@susanm wrote:
So , as PN have offered me an 18 month BB and home package phone ( anytime / unlimited )from 31st March can I assume I will be OK for the next 18 months and then after 18 months and prior to contract ending find myself another provider .? This would be easier for me and give me another 18months to understand these changes .

This would be my choice. I would confirm this by ringing the Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 who will do the necessary. Note that they will need to talk to the account holder. Note that the new contract will start straight away, not from the end of the current contract.

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

aks100 — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 13:32:39 GMT

Thanks, no she does not get any benefits.

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

susanm — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 15:50:50 GMT

"Note that the new contract will start straight away, not from the end of the current contract."

Re the above text copied from Baldrick saying if I renew now the new contract starts immediately surely its best I wait until last week in March as my contract ends 31st. I thought it would start at end of contract .

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

Gandalf — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 16:06:15 GMT

Thought it's worth me noting that if a contract is renewed over the phone, it'll begin on the next billing date. If renewed online, then more often than not, it'll start the next working day as @Baldrick1 says.

Re: Renewing BB and Home phone

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 16:26:10 GMT

@susanm wrote:

... as PN have offered me an 18 month BB and home package phone ( anytime / unlimited )from 31st March can I assume I will be OK for the next 18 months and then after 18 months and prior to contract ending find myself another provider .? This would be easier for me and give me another 18months to understand these changes .

@susanm wrote:

... if I renew now the new contract starts immediately surely its best I wait until last week in March as my contract ends 31st. I thought it would start at end of contract .

Another way of considering this is, after 18 months time when you have had time to "understand these changes", would it be better for you to be 'upgrading' your broadband package and converting your phone to VoIP, in July 2025 or September 2025 ?.

Alternatively, you still have more than eleven weeks until your existing contract expires, plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements, and have the inevitable decision done and dusted and off your mind, rather than wait until the final months before the old telephone switch-off, when there could be a mad rush for all those late converters trying to buying VoIP phones or VoIP adaptors, etc.