topic Re: Does PN use SOTAP in Broadband

Does PN use SOTAP

Archer — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 16:41:02 GMT

I noticed that PN had taken up the OR product SOGEA to provide service to FTTC customers. What I did not notice was PN taking up the SOTAP product to service ADSL customers.

Following the stop sell deadline, the PN website only appears to offer connections which include fibre somewhere.

Does anyone know where PN stands on the use of SOTAP?

I'm interested as, being an ADSL customer, I'll be looking for such a connection before too long.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Does PN use SOTAP

corringham — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 16:54:04 GMT

That's an interesting question. There has been no mention of SOTAP that I have seen (my area is ADSL only, but we have an altnet FTTP service available so there are not many ADSL users left here).

I have a feeling that there won't be enough customers requiring SOTAP for Plusnet to bother - it will be cheaper for them to lose some customers than to use SOTAP (just adding it to their billing system and training staff is likely more than it is worth).

Of course, anyone with only ADSL available are likely to have an increasingly limited choice of ISP as PSTN is withdrawn.

Re: Does PN use SOTAP

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:00:43 GMT

@Archer

If you look at your Plusnet "Member Centre" - "Offers and Upgrades", does it give you any clue there ?

Pictured below was what mine was showing for FTTC, but I don't see why it would be different for your ADSL.

The top "offer" shows - to just renew the contract and keep the existing broadband AND landline as it is.

The bottom "offer" - is to 'upgrade' from FTTC to SOGEA and lose the voice component of the landline.

Re: Does PN use SOTAP

corringham — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:13:29 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

Pictured below was what mine was showing for FTTC, but I don't see why it would be different for your ADSL.

It would be different for ADSL because SOGEA wouldn't be available (if it was I'm sure the OP would have FTTC now).

Re: Does PN use SOTAP

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:35:28 GMT

@corringham - Either I don't get your point, or you didn't get mine ?

I'm suggesting that @Archer 's offers 'might' include an 'upgrade' from existing ADSL to SOTAP or SOADSL ?

nothing to do with SOGEA, which as you say isn't available.

It would be worth @Archer checking the BT Broadband Availability Checker, to see weather SOADSL is 'available', or if they are now in a "full fibre" only area after the stop sell.

I see that for my own line, the checker states at the bottom "SOADSL is not restricted at the exchange", which would also be worth @Archer checking for.

Re: Does PN use SOTAP

Archer — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 20:41:21 GMT

Hi, I checked on the BT Availability Checker and SOTAP is available and unrestricted.

Also, I checked what PNs stable mate EE would offer. After years of offering me broadband deals, EE said their network was not available where I lived.

Maybe they are taking a similar approach to the one suggested by @corringham.

Looking at offers and upgrades in the members centre only shows my current deal.

Hope that helps debate.

Re: Does PN use SOTAP

corringham — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 08:14:08 GMT

@Anonymous , I maybe wasn't clear. My point is that there has never been any suggestion that Plusnet will offer SOTAP (or SOADSL), so I think it unlikely that there will be an upgrade offer which doesn't include land-line.

And since we are now past the PSTN stop-sell date any regrade involving a land-line won't be available. So the only option for an ADSL only area is to keep the exact product with no changes at all (other than a fixed term contract to bring the price down a bit).

And as @Archer mentions, EE are not providing SOTAP/SOADSL either - and just report no broadband availability at ADSL only addresses. I expect Plusnet to follow their lead.

UPDATE: I have just checked what Plusnet offer for my (ADSL only) address - just an error page. So it looks as if they are indeed followoing EE's lead, but without a working website to tell you so.

EE offer 4G only for my address.

Re: Does PN use SOTAP

Archer — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 12:40:31 GMT

To summarise then,

It looks like PN may have chosen not to take SOTAP from OR and not to have ADSL customers, (a commercial decision).

So come my renewal time, without the relevant OR product to sell me, I will need to reluctantly part company from PN.

Please correct me if I have miss understood.

Re: Does PN use SOTAP

corringham — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 12:45:28 GMT

At renewal time you should be able to renew your contract with exactly the same product, but you won't be able to change it (even if some other product was available).

Once PSTN is actually withdrawn, then Plusnet won't have a product for you.

I'm no longer a Plusnet broadband customer, but now I can never be a customer again as they have no product (phone, broadband, or mobile) available to me.

Re: Does PN use SOTAP

pjmarsh — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 12:48:37 GMT

Is SOTAP available from anyone at the moment? The Openreach product page for it, last updated 27th May, talks about them developing it and "when it is launched".

Re: Does PN use SOTAP

Archer — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 16:12:15 GMT

The observation from @pjmarsh made me search for a SOTAP launch date.

I found the reported update from OR saying "In areas where neither FTTP nor SOGEA is available, representing approximately 5% of the UK, the option to choose ADSL via a WLR PSTN line will remain accessible until 28th March 2024"

So I guess we 5%,(we happy few), need not worry till next March.