topic Re: According to Customer Services....... in Broadband

According to Customer Services.......

bazzer — Fri, 08 May 2026 17:05:26 GMT

I cannot upgrade to FTTP with PN and have my landline ported to another provider.

My options are:

1) Move to EE

2) Have FTTP with PN and lose my landline

3) Leave PN and take everything to another provider if I do not want to switch to EE.

I believe this is wrong and that I can stay with PN for FTTP broadband only and have my landline ported to another provider.

The CS agent said she would transfer me to technical support, but instead cut me off.

I phoned PN because I wanted to know how to notify them to quarantine my landline number to prevent it from being lost.

Re: According to Customer Services.......

bmc — Fri, 08 May 2026 17:22:07 GMT

@bazzer

Your number gets automatically quarantined for 30 days after your service is ceased as per OFCOM rules.

Brian

Re: According to Customer Services.......

bazzer — Fri, 08 May 2026 17:28:36 GMT

@bmc It's a shame PN CS don't know this.

I had all this last year when I called them to renew my contract and ended up losing my account and all my email accounts because they incorrectly advised me that I could not continue with my landline.

Thanks to people within this forum who knew better, I managed to stop them from cutting off my telephone.

Re: According to Customer Services.......

Penny — Fri, 08 May 2026 17:47:08 GMT

@bazzer wrote:

I cannot upgrade to FTTP with PN and have my landline ported to another provider.

My options are:

1) Move to EE

2) Have FTTP with PN and lose my landline

... The CS agent said she would transfer me to technical support, but instead cut me off.

I phoned PN because I wanted to know how to notify them to quarantine my landline number to prevent it from being lost.

@bazzer I'm not a techie but as far as I understand it, you can opt for FTTP with PN and subsequently have your landline number transferred to VOIP.

To quote (partially) from the second half of a post I made here:

Within the first 30 days after your landline is ceased (for whatever reason), it should be possible for the number to be retrieved by a firm like https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-information/ .

I believe ceased-landlines go into quarantine *automatically*. Others here (several other threads) have recommended setting up an aa.net account (with some random new number) *before* the landline is ceased, so that it is then easier/swifter to get the ceased landline-number retrieved and reinstated in VOIP.

As far as I understand it, the set-up cost for VOIP is £12 plus ongoing cost of £1.50 plus VAT per month for a single number, and there are various options shown on that page for dealing with incoming calls (eg forwarding to a mobile charged at 4p/minute).

From what I've read on the forums here, most people use VOIP for incoming rather than outgoing calls, but (a) it means your previous landline-number remains current (so people can contact you) and (b) it means you don't need to notify all the people who usually call the landline-number, straight away. Additionally you shouldn't need to buy a new handset or an adaptor if you're happy to use their forward-to-a-mobile service and pay for the redirected calls.

Others here will fill in any gaps or correct any inaccuracies in the above but as far as I'm aware, there's nothing PN can/should do, to quarantine your landline number, this is something that should happen *automatically* when the landline is ceased and the quarantine retrieval-window should last for 30 days.

Edited to add: Sorry, I see @bmc gave you a much swifter reply but I've left what I said above in place, in case any aspect of it is found useful - regards, Penny.

Re: According to Customer Services.......

bazzer — Fri, 08 May 2026 17:48:05 GMT

@Penny I believe you are absolutely correct, and it is exactly what I believed.

I just don't think that some CS agents in PN know this and instead of saying so, they give incorrect information.

Re: According to Customer Services.......

njay — Fri, 08 May 2026 18:34:01 GMT

Bt website not clear either on the 30 day retention as faq says

No, you can’t retrieve your number once you’ve opted for Broadband only. This will also apply if you switch to a new provider.

And in answer to can i change my mind

Yes, you can. If you are outside your 14-day cooling off period, you will need to choose a new package and start a new contract with us. However, you won’t be able to get your old phone number back. We’ll give you a new one instead.

Re: According to Customer Services.......

Penny — Fri, 08 May 2026 18:38:15 GMT

@njay wrote:
Bt website not clear either on the 30 day retention as faq says
No, you can’t retrieve your number once you’ve opted for Broadband only. This will also apply if you switch to a new provider.

@njay Would you happen to have a page reference for that, a link (?)

Re: According to Customer Services.......

njay — Fri, 08 May 2026 18:53:24 GMT

I just searched for bt broadband deals and on the build your package page, scroll down and the faq is section is further down

Re: According to Customer Services.......

Penny — Fri, 08 May 2026 22:09:05 GMT

@njay wrote:
Bt website not clear either on the 30 day retention as faq says
No, you can’t retrieve your number once you’ve opted for Broadband only. This will also apply if you switch to a new provider.
And in answer to can i change my mind
Yes, you can. If you are outside your 14-day cooling off period, you will need to choose a new package and start a new contract with us. However, you won’t be able to get your old phone number back. We’ll give you a new one instead.

@njay wrote:
... bt broadband deals and on the build your package page, scroll down and the faq is section is further down

@njay Took me some while to locate a page with the exact wording you quoted

Just extraordinary.

Thanks very much for flagging this up, @njay . I will ask some questions in the SU group 😐

Re: According to Customer Services.......

Baldrick1 — Sat, 09 May 2026 09:40:07 GMT

My interpretation of this is that it does not mean that ‘it can’t be recovered’, it clearly can be. Rather it means ‘It can’t be recovered and ported to BT’s Digital Phone service’. I can quite believe that they are not prepared to go to the bother, which I understand requires manual intervention.

Re: According to Customer Services.......

jab1 — Sat, 09 May 2026 09:44:38 GMT

@Baldrick1 wrote:

. Rather it means ‘It can’t be recovered and ported to BT’s Digital Phone service’. I can quite believe that they are not prepared to go to the bother, which I understand requires manual intervention.

Why not - Every other reputable VOIP supplier will at least attempt it?

Re: According to Customer Services.......

Baldrick1 — Sat, 09 May 2026 11:08:01 GMT

@jab1

Is that fact or an assumption? BT Digital Voice is part of, or a stand alone product, it is not a VoIP service that can be stitched on to a third party data line.

Re: According to Customer Services.......

jab1 — Sat, 09 May 2026 11:18:45 GMT

@Baldrick1 I totally agree that BT Digital Voice is not an industry-standard product (I wonder why) and therefore could have (un)intended consequences, should anyone wish to move voice suppliers. I obviously don't know the rationale behind BT's decision, but I suppose I could have a reasonably good guess.

Re: According to Customer Services.......

Baldrick1 — Sat, 09 May 2026 11:44:30 GMT

The fact that BT group use their own communication protocol is totally irrelevant. It is the phone number that is portable, not the technology used to provide the service.

Re: According to Customer Services.......

jab1 — Sat, 09 May 2026 11:52:43 GMT

So why is porting the number so supposedly complicated?

Re: According to Customer Services.......

pvmb — Sat, 09 May 2026 12:35:22 GMT

@Baldrick1 wrote:

My interpretation of this is that it does not mean that ‘it can’t be recovered’, it clearly can be. Rather it means ‘It can’t be recovered and ported to BT’s Digital Phone service’. I can quite believe that they are not prepared to go to the bother, which I understand requires manual intervention.

That's my interpretation too. In effect, it's what Plusnet are saying to people with a landline "We transfer you to EE, or you lose your landline". That's not untrue! This is, IMO, as much a linguistic issue as a technical one. 😉

I am a pedant, I like to call a spade whatever it actually is. A spade... I feel that casual, loose and incorrect use of words only leads to confusions. I hear the word "landline" being banded about all over the place (not just on here) and can see it being used to mean three (at least) entirely different things.

Firstly: When you lose your 'landline' phone service it's gone, for ever. It's never coming back again, ever. Anymore that B&W television on 405 lines is coming back.

You will be left with, a digital network connection (whether through Broadband - on a 'landline'! - or via FTTP fibre). If you so choose, you can have a 'Home phone' service (not a 'landline' phone!) whether supplied by EE or anyone else, via your digital network connection.

If you want, and if you choose to have a 'Home phone' (not a 'landline' phone) service via the digital network, you can even choose to transfer your old, now dead landline ID number (i.e. landline phone number) ported to your brand new, digital 'Home phone'. Provided you ask for this within 30 days of your landline phone service being ceased.

This, I take it, is the case whether with Plusnet or BT. It's just that Plusnet won't be able to help you - other than simply passing your custom to EE - and BT themselves will, if you stay with them for their in house Digital Voice service (see above). Otherwise, in both cases, it is up to you to arrange to have a 'Home phone' service via your digital network. connection. If this, then neither BT or Plusnet will have any future involvement with your 'Home phone'.

As has also been pointed out elsewhere, you can even get an app for your mobile to receive calls coming to your 'landline' phone number. I just let the landline phone go and stick to Wi-Fi Calling on a mobile.

Re: According to Customer Services.......

Jones — Sat, 09 May 2026 14:53:45 GMT

Does this mean that somebody who has broadband with Plusnet and a VoIP service with say, A&A, wouldn't be able to move to EE for broadband with Digital Voice and keep the same number?

Re: According to Customer Services.......

Townman — Sat, 09 May 2026 14:56:47 GMT

Semantics are indeed important.

Losing the "landline" is indeed ambiguous, but "losing the phone number and not being able to recover it ... and having to get a new one allocated" is neither ambiguous nor (at a technical level) correct. Released numbers should (by Ofcom requirements) fall into a state of quarantine from where they can be picked up by any VoIP (digital voice) supplier who choses to do so.

Perhaps one might read into this that EE / BT Retail do not want to do this to help users ... not that it cannot be done technically, if only there was the will to do so?

Re: According to Customer Services.......

Townman — Sat, 09 May 2026 15:00:54 GMT

@Jones wrote:
Does this mean that somebody who has broadband with Plusnet and a VoIP service with say, A&A, wouldn't be able to move to EE for broadband with Digital Voice and keep the same number?

Google is always a useful resource...

"Can a VoIP number with A&A be transferred to BT digital voice"

Yes, it is generally possible to transfer a VoIP number from Andrews & Arnold (A&A) to BT Digital Voice, but it can be complex and depends on the specific number, as A&A has very limited porting agreements. [1, 2, 3]

Here are the key considerations and steps for this transfer:

1. Porting from A&A to BT

Porting Possibility: While A&A provides VoIP, porting out can be difficult because they have limited porting agreements. However, many UK geographical numbers are portable.
Initiating the Transfer: You must initiate the request with BT. BT will then contact A&A to request the number, acting as the "gaining provider."
Process: The number will be ported over and assigned to your BT Digital Voice service, usually plugged into the Smart Hub 2. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

2. Crucial Steps & Tips

Do Not Cancel A&A First: Never cancel your service with your old provider before the number has ported to the new one, or you may lose the number.
Identify the Number: Ensure the number is a standard geographical number.
Account Information: You will need your A&A VoIP account details and your phone number. [1, 2, 3, 4]

3. Potential Issues

Porting Limitations: A&A notes that they have limited porting agreements, so porting to a specific provider like BT might not be guaranteed for all numbers.
Service Interruption: If you currently have broadband with A&A, porting the number out may cease that service, requiring you to arrange new broadband service with BT. [1, 2]

If the number is already on a separate A&A VoIP account (meaning it is no longer tied to an active copper PSTN line), the process is generally easier, as it is a VoIP-to-VoIP transfer. [1, 2]

The answer might be "it depends...".

Re: According to Customer Services.......

Baldrick1 — Sat, 09 May 2026 15:42:00 GMT

I guess that the question, “if I have a data service with EE, is it possible to port a landline number in to their Digital Voice service” is one that would bamboozle their first line support. I suspect that the default ‘computer says no’ (i.e. there’s not enough demand to bother), would be the default answer.