topic Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP... in Full Fibre

Full Fibre install and VOIP...

jimchjones — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:44:00 GMT

It looks as if my favoured option for copper switch off is to stay with Plusnet so I can keep my static Ip address and use a third party VOIP supplier to take over the landline mumber. OK so far, but how does installation timing work? Can't migrate landline to VOIP over the current desperately slow copper, but equally hard to get twoseparte orgs to cooperate too precisely. In an ideal world it would be good to have the copper left live for a week or so to permit a structured migration, but I bet the damn rules prevent that...

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

jab1 — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:49:46 GMT

@jimchjones Basically, although I'm sure you will get a more comprehensive reply from someone else, you get the FTTP installation done, and then you have 30 days to transfer the phone number to a supplier of your choice.

You cannot have two Openreach services at the same address.

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

jimchjones — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:05:45 GMT

Thanks, yes, I've found the thirty days, but if on day 0 the OR engineer installs the fibre and pulls the copper it would seem that I am stuck without an operational land line until the VOIP goes live.

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

jab1 — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:10:02 GMT

You are, but the VoIP transfer is fairly rapid. https://www.aa.net.uk/ has a comprehensive useful guide.

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

bmc — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:09:34 GMT

@jimchjones

As you can't "port" the number until after Full Fibre is installed you will have a few days downtime on the phone. To do so before hand risks your PN account being closed and the FF install cancelled.

One option, especially with A&A is to set up an account with them and take a generic number to start with. This gives you the opportunity to ensure your phones work with VOIP and covers you on the downtime on your main number.

Once your number has ported successfully you cancel the generic number. Costs a few quid extra to go this way but it keeps you with a phone service.

Note that VOIP doesn't work during power cuts and that house extensions don't work without some extra effort.

Brian

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

PhilipHeyes — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 06:12:36 GMT

We also started the VoIP account with a new number months before the land line number was ported in from BT
and had our VoIP kit installed and working.

Now we have the new Sipgate allocated number plus the old BT land line number on the same account
i.e. dial either number and the calls are routed to the same VoIP phone.

Out bound calls can display either number for the Caller Id,
but we have configured the old be land line number to be displayed as that is what banks / GPs etc expect to see.

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

MisterW — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 06:14:36 GMT

@jimchjones

but if on day 0 the OR engineer installs the fibre and pulls the copper it would seem that I am stuck without an operational land line until the VOIP goes live.

It doesnt matter whether the copper is still there or not, the phone service will be ceased as soon as the FTTP goes live.

As @bmc says , you will have a gap of a few days with no phone service

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

jimchjones — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:03:06 GMT

Thanks all.
Seems like our culture continually works to find new ways of delivering poor service!

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

bmc — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:41:48 GMT

@jimchjones

At least PN are largely blameless on this. It was a Corporate decision not to offer VOIP. If you stay with PN then you cannot port your number until after Full Fibre is installed.

You current service depends on the copper line being active and when you port the number it cancels the line. As PN depend on this to control your service they then cancel your Account. No account, no FF install as it too gets cancelled.

Brian

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

jimchjones — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:35:39 GMT

Sure, but as a customer you don't really care where in the conglomerate of linked companies executives chose to en[-Censored-]tify the service, you only care that it happened.

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

jimchjones — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:10:07 GMT

The next question is how do I contact Plus net to ensure that I keep my static IP address. All the communication I've had has been from "noreply" (more ensh**ifiaction?) and I have a mental quirk that makes it hard to telephone strangers.

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

jab1 — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:14:31 GMT

If you are merely changing from FTTC to FTTP on the same account, you should retain the static IP, as that is tied to the account not the service.

In the very unlikely event it does get 'forgotten', a post on here requesting its reinstatement is all that is required.

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

ccarmock — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 22:42:32 GMT

I just did the same thing - upgraded from Plusnet FTTC (with phone line provided by BT). On the day of upgrade the Fibre was installed and working fine (using the same Static IP address I had before).

The engineer did strip out the Copper drop wire when the fitted the fibre. Later the same day if I called my old landline number I got a message to say the number had not been recognised.

Towards the end of that day I got an email from Plusnet to confirm the upgrade was complete.

Then I put a port request in for the number. My VoIP provider confirmed a day later that BT had accepted the port request and it would complete two weeks later.

While I wait for that - the number is out of service. 2 weeks for porting seems to be fairly common, so you'll need to be prepared to be without landline number for a while.

It is also important not to start the port process until you have confirmation the upgrade order is marked as fully complete. If you do it before that the port request can cause the Plusnet account to be closed down ceasing your broadband service.

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

jimchjones — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 05:46:53 GMT

Thanks for that. I'd wondered about putting a divert on my landline to a temp number from my VOIP supplier, but it seems as if it won't work. I wonder how much business the BT group is losing through the various irritating doctrinaire policy decisions3. I'm taking my voice away from BT because I don't want to move to EE, and moving my mother off BT completely to local fibre.

Re: Full Fibre install and VOIP...

Baldrick1 — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:55:34 GMT

More expensive, but a way of transferring both services pretty seamlessly, is to move to an ISP that offers both a combined Phone and data service with a fixed IP address. Zen comes to mind.

Obviously it will be a different IP address.