topic Re: Porting Desk Contact Number in Home Phone

Porting Desk Contact Number

Phaeton — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 14:29:57 GMT

Does anyone have a Porting Desk Contact number or email, for Fixed (not Mobile) at Plusnet

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

jab1 — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:28:54 GMT

@Phaeton There isn't one. Why do you need to port your number - just out of interest?

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Phaeton — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 16:11:48 GMT

I don't, I work for another CP (communications provider) a Plusnet customer has moved from FTTP to Full Fibre, they want to retain their old Fixed line number by porting it into our company. We have requested a Port-in via our hosting company but it has been rejected (correctly) as it is no longer a working line, under normal practise rules.

However this is arbitrary & should Plusnet wish to they could release the number to us, looking at the forum posts there are several other customers in the same situation & this potentially be a solution for them.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

jab1 — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 16:27:55 GMT

Ah, get you. I assume you mean they have moved from FTTC to FTTP, Unfortunately - as I understand it - when customer of Plusnets moves to FTTP, that ceases their fixed-line number, and it is returned to BT, so any attempt to re-use would have to be directed to BT?

Only my interpretation of the situation, from what I have read.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

jab1 — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 16:53:05 GMT

Sorry - should have said above 'original range-holder' as that may have not been BT.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

MisterW — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 17:23:20 GMT

and it is returned to BT, so any attempt to re-use would have to be directed to BT?

And thereby hangs the problem. Plusnet no longer 'own' the number and therefore can't accept the port.

I'm not sure exactly who owns it ( BTW or Openrwach ? ) but I would guess there's no means to address a port request to them...

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Phaeton — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 17:43:26 GMT

Well potentially this is only a procedural issue, in this specific instance the RH (Range Holder) is BT, but it depends on the way Plusnet obtains them, are they on a sub-allocation or are they on a number by number basis?

Once Plusnet no longer has any use of the number(s) does it immediately return the number or does Plusnet hold onto them for a quarantine period if the number has been returned it's likely to be a dead end, trying to get BT to do something for the good of a customer is slim to no hope. But if the number is still within the Plusnet umbrella then even though it may not be attached to an account they could still potentially release it.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

MisterW — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 18:48:29 GMT

Neither @jab1 or myself are staff and so whilst we have some understanding of how we believe the system works, you really need a staff member to provide the exact details. They're a bit busy at the moment so it's likely to be 2 or 3vdays before they will respond.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Townman — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 12:45:18 GMT

@Phaeton

Like @MisterW and @jab1 I am not staff either, but given your illumination, I would think that it is on a number-by-number basis - certainly for the majority of numbers - as they would have been ported in previously from all and sundry (BT, Sky, Talk Talk, Virgin Media...). Plusnet has never offered CP only services.

Loss of voice services on migration to FTTP (with Plusnet) and the (enforced) loss of the landline number is a real bone of contention / concern for users here. If there is a solution coming out of this, it would be very helpful to share the detail here, as I am sure that if there is a solution to be had ... there is a good deal of business to be had. I'd be interested personally.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Phaeton — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 14:45:12 GMT

@Townman

It's been a while since I was in Plusnet, at one point I knew all the Directors & the Chairman, but that has long gone, we are a small CP with our own range of numbers, who can do most things without the need for 100's of meetings to discuss what is going to be discussed in the meeting.

We potentially can port the number away from Plusnet on the day of the changeover to FTTP but it would need Plusnet's co-operation on this, now whether they are able let alone willing to do this is another matter, but if it's a service that BT & Plusnet do not want (or able) to provide it is a solution.

We can offer a VoIP number only service in UK & 60+ other countries but that does not help when a customer wants to keep a specific number, we also can't take it early as we can't provide the Broadband service, unless again with Plusnets assistance they can offer a re-number 1 or 2 days prior to the change, but I don't know if that would work for billing purposes.

I personally ported my number away from Plusnet a few years ago & it caused immense amount of issues as they just closed my account, I lost my email domain for nearly 2 months, one which I had had since mid 1990's as I was working for the founder at that time.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Townman — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 17:22:58 GMT

Ah you understand the challenges well. Upgrade to FTTP at the moment means keep the account with legacy characteristics (email, web hosting, domain name and referrals) but lose the phone number … or keep the phone number, start FTTP on a new account, then migrate the number losing all of the legacy characteristics.

There needs to be a better way.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Phaeton — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 18:13:38 GMT

You've just mentioned something which sort of confirms my suspicion that the number although is no longer available to the customer is actually still tied to the account as it's used within the billing system.

When I ported my number away Plusnet closed down my whole account although I had expressly advised that was not what was to happen, so now I effectively have 2 accounts. I have my old legacy account on which I still get all my emails (which they eventually restored) & I have a new account which is used for my Broadband, it also has a PSTN number but I have no idea what that is, it will be on my account but I have no need for it.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Mustrum — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 18:48:20 GMT

For what it is worth, there has been at least one customer who migrated their number to a VOIP provider as they moved to full fibre. However, they had the support of a staff member, who unfortunately has recently moved to another role in billing.

Alas other members of the social media team seem very reluctant/lack experience to get involved with anything apart from basic queries.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Phaeton — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 10:53:07 GMT

I have been advised there is a way around this, but ONLY if Plusnet will agree to it, they can contact Openreach & request that they make WLR asset active, at which point a port can commence.

Appreciate that the Staff are busy but it's been 5 days without comment, afterall you guys are their customers not mine, yet.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Townman — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 11:04:30 GMT

Superuser citation

This topic has been cited by one of the Superusers; the purpose of which is to provide a note for information which might help to focus continued discussion (but might not result in a staff response).

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Townman — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 10:14:33 GMT

Could you please expand on the above suggestion?

Where Plusnet is not the number range holder (which I believe is the case for all numbers) and the existing service has ceased, the number has thus been returned to the range holder’s quarantine pool … how can Plusnet have any influence over that asset?

Surely any port in request needs to go to the number range holder, not Plusnet?

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Phaeton — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 15:34:11 GMT

This is BT's response to my request, this is not the porting desk, but higher up the chain.

"Unfortunately we are unable to make spare numbers active again to enable porting of them. Can I suggest that the end user approaches their ‘old’ provider explain the situation asking them to re-instate, they would then speak to Openreach to make the WLR asset active after which a port request would be able to submitted."

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

MisterW — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 15:56:34 GMT

I don't believe there is a way to make the asset active without the ISP taking a WLR subscription with Openreach. Very few (if any) ISP's offer a WLR product on its own so I dont see this as an option.

However, things are supposed to be changing by April 2023 with the 'right to port' , which allows for number porting for up to 30 days after services are ceased. How this is going to work in reality, only OFCOM knows... (or probably doesnt🙄)

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

Phaeton — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 16:45:26 GMT

Actually Ofcom don't know, they have done their usual sitting in their ivory tower & doing a Pontius Pilate on it, here is the decree, Industry make it happen, it's a joke.

They have handed responsibility over to TOTSCo https://totsco.org.uk/ who have to get the specification of the service, build the service & deploy the service across several hundred CP's all within 6 months.

There was a group call on Tuesday which basically said, we don't know what we're doing, we don't know how we're going to do it, but once we've done it make sure your systems are ready to use it.

Re: Porting Desk Contact Number

MisterW — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 12:27:29 GMT

Very interesting!. Looking at the Totsco website, it just seems to be concerned with transfer of details between gaining and losing suppliers. Not sure how that addresses the requirement to allow porting for 30 days after transfer ?

sounds like par for the course where OFCOM is concerned...