Unlimited Fibre Extra - will I be offered another year?

[#1]

Contract ends soon. Are PN still offering contract extensions to existing FTTC/Unlimited Fibre Extra customers?

Just like to know so I can plan the way forward.

I use my PN landline to talk to my SO for an hour+ a day!
If that goes away, the whole equation changes for both of us.

PN SOGEA is not useful to me as no landline phone.

No FTTP here., nor any prospect as I'm in flats. HeyBroadband ran their fibre down my road. Every house can get instant connection. No blocks of flats can.
Openreach say 'In your area'... as they have been saying for yonks.

PN have done me proud for ages, but can that continue?

[#2]

@markv 

Phone PlusNet Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 to see what's available. You may or may not be able to renew "as is" but be aware this would only buy you some time before PN withdraws from providing phone services and PSTN is shut down.

You can stay with PN and sign up for a independant VOIP provider to supply phone services or move to an ISP who does both. PN will try to move you to EE but as you're near the end of your contract you have choices.

If you do move it will be a digital phone service you receive.

Brian

[#3]

@markv If you have a mobile phone there are plenty of ludicrously cheap options that would allow an hour of calls every day, allowing you to dispense entirely with the landline and its costs.

My MOBILE phone contract includes a significant/useful amount of data (my main use) and literally unlimited UK calls and text messages, all for £6 a month.

You can of course move to SOGEA and transfer the landline number (once it's freed up) to a suitable VOIP supplier to receive incoming calls. I did that and it costs less than £2 per month. I don't make outgoing calls via VOIP but I could at a fair price if necessary.

[#4]

As the reply from bmc says: talk to PlusNet customer options for your situation.

I know a PlusNet customer with FTTC and landline number, and when they renewed (months ago) their renewed contract extended into late 2027 (!) Because this is long after the promised PSTN shutdown, and they want to retain their number, I expect that PlusNet will, at some point, be keen to transfer them to EE continuing with the current contract and its rates, and the phone gets plugged into the router. The calls package price ought to remain the same too.

But this other customer won’t have to do this — they could choose to stay with PlusNet, and when their phone number stops working, they should be able to transfer it to a VoIP provider of their choice with a software phone and/or an analogue terminal adapter to suit them. This implies a few days changeover without the number.

But with the approach of January 2027, it seems unlikely that PN now will offer you anything longer than twelve months. But, as above, see what PN’s customer options team say they can offer.

The customer I mentioned could, of course, accept being a customer of EE for a few months when they finally get pushed to EE, and return to PlusNet later when they’re ready with their own VoIP / digital voice setup. This possibility may not apply to you if PlusNet doesn’t offer you a renewed contract with an included landline.

[#5]

@markv 

I would say that your best way forward depends on your attitude to mobile phones and the coverage you get.

Personally I prefer a "landline" phone but moved my number to VoIP with DECT handsets. What I don't do is originate long calls every day.

If you get on with using a mobile then getting a cheap mobile service with unlimited calls might be the best bet.

If not and you can take a bit of "complexity" then getting a "freestanding" (so not from your broadband supplier) VoIP service would seem a good option.

Otherwise (but probably more expensive) moving to BT and their "Digital Voice" service is an "all in one" solution.

https://www.bt.com/broadband/digital-voice

[#6]

@bmc  I understand i would only be putting off the inevitable, but I've already put it off for ~ 2 years longer than expected.

Was interested to hear if anyone else had  recently been given another year, or if the shutters were already down on VDSL+landline contract extensions.

Mark

[#7]

@SixCopperKs Very interesting, thanks. Sounds likely I may get to kick the can down the road for another year, into early 2027 🙂 That may even mean that FTTP has become available to me, so save switching to SOGEA as in interim step.

January 2027 is touted as the final (again, again) shutdown of PSTN. Assume that means everything goes either FTTP or SOGEA?

Shame that providers are so reluctant to fibre-up blocks of flats - guess the cost of the intenal cabling is too high.

I haven't phoned Customer Services as it seems wiser to let sleeping dogs lie for now.

[#8]

@markhawkin  Hard to quantify why, but we prefer the call quality of "landline". Might be technically lower-Fi, but it sounds nicer.

I suspect any VoIP connection is going to sound the same as mobile-to-mobile (we have 5-bar reception, so no issues there))

I did have a play for a few months with Dial9 to make sure my kit was all compatible with VoIP (it was).

Will stick with analogue landline until we can't, then give up and go mobile-only.

Thanks

[#9]

@HPsauce Yes, thanks. Have unlimited mobile minutes for < £5 (don't use much data). £2/month for your VoIP service is a good deal. Undecided if I need to keep my landline number after shutdown

[#10]

@markv I decided to move sooner rather than later to save money. 

We had an unlimited landline calls package (from BT) that while fairly cheap we didn't really use at all.

I kept the landline number because we've been in the same house for almost 50 years and several long-standing friends and relatives call it by default! I also had a (now defunct) business number that gets the very occasional call so I actually have two VOIP numbers, the total bill from A&A for those is £2.88 per month. The second number is now one I use for non-personal contact details, e.g. online orders etc.

There was a little initial outlay on VOIP kit as our DECT phones were definitely "on their last legs" so I bought some (used) Gigaset kit on eBay. I was in profit within 3 months even allowing for the fact that (for risk reduction) I opted for a new SOGEA line installed and running (installation fee) before terminating the old ADSL and POTS phone!.

[#11]

@markv 

As your contract end soon you do need to sign up for a new one or pay out of contract rates. Phone in to get an "as is" upgrade if still offered.

Brian

[#12]

@bmc I had a look at Member Centre... and there was an offer to renew/extend my existing Unlimited Fibre Extra (with landline, and even my bundled free evening and weekend calls) for 12 months, starting today.

Even a fiver less than I'm paying, although the April £4 hike wipes that out.

Happy bunny here.

Mark

[#13]

@HPsauce Ahhh, A&A. I should have guessed.

Gigaset kit here too, although they seem to trash rechargeable AAA's quickly. Even ones designed for long, slow discharge/DECT use. Seem to be replacing all the bats every year; two at max.

[#14]

@markv Did you actually renew online, or call in?

I had a renewal "offer" recently showing in the member centre and while it "wasn't that bad" it was worse than new customers get. My contract was just a few months before renewal.

So I phoned in and without any quibble was offered a significantly better deal to renew; better than new customers too. Even allowing for the annual price hikes. 😎 It was effective immediately.

As for A&A there is a small price increase for 2026 PLUS VAT is being added which for some reason it wasn't before. (Or maybe it's a BIG price rise and VAT is now shown separately). Either way it's only a few extra pence per month.

[#15]

As for A&A there is a small price increase for 2026 PLUS VAT is being added which for some reason it wasn't before. (Or maybe it's a BIG price rise and VAT is now shown separately). Either way it's only a few extra pence per month.

Its actually increasing from £1.20(+vat) to £1.50(+vat) , explanation here https://www.aa.net.uk/etc/news/october-25-news/

Its still good value where the number of outgoing calls is small