Digital Switch Over Date

[#1]

I have a Plusnet Home Hub 2 with a phone and broadband package. Last year I was told my line is going to be switched over to digital this year. 

Can you please tell me how I can find out when this is going to happen? Can I delay the change?

Will I need to change the router or will it continue to work as it is?

I believe my landline phone will stop working unless I buy a digital phone and subscribe to a digital phone plan on top of my broadband plan. I'm intending not to have a phone after the switch over. 

[#2]

@paul1974 

While PN are withdrawing from providing a phone service no closure date has yet been set, though it will probably be this year.

When the time comes your service will be switched onto a SOGEA connection (assuming FTTC) which continues to use the copper cable from the cabinet to your house. It just doesn't allow phone services.

You can keep your phone line until then, but as you state you'll no longer require a phone service you can switch at any time to SOGEA at the cost of a new contract.

Brian

[#3]

---

@paul1974 wrote:

Last year I was told my line is going to be switched over to digital this year.

Yes, that is extremely likely, unless Openreach are forced by government to delay their plans again.

---

@paul1974 wrote:

Can you please tell me how I can find out when this is going to happen?

No. I have not seen any published dates for the 2025 roll-out.

---

@paul1974 wrote:

Can I delay the change?

I'm not sure why you would want to, given that you're "intending not to have a phone after the switch over".

FWIW my ISP has just given me 14 days notice that my line will be converted next Friday - with no option for me to delay.

---

@paul1974 wrote:

Will I need to change the router or will it continue to work as it is?

You don't need to do anything for your broadband to continue working.

You might want to tidy things up by unplugging your phone, removing any phone extension wiring and redundant DSL filters.

---

@paul1974 wrote:

I believe my landline phone will stop working unless I buy a digital phone

---

You don't necessarily have to buy a digital phone, you have several other options -

• you could use an 'ATA' adaptor to convert your existing phone to VoIP and be plugged in to a LAN port on your router.
• you could install a VoIP app on your mobile phone, and use that to make and receive calls from your "landline" number.
• you could install a VoIP app on your computer or laptop, and use a headset or mic+speakers for your "landline" calls.

---

@paul1974 wrote:

I believe my landline phone will stop working unless ... I subscribe to a digital phone plan on top of my broadband plan.

---

While that is true, if you opt for VoIP rather than "Digital Voice" the monthly cost can be MUCH lower than typical analogue phone charges, for example (A&A VoIP) costs as little as £1.44 per month for the number rental, and typically 1.5p per minute for calls to landlines.

---

@bmc wrote:

You can keep your phone line until then, but as you state you'll no longer require a phone service you can switch at any time to SOGEA at the cost of a new contract.

Given that you WILL lose your PSTN phone (probably by autumn), the sooner you switch your Plusnet FTTC line to SOGEA, the sooner you could be paying less monthly for the same broadband, and your decision as to what to do about your landline phone will be out of the way, before the last minute mad rush panic of the rest of the population trying to save their precious phone numbers before the end of the year deadline.

.

[#4]

Thank you for the detailed responses. They are very helpful. 

I have an Openreach socket with an inbuilt filter (see photo). Do I need to do anything about the inbuilt filter or will it be fine?

I'm going away for an extended period this year and I have some devices at home I want to connect to whilst abroad. If the switchover happens whilst I'm away, will the router reconnect by itself? 

 

[#5]

---

@paul1974 wrote:

I have a Plusnet Home Hub 2 with a phone and broadband package. Last year I was told my line is going to be switched over to digital this year. 

Can you please tell me how I can find out when this is going to happen? Can I delay the change?

Will I need to change the router or will it continue to work as it is?

I believe my landline phone will stop working unless I buy a digital phone and subscribe to a digital phone plan on top of my broadband plan. I'm intending not to have a phone after the switch over. 

---

You will probably get various views on how to handle this change. Taking each question in turn:

1. Yes, we are told that it is planned for the majority of PSTN phone services to be discontinued at the end of this year.

2. Plusnet have not yet announced their plans. At the moment you can still renew an existing contract complete with PSTN phone providing there are no changes to the service. As such, currently the switch over can be delayed. There is no official announcement yet, but at some time Openreach will force Plusnet into cancelling the phone service, at which time, and I stress, this is my guess/assumption, customers will have the choice of cancelling their contract without penalties, lose their phone line for a discount or be transferred to BT, who can provide a combined broadband with Digital phone service.

3. The only time you would need to change your router is if you moved to BT.

4. If you take a digital phone service then with BT you simply plug you existing phone into the BT router.

There is another option where you can keep your broadband with Plusnet and transfer your landline number to a third party VoIP provider. In this instance you can have a small adapter into which you plug your existing phone.

[#6]

---

@paul1974 wrote:

I have an Openreach socket with an inbuilt filter (see photo). Do I need to do anything about the inbuilt filter or will it be fine?

---

Nothing would happen without you being advised. If you stay with Plusnet and drop the landline then all that would happen is that the phone will stop working. Everything can stay as it is now.

[#7]

Thank you @Baldrick1