Landline with BT & broadband with Plusnet. Easiest way to keep both.

[#1]

A relative currently has her landline with BT & her broadband with Plusnet. She is getting concerned about the analogue switchoff of the landline that she wants to keep. Neither BT nor Plusnet have given her any specific options yet, other than vague warnings on her bills to say that her landline will cease soon, unless she does something about it. The problem is, she doesn't know what to do.

I know there are various options talked about on these forums, but she was hoping that one provider or the other would actually come up with easy options, like Plusnet have done with the transfer over to EE. She's really worried that she is going to be left to do it all by herself.

As BT, EE, & Plusnet are all in the same group, I was wondering if she might be offered the same transfer to EE as Plusnet phone & broadband users have been offered? But she hasn't been offered anything specific yet.

[#2]

@RadioFox 

She should speak to the PlusNet Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 to see what's available.

Is staying with PN with a separate VOIP provider an option? Depending on how close she is to the end of her contract she could consinder another ISP who does both eg Zen Internet.

Is PN email a potential problem?

Brian

[#3]

She doesn't actually have a contract with Plusnet. She has never even gone over to FTTC, it's copper all the way! I don't know how much she pays for her broadband. I think she does have a contract with BT though. 

She doesn't use Plusnet email. She uses Gmail.

I don't think she wants the hassle of having to go with a separate VOIP provider or changing to a different ISP . That's what is worrying her. She worries that her landline number would be lost if she changes provider (I know it can be ported, but things can still go wrong), so desperately wants to stay within the BT group. 

She's not worried about the cost, she just wants the least hassle.

[#4]

@RadioFox 

She has never even gone over to FTTC, it's copper all the way!

Is FTTC or FTTP actually available to her ?

If its only ADSL then it gets more complicated...

[#5]

@RadioFox 

Check what's available to her. If Full Fibre (WBC FTTP) is available what does if say about Fibre Priority Exchange (Y / N)?

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Brian

[#6]

@RadioFox She will probably hear nothing from PlusNet as they don't provide her with a phone service, equally if BT don't supply her with broadband they probably won't be offering much either yet. I don't think whether she's currently on ADSL or FTTC will make much difference but she will probably end up with FTTC or FTTP if they're available.

If keeping the phone number is important any migration is "probably" better driven from the BT side and as noted the only likely solution will eventually lie with EE if she wants to keep it simple.

If it was me I'd talk very carefully to PlusNet but not commit to anything and equally talk to BT and see what they say. It might be easy but will probably be messy I'm afraid. I don't know if there's any way of talking directly/sensibly to EE about such situations.

[#7]

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@RadioFox wrote:

She's not worried about the cost, she just wants the least hassle.

---

Then it’s a no brainer, talk to BT and move to an available ‘broadband’ and digital phone service.

[#8]

@MisterW @bmc Here's what's available at her exchange...

[#9]

@HPsauce  It would be ideal if she could talk to all 3 at once to see where she stands, but that's not practical unfortunately. I assume that even though they are all part of the same group, they don't share each others databases. If she doesn't hear about any migration to EE soon, the best bet is to stay with BT & take one of their broadband packages I suppose.

[#10]

@Baldrick1 Before I realised that EE was part of the BT group, I did say to her that the easiest solution would be to stay with BT (as that would guarantee her phone number), and add a broadband package. I was just wondering if they would contact her first, as PlusNet did with me, to offer her a solution (perhaps EE for both?). But then, if they don't, she could be waiting forever & suddenly find one day that she has no phone line! So best to get things sorted with BT as soon as possible I suppose.

[#11]

@RadioFox 

Here's what's available at her exchange

looks like FTTP is available so , although it's not an FTTP priority exchange, it's unlikely that any ISP will accept an order for anything other than FTTP.

The good news is that it's a 1-stage overhead install so should be pretty straightforward.

If cost isn't an issue but good support is, then I'd be looking at Zen. Just check the contract situation with the BT phone service

[#12]

@RadioFox 

Thanks for the information.

Your friend has two choices to make. The first is to stay with FTTC (called SOGEA) or move to Full Fibre.

The second is to choose an ISP who provides both phone and VOIP.

As I understand things it will be EE if she stays within the BT Group. They are the "consumer" brand whereas PN are the basic value brand.

One other thing to mention to her is VOIP does not work during power cuts if this is a concern.

Brian

[#13]

When assisting gettin a neighbour FTTP, we called BT who agreed everything for the FTTP from the BT website - and then silently transferred her account to EE.

First we knew was the 'Welcome to EE' pack in the post.

So I suspect it is EE whichever way she jumps.  Making BT do it, and adding broadband (*), should keep the phone number.

EE though did struggle to get their 'just plug it in' home phone to configure and work.

* - Would PN be after an early end of contract fee in this situatiion, assuming she is still under contract for the ADSL ?

[#14]

@MisterW 

I have spoken to her about FTTP & what's involved. It couldn't be simpler in her situation. Her current router, phone, TV & terrestrial STB are situated in the front of the house in the corner of the living room. The overhead cables could be run down the front of the property & the ONT situated near to where her router is now. I thought she might have been concerned about drilling through the front wall, but she was OK with that (you might have guessed that she's a bit of a worrier by now).

I really don't think she will change to Zen if she knows that she could remain with BT.

[#15]

@bmc 

As she is currently on 100% copper, she will only get the option of FTTP I believe.

She won't mind if she stays with BT or is transferred to EE. Her main hope is that it can be done in a similar way to how PlusNet is transferring it's customers to EE automatically, without any input from the customer. It's not because she is lazy, it's because she might get in a muddle over exactly what she needs to do, if she has to sort it out herself.

She has been doing a bit of research about the shutdown, & knows about VOIP not working during power cuts. She has a good mobile signal where she lives.