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[#1]

Full Fibre (FTTP) keeps on getting a mention on here. May I point out that this is not really about FTTP as such, rather it's about the impending termination of the PSTN phone service - for people who are still listed as having a PSTN service at their premises.

As Plusnet will not be offering any telephone services in future, they cannot offer any continuing home telephone service. Therefore there are three available options:

1. Stop using a home telephone - lose the current landline number.
2. Cancel the current telephone service and transfer the future digital telephone service, and your existing landline number, to another provider yourself. You can still choose to stay with Plusnet as an ISP if you want.
3. The default option: Let Plusnet transfer you to EE as your ISP under existing contract terms. As EE will be providing digital home phone service in future, unlike Plusnet, this is a one stop solution.

I can't quite see what the people criticising Plusnet expect Plusnet to do here. What 'other' and 'better' options are available? Also, I expect, behind the scenes it is BT who are yanking Plusnet's chain, along with other ISPs. I imagine BT are somewhat concerned. Last I heard there were still over 1 million premises in this particular queue - and not that many days to go before Christmas!

[#2]

Surprised nobody has picked up this article re BT bullying tactics
from the Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/03/bt-customers-broadband-digital-landline-switch-inte....

[#3]

Why is it that applying the very slightest of pressure on people to accept the need to make a decision fairly quickly results of howls on 'bullying'?

If this was left until the PSTN was switched off and thousands of the laggers were left with no phone or Internet due to finally waking up and  having to wait their turn to be re-connected, one can only imagine the howls of: "Why didn't you make me do it earlier"?

Is it so hard to make such a simple decision in a week!

[#4]

@Protech Sounds like BT alright.

Love the quote about temporarily pausing broadband for customers "who had not responded to any communications about the copper landline switchover for two years". Although I've been aware that copper was due to be replaced at some point (where "some point" has varied from 2025 to 2028 depending on source), none of the information has come from BT. The only direct contact from BT telling me this was due to happen was over the summer through a letter. I can't be the only one.

Anyway, BT will be losing me as a phone customer because I'm pretty much decided I won't be keeping the landline.

[#5]

@Protech 

"Surprised nobody has picked up this article re BT bullying tactics from the Guardian"

😀

I picked up on it - I (rightly or wrongly) thought it were nonsense.

To my mind it didn't make the distinction between the hardware (copper/fibre) and the service (PSTN) which was actually being withdrawn. I said so directly.

Also:

“I’m getting increasing evidence that there is some bullying behaviour going on in order to try to force people to switch over,” said Dennis Reed, the founder of the campaign group Silver Voices."

I have seen "Silver Voices" mentioned previously, possibly on ISPreview (OK, not their demographic). Their intervention - which could and should be helpful - does not sound useful to me, based on comments such as these.

"It is understood that BT did recently “temporarily pause” broadband services for a small group of customers who had not responded to any communications about the copper landline switchover for two years."

Which we have recently seen reported by some posts on the forum, shortly after the article appeared.

"More than 80% of the previously unresponsive customers are understood to have subsequently taken the steps needed to switch over."

Seems to be working, then!

Surely the whole point is that the PSTN IS terminating shortly, so what are the alternatives for BT? Just let people on landlines get cut off - imagine the headlines? Or act strongly to encourage them, in their own interest and that of BT's, to respond to the reality?

If somebody is walking along a railway track, seemingly oblivious to an oncoming train, can anybody shouting at them to "Get off the tracks, now!" be fairly accused of 'bullying'?

[#6]

As a lot of this 'hysteria' seems to revolve around personal alarms: The industry has been aware of the PSTN closure for a number of years, they know who their customers are, and systems which do not rely on PSTN  have been around for a while. Presumably, the care alarm industry has been taking appropriate action?

[#7]

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@jab1 wrote:

The industry has been aware of the PSTN closure for a number of years ...

---

Nine years !, according to Google -

November 2017 (by BT Group, Openreach’s parent), with formal Openreach notices following in 2017/2018; awareness that phoneline-connected personal alarms/telecare devices would need alternatives was part of the broader programme from the start and highlighted in industry/public communications from around 2018–2019 onward.

BT Group publicly announced its intention in November 2017 to retire the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) — the traditional copper landline network — and migrate users to digital/IP-based services (originally targeted for the end of 2025, later delayed to 31 January 2027). Openreach documents and industry briefings consistently describe “notice given in 2017/18,” with Openreach issuing formal notification of Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) stop-sell plans by December 2018 and launching consultations in May 2018.

This applied to any devices relying on analogue phone lines, including personal/telecare alarms (pendants, fall detectors, etc.), burglar/fire alarms, lift alarms, payment terminals, and similar equipment. Early industry materials and Openreach communications (from ~2018–2020) explicitly noted that such special services and alarms would stop working once the PSTN closed and that users/providers needed IP-based alternatives. Public-facing coverage and guidance for vulnerable users and telecare specifically ramped up later (e.g., government charters after incidents, Prove Telecare pilots/launches in 2025, and widespread 2025–2026 warnings), but the foundational public announcement of the PSTN end — and the implication for connected alarms — dates to the 2017 BT Group statement and the subsequent 2017/18 Openreach formal notices.
The original 2025 target was pushed to January 2027 in May 2024 mainly to allow more time for complex migrations, especially telecare/vulnerable users.

[#8]

@jsutherland Not sure if you've had an answer, but I logged into my account on the Plusnet site and put in an order that way. Engineer is booked for November for a provisional check of the flat before installation. I'm hoping that's sufficient for them not to cut off (sorry, I mean "pause") my broadband because I've been so very naughty ignoring their one attempt to contact me.

I've opted to stay with Plusnet for the moment. Putting aside the Greenby fiasco, I've been with them for 22 years and any problems I've faced have been down to BT and/or Openreach being useless.

[#9]

Oh why oh why do folks continue to bleat on about this?

"I'm pretty much decided I won't be keeping the landline" ... so move along  please, there's nothing to see here, may be the encouragement to take action has worked?

What do people expect the CPs and ISPs to do here?  The PTSN "train service" is coming to the end of its tracks - if you are still on that train when it hits the buffers there will be carnage and you'll be part of it, crying "Why was I not told this was happening" or "Why did someone not help me avoid this train-wreak".

At what point does telling users it is going to happen, transmuting into folks really must get a plan, to YOU as an individual really need to act URGENTLY for YOUR own good ... become bullying the customer, rather than being accepted as firm  last warning encouragement to protect said customer from the consequences of their own in-action?  If you want to leave stepping off the train until the last minute, you might find that there is now nt time to get to the exit door ... due to all of the other lemmings stood in front of you.

[#10]

@john_chandler 

Might be worth a phone call to PN just to confirm the move to EE has been put on hold / cancelled.

Brian

[#11]

@Townman You've been helpful to me in the past, for which I'm grateful, but your comment is clearly aimed in part at me given the quote. I'm not bleating on about the need to take action - of course we need to take action, although comparing it to an oncoming train is overly dramatic.

In my particular situation, I couldn't make the move whether I wanted to or not - I had two specific things that needed to be undertaken by third-parties before this was possible. I guess if we insist on using the oncoming train analogy, it's me tied to the rail track while an onlooker bleats on about why oh why doesn't the poor man move off the track.

My second issue was the lack of direct communication from BT and/or Plusnet. As has been mentioned, this has been in the pipeline for almost a decade, but there was no urgency by either party to make contact and indicate options/deadlines until very recently (this summer). The prior information I did have, from other sources, was to wait until my phone or broadband supplier told me a shutdown date and next steps and that's what I did, and all I could do. The conditions to make the move are finally in place, and I was waiting until after my holiday this month to sort out the switch (which, by the way, has now been booked since I was made aware I could actually choose a date). Next thing I know, Plusnet is talking about "pausing" broadband access for 7 days, like I've been some naughty kid for ignoring their one email while I couldn't do anything.

I appreciate they (Plusnet) are getting pressure from external forces and can't be aware of everyone's circumstances as to why they have not switched, but seriously it's a bit over the top with "pausing" broadband and comments like yours do not help the situation. If it was such a big concern, contact should've been attempted a lot earlier and any missing preconditions resolved sooner. Anyway, it is what it is and hindsight's a wonderful thing - it's taken me years of complaining but I will finally/hopefully get full fibre broadband this year.

[#12]

@bmc Thanks, that's probably a good idea.

[#13]

FWIW, I called PN yesterday (the 13th) and waited a few minutes. Got through to a guy who was acting as a gateway, he said I need to speak to the team involved so I waited again. The guy came back and apologised that he couldn't get through. I asked if he could leave a message on their system to say that I have responded so don't drop my broadband. He couldn't but asked me to hold on. He came back fairly quickly, said it was all sorted and there will be no cut. Fingers crossed!

I'm working through the practicalities & switching with PN seems the easiest option at least for 2 years.

The single visit situation isn't helpful though nor the appalling damage done by contractors to properties in this area.

With some trepidation, we shall see...

[#14]

@john_chandler "I've got a lot going on at the moment so was going to make arrangements in a couple of weeks once I'm back from a family holiday and around for any engineer."

You can arrange for an Openreach appointment around 7-8 weeks in to the future, so that is a non-issue.

[#15]

@jsutherland "I'm not wanting to discuss options at the moment, just ensure I don't lose my broadband for 7 days."

When are you willing to discuss options?

You've procrastinated another couple of weeks.  If you don't get on with it, you will be losing service for longer than 7 days.