Keeping Landline "just in case" - valid?

[#1]

My contract is up in August (currently on Unlimited Fibre and landline) and I want to keep the line. However I don't use it. I phoned PN last month and was told it would be around £30 a month to keep the same package. I realise that FF is cheaper etc.

I've thought about alternatives, but wouldn't these be more expensive rather than paying £X a month to PN to keep the line!/? As I said, I never use the line but it's also pointless to pay for another service which I'll never use, if it costs more to set it up and cost per month. So should I stay with PN and suck up the cost?

[#2]

@Portoman 

One option is to change your contract to SOGEA, which will cancel the phone service. Once the new service is up and running port the phone number to a third party VoIP provider. I believe that A&A charge about £ !.50 per month if you make no calls. If you don't want to buy an ATA to use your existing landline phone I think that there are means of porting incoming calls to your mobile.

[#3]

@Portoman 

Is Full Fibre available to you?

As regards the landline you're going to lose that in the relatively near future (probably by year end) as OpenReach are turning off PSTN.

If you want to keep the number then you'd need to port it to a VOIP provider like A&A (there are many others). End of contract is a good time to think about this.

I mention A&A as they are (I believe) £15.00 to port the number and then £1.44 per month. To save money on setting your phone up for VOIP you can have A&A email you a copy of any phone message received by using their Answer phone facility.

So long as you've a good mobile signal this would work for you.

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-information/

If you go down this road do nothing until you've sorted your internet service out. You then have 30 days to port the number.

Brian

[#4]

I have just completed my number port to A&A from Plusnet: 

- I "updated" from traditional FTTC, to SOGEA using the Plusnet website

- waited for Plusnet to say the migration had occured

- waited a few more hours for my phoneline to actually go dead

- got A&A to do a manual port - "line recently ceased"

- no phone for about 2 weeks (callers get an error message)

- got email from A&A with live date

- line went live on that date (today!)

It seems that if you "play by the rules" of "wait till you are told you have been ported to SOGEA *and* the line is actually dead" before invoking the port, and NOT doing it automatically, it just happens...