More Voip!

[#1]

I currently have an unlimited fibre and landline contract until end of Jan 26. Mindful that Voip is not being provided by Plusnet, and I want to retain a 'landline', I have been looking around for Voip providers.

I want to retain PN broadband but am likely to go with Phonely for the 'landline'. 

If I wanted to do the swap now would my broadband continue or would PN see it as a cancellation and cut me off completely (and charge me accordingly!)?

Also does anyone have a rough ballpark figure for exit fees if I wanted to leave PN completely?

Many thanks

.

[#2]

@nippersmum 

Assuming full fibre isn't available what happens is you get PN to move you onto a SOGEA connection. This is internet only but without any landline capability. You should not notice any real change to your internet connection.

Once you've been re-provisioned and PN have told you so offically you have 30 days to port the number to your chosen supplier. Check they can handle "ceased lines". There will be a bit of downtime (few days?) on the landline.

Do not, under any circumstances, try to port the number until you're on SOGEA. This would result in your account close.

You could phone the PlusNet Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 to ask about your options and any timescales.

Brian

[#3]

And there will be not termination fee, but you will start a new contract, be it 12/18/24 months.

But as @bmc states do not move the phone number until PN have confirmed the changeover to SOGEA.

[#4]

@nippersmum 

Yes, porting the number will generate a cancellation of the contract and early termination charges.

Is a full fibre upgrade available to you now?

If not, personally I would wait until the end of December and recontract then for a service without a landline, then once that's completed start the VoIP service. 

[#5]

Thank you

No full fibre currently and extremely unlikely to be here in the wilds of Norfolk for some time yet!

Will probably wait a while as you suggest. But will check with Phonely that they can 

a) Use 'ceased' numbers and

b) How much downtime will there be

[#6]

Thanks Brian

No full fibre provision and extremely unlikely to be in any reasonable length of time.

That has given me a definitive answer about the order to do things in!

[#7]

Thank you

I later realised that as I am staying with PN  there would likely be no ETC, and indeed that as about a third of our bill is call charges on a monthly roll-over and thereby not contracted any exit fee would be fairly minimal anyway if we took the plunge and moved elsewhere in toto.

[#8]

Hi @nippersmum

As you have a bit of time, I would research Phony, cannot see anywhere about porting in a ceased number on the website. They do have inclusive minutes in all of the plans they offer, all going up by £2 on the 1st April, and it is a 12 month plan, paid monthly or yearly.

As to downtime for the number, it depends on how quickly they can port it in after PN confirmed the change to SOGEA. You don't want to start the port and find that your broadband has been ceased by it. I set up someone with A&A, but called in to explain that the port in was not to take place until a specific date, the date of moving. All went well with it. This was before the OTS service.

[#9]

@nippersmum 

Holding on for the time being seems a sensible idea as is continuing researching VOIP.

For example VOIP doesn't work during power cuts. You may need to do some work to get your phone working - perhaps even buy an Analogue Phone Adapter (ATA). Do you use house extensions?

A side question is do you use PN email at all?

Finally, what does www.openreach.co.uk say about Full Fibre provision for your property?

Brian

[#10]

Hi Brian

I have made an enquiry at Phonely to see if they can deal with ceased numbers and what the likely length of downtime might be. We both have mobiles with data so power cuts are not too much of an issue.

The question of extensions is one I have not seen satisfactorily explained anywhere, although all our phones are VOIP ready as far as I can tell, how the system links up appears to be a mystery and may involve renewing with a matching set!

We don't use PN for email and areapparently due for full fibre by Dec 26 (though I will believe that when I see it!)

Lesley

[#11]

@nippersmum 

although all our phones are VOIP ready as far as I can tell,

Where are you getting that information from ?

Normally any existing phones will need connecting via a voip ATA (Analogue telephone adapter) or a router that has a phone (FXS) port. The only VOIP ready phone that I'm aware of is the Gigaset N300 DECT system. That's capable of connecting to both voip and pstn services.

[#12]

@nippersmum 

The phone port on the Hub2 does not work. You need an ATA to plug in using an ethernet connection. Phonely may supply one or you can buy. Almost any phone will work on VOIP through an ATA.

If you have DECT phones you could consider getting a FritzBox 7530 from CEX. It has a built in DECT base station. I picked one up for £35.

House extensions can be made to work with a bit or effort. On Full Fibre it's easy. You just disconnect the old incoming copper cable at the Master Socket and that's it - assuming the MS is left in place.

For FTTC it's more complicated. The incoming copper cable is required for the internet service. I'm guessing here but I suspect you would need to dis-connect the house extensions form the MS and then wire them into a new phone socket.

The December 2026 date on OR means you are in their plans but detailed planning has yet to start.

Brian

[#13]

You are right! I had misread the caveat   'with a converter' !