Porting Landline Number to VOIP

[#1]

Re earlier post : Moving from copper landline to VOIP with alternative provider - no incoming calls

(https://community.plus.net/t5/Home-Phone/Moving-from-copper-landline-to-VOIP-with-alternative-provid...)

I am in exactly the same position as the original poster. I recently transitioned from a copper system with NOW Broadband to FFTP with EE, including VOIP (which is why PN transferred me to EE) with porting of my landline number of 20 years. I had the same problem in that I could call out but not receive calls. There was a lot of toing-and-froing, until eventually EE decided the problem was caused by the original service still being active. They asked me to contact NOW and request they terminate the service. When I asked why they weren't doing that, they said that it was because they were providing a new service and not taking over the existing one. I'm not sure if I was being gaslit, but took it on faith and contacted NOW. They said that once the service was terminated, the number would not be recoverable, so I told them to hold fire and went back to EE to report what I had been told. EE said that what I had been told by NOW was wrong and that "100%" they could retrieve my number. On this 100% guarantee I returned to NOW and had the service terminated. I advised EE when that had happened, a couple of days later, and they placed an order for the porting, with a date for this to happen nine days hence. On said date (25th June) nothing happened. I contacted EE the next day, and they could (would?) not give me a reason why the port failed. They placed another order, and this has returned an activation date of 7th July, but I am not optimistic that this will succeed.

Here is an extract from another post on this forum, in reply to member who had a similar issue:

You do not port your line until the FTTP install is complete - then you have 30 days, but you should do so ASAP. If your chosen VOIP provider allow it set up your account in advance (A&A do).

The port will probably fail as providers do it automatically but the line in now ceased so it doesn't work. When it fails you need to get the VOIP providers Support desk to contact the range holder and do a manual port.

This is all very frustrating, and you would expect communications companies which are doing this work for thousands of customers on a daily basis, would have their staff properly trained to deal with porting efficiently.

Can anyone give a definitive answer to this problem?

Moderator's note: Link to referenced topic added for clarity.

[#2]

Moving from copper landline to VOIP with alternative provider - no incoming calls

It reads like the new EE Digital Voice service has provisioned as a new phone number,
make a call via EE Digital Voice to a mobile to see that number.

Perhaps your telephone would still work in its original wall socket & on its original number.

[#3]

That's exactly what happened. EE Digital Voice did provide a new number, despite my request to port my old one. I tried plugging in an old corded phone to the BT socket and discovered that the copper line was still active. As stated in my previous post, on EE's instruction I contacted NOW to request that the old service be terminated. Once this had been done, EE placed the order to port the number. That failed so they have placed another order, which I expect to fail also.

Unless any guru can confirm otherwise, I believe that the only way it can happen now is by manual transfer?

[#4]

The best next steps depend on how much you value your old number.

You can see if EE can sort it out.

Alternatively you can get a VoIP service from someone competent (Andrews & Arnold or Voipfone seem able to do this) who will retrieve a recently ceased number.

EE should be able to sort out their mess but letting it play out has a risk.

[#5]

Thanks for the advice Mark. As for how much I value my old number, if they offered me £1000 to give it up, I would say "no deal."

It will be two weeks tomorrow since NOW terminated my service with them, so I can't afford to let EE dither much longer. I think I will contact A&A, as you suggest, and see what hope they can offer me.

[#6]

Contact A&A to start the porting of a quarantined number. You have 30 days to do this. Once A&A have it, get EE to pay you the £1000.

Win, win

[#7]

I've goner with Voipfone to try and port my number. EE not very happy, but I'll keep this thread posted on my progress.

[#8]

Right.

Get the phone number secured and working with your chosen VoIP supplier.

Then it's time to discuss the matter further with EE.

[#9]

If you can get the cherished phone number secured with a VoIP provider that might be a very good place to stick.

Avoiding an kind of ISP bundles was our primary goal when in 2017 we ported 3x BT numbers to Sipgate,
not being tied to ISP kit, not being limited to one building or even restricted to one country is just such a massive plus.

[#10]

I thought I'd jump on here rather than starting my own thread 😊

I'm out of contract with PN and so my monthly cost is horrendous, and I can't renew with my landline, so I am planning to stay with PN and move my phone to A&A.

Can I do this right away, or do I have to wait until PN get rid of the line ?

TIA

[#11]

My experience with EE was not great! They attempted to port my number from Sky three times without success. I didn't get to the bottom of why they failed, but I suspect it was due to their using an automatic porting service, where it needed to be done manually since it was coming from a copper analogue service to a digital one. My number was successfully ported by VoiPfone AFTER it had been shut down by Sky. However, I don't think this is necessary, or even desirable. A&A or VoiPfone will be able to do it for you. Just contact your preferred provider and they'll walk you through it.

I should point out that unless you are planning on buying digital phones as well, you will need an ATA such as Grandstream, in order to run your analogue phone through the digital network. If you obtain that from your chosen provider, it will be configured by them so that you can just plug in and go.

I hope this helps, but if you go with one or the other of those reputable providers, you shouldn't have any problems. It is worth exploring the possibility of switching your broadband as well, but, from my experience, I cannot recommend EE.

[#12]

---

@OriginalBigBri wrote:

... so I am planning to stay with PN and move my phone to A&A.

... Can I do this right away, or do I have to wait until PN get rid of the line ?

---

@OriginalBigBri 

That depends on whether your existing broadband is ADSL or FTTC ?

If ADSL then it gets complicated - and DON'T wait until Plusnet remove the phone service !.

If FTTC then you can start the process immediately.

• First you need to get Plusnet to convert your FTTC line to SOGEA
• Wait until you get an email confirmation from Plusnet that the process has completed
• Wait until your phone's dial tone has disappeared (hopefully within a few days)
• Sign up for A&A VoIP and get your quarantined telephone number ported to VoIP

Login to the Plusnet Member Centre, and take a screenshot of their 'upgrade' offer to go from FTTC to SOGEA.

As you are already 'out of contract', call the Plusnet retentions team and say that you are thinking of leaving, and haggle a lower 'new contract' cost than the default offer shown in your Member Centre.

[#13]

@OriginalBigBri 

Assuming Full fibre isn't available then you need to get PN to move you to a product called SOGEA (Fibre in marketing terms). this is FTTC without the phone. This requires a new contract.

Only when this is complete can you port the "ceased" line to A&A. Do not try to do it before. You will have a few days downtime on the phone.

Brian

[#14]

Thanks all. I currently have FTTC - full fibre is not available here yet, although Openreach keep saying it will be in by the end of the year.

I've got a Grandstream HT802 on order, just didn't know what order I should do things in.

👍🏻

[#15]

To avoid getting the current broadband service terminated, phone up Plusnet (I feel it's safer than doing it online) and do the "I'm thinking of leaving" selection.

Ask them about their best price for copper only broadband and (assuming it's acceptable) contract that starting today.

Once you have the product switch completed email, get A&A to port the number.

By the way, once full fibre arrives, Plusnet will be keen to get you upgraded to full fibre and it then just requires starting a new 2 year contract, they won't require you to complete the copper contract.