Possible to stick with FTTC after migration to EE?

[#1]

I look after the Plusnet account for my father (vulnerable adult) and have received the notification about the move to EE. My father barely uses the Internet but does rely on the phone. It seems that if I actively initiate the switch, we are forced to take FTTP. I really don't want him to have to go through the extra hassle and disruption of a new cable install for no benefit. If I do nothing and let Plusnet do the automatic migration, will his service remain on FTTC but with a digital phone connection?

I've checked his exchange and it is not fibre priority and WBC SOGEA is available.

[#2]

---

@ittroll wrote:

. If I do nothing and let Plusnet do the automatic migration, will his service remain on FTTC but with a digital phone connection?

You can't assume this. ISPs are incentivised to get users off the ageing copper based system when FTTP is available. Whether he can remain with copper is in the gift of EE, not Plusnet.

The big danger with contacting EE is that they will try to bounce him into taking a new 2 year contract. Left to Plusnet, his current contract will run to completion, be it on copper or fibre.

[#3]

@ittroll 

I assume you're happy with the account being moved to EE as it's the least "hassle" solution. Does your father use PN email at all?

Let PN handle the transfer and insist on SOGEA. The contract details will remain as per his current PN contract.

If any care or medical alarms are invovled check they do not depend on the phone (ie they use a SIM based contact system). If this is the case then don't tell PN or EE about them.

Finally, if your father depends on the phone he will need some sort of battery backup power - he might be able to get a unit from EE as a vulnerable person.

Brian

[#4]

Thanks for the replies. I am happy for EE to take over the service - there a limited alternatives to be honest (mobile phones are too fiddly for him). He uses an accessible cordless phone at the moment which requires power to work, so no change there. He does not use email at all. The Internet is only there for visitors and very occasional BBC iPlayer.

It sounds like it is perhaps best to do nothing now and be prepared to have the SOGEA conversation if they try to force an upgrade to FTTP. The Plusnet guidance appears to indicate that EE will just send out a new router into which the phone is plugged.

Seems bonkers to enforce an upgrade to full fibre just to get a home phone. Classic upselling tactics.

[#5]

Obviously not in a position to say whether it applies in all similar cases, but my transfer to EE did not involve any requirement to upgrade from FTTC to FTTP.

On the switchover day there was a brief gap in between the old landline being switched off and the digital connection being enabled - no more than half an hour I would estimate.

[#6]

@ittroll 

Full Fibre is a more reliable service and, long run, cheaper to maintain. OpenReach have incentives in place to encourage ISP's to migrate customers to Full Fibre. See

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/06/openreach-tweaks-and-evolves-equinox-fttp-broadband-pr...

In terms of a phone line it is also better during extended power cuts if a consumer has power backup in situ. FTTC will only last as long as the battery in the Cabinet. Full Fibre, on the other hand, runs all the way back to a major Exchange so will either not be suffering the local power cut or, if it is will probably have both batteries and a generator to keep it going long term.

Brian

[#7]

Looks like the incentives aren't live yet. Full power outage protection would presumably also require a battery back-up for the router and for the telephone base station. Which may not be in the same place if EE insist on installing a new fibre connection. The current copper line goes into a cupboard in an internal room. I can't see them routing fibre to that.

[#8]

@ittroll 

ONT's have been installed in internal cupboards before now. It all depends on a combination of things.

As for power backup I assume ISP supplied backup units would power both the ONT and router if required and the router only if on a SOGEA connection.

If a customer decides (for whatever reason) to have the router or phone in a different location then it's up to them to sort out backup. ISP's can't do everything.

As for the phone I would suggest getted a cheap corded phone so that in aan extended power cut it could be plugged in to save power on the backup units.

Brian

Edit : see the following for BT's unit

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/set-up-battery-back-up

[#9]

My dad's in exactly the same situation, but he does use email.
Anyone know what will happen with that? Will he get given a new email address?

I suppose I could always give him an address on one of my domains, it's just the hassle of contacting everyone.

[#10]

If your dads PN email is connected to PN broadband, unless PN schedule its migration to greenby beforehand (and there is no way of knowing when that might be) it will cease once broadband is moved to any other isp.

[#11]

Not great for people who struggle with this stuff.

Given that BT, Plusnet, EE are all part of the same family I am sure Plusnet could provide phone services to existing customers and handle the technicalities and internal charging behind the scenes.

[#12]

@ittroll They may all be BT Group businesses, but are separate legal and commercial entities, each with their own systems, aimed at different sectors. The only thing linking them is their ownership by BT Group PLC.

[#13]

Does EE even provide a decent signal in your father's location? You can't just accept what the online maps show, they're often wildly incorrect. There are also cheaper options, I believe the EE deal is £6 a month.

Personally I have tried all available networks and only one is reliable at my home, it isn't EE, in fact EE bought me out of my contract with them after making me wait 3 months while they worked on upgrading my local mast (0.5 of a mile away) it turned out that the mast was unidirectional and only in the opposite direction.

On 31st January 2027 the copper network will be switched off entirely, Plusnet as of yet have not released any comments on what that means for existing customers who haven't switched over to FTTP. A fact which irks me, when I signed up, their promise was to always provide the best speed available in my area. Now my area has been provided with the FTTP system, I can only get it, if I renew the contract or as they say upgrade for another 24 months. There are faster, cheaper and fixed price contracts available, so I have no intention of renewing an as at time of writing - 7 month old contract. 

I've already incurred one price increase and after checking, Plusnet have lots of hidden costs if you want to escape them early whilst in contract. As soon as I'm outta contract I'll be gone within days. Except I've learnt that I'll have zero connection for the last  10 months unless I renew my contract or liable for ten months of contract charges if I opt to switch provider along with any other charges they choose to impose from their long list of available possible charges.

You can buy VERY basic mobile phones, large buttons basic display to show numbers dialled or incoming call numbers. You've just got to look for them.

[#14]

The copper network is not being switched off, only the landlines by 2027 so you will still be able to have SoGEA where FTTP is not yet available and potentially even SoADSL where SoGEA isnt available either.

And it referring to EE as an ISP not EE mobile so network coverage isnt a factor here

[#15]

They like to keep that quiet, thank you.

Crisis averted, FTTC For the duration of my contract, my speed increases every time someone switches over