no voice for three weeks - but internet fine

[#1]

Hi,
My landline service is dead, but the internet is still working.
PN tell me that it's a major outage and that Openreach are on the case. However three weeks (and two estimated fix dates) have passed.
Do PN have ANY stick with which to bash Openreach? It doesn't seem so. Feel fobbed off and PN are just a middleman with no power.

[#2]

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@Doug-in-a-fix wrote:

Do PN have ANY stick with which to bash Openreach? It doesn't seem so. Feel fobbed off and PN are just a middleman with no power.

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The short answer is no - Openreach are answerable to no-one, and work at their own pace. Having said that, if it is a major fault, it can take a while to solve. Have you checked with neighbours who still have a PSTN landline?

[#3]

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@Doug-in-a-fix wrote:

My landline service is dead, but the internet is still working.

.

@Doug-in-a-fix 

Given that Openreach will be permanently removing ALL traditional landline phones in the UK, probably between Christmas 2025 and this time next year, perhaps this would be a good opportunity for you to upgrade your landline to a digital VoIP service, so that your house phone operates via your internet connection, and get your phone service converted before you are forced in to doing it at short notice.

Assuming that your existing broadband is Plusnet FTTC, you would FIRST need to 'upgrade' your broadband from FTTC to SoGEA (usually referred to as 'fibre' on the Plusnet portal). Then wait for confirmation that the upgrade has completed, at which point you would migrate your landline phone number to a third party VoIP supplier (such as A&A). 

Depending on which model of phone handset you are currently using, you may need to buy an adaptor to connect your handset's BT plug to an ethernet LAN socket on your broadband router.

The upgrade from FTTC to SoGEA should be cheaper each month than what you pay currently, and phone calls using VoIP are usually considerably cheaper than landline rates.

If your existing broadband is ADSL and nothing else is available, then you might have bigger problems.

.

[#4]

@Doug-in-a-fix 

This is indeed unfortunate. Every other mainstream ISP is currently busily transferring their customer's telephone service to 'Digital Phone' or for the technical, VoIP. This is the natural quick fix for these customers. This leaves just those with obsolete alarm systems and Plusnet customers without a quick fix. As the PSTN is due to be totally shut down within the next 18 months, one can imagine that fixing breakdowns is now becoming an Openreach 'make do and mend' operation with limited resources.

Yu could move to Plusnet SoGEA and sort out an independent service from a VoIP provider. However, the easiest solution is to ring the Plusnet Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 and ask to be transferred to EE. If you do it this way you will not be levied any termination charges. As @outcast states, if you want to keep your landline number you will have to do one or the other in the near future anyway.

The EE hub has built in features to prioritise voice traffic, so works on ADSL, FTTC and FTTP equally well.

[#5]

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@jab1 wrote:

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Do PN have ANY stick with which to bash Openreach? It doesn't seem so. Feel fobbed off and PN are just a middleman with no power.

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The short answer is no - Openreach are answerable to no-one, and work at their own pace. 

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Not quite true - OR and Plusnet (and others) have a contract, They have to conform to the terms of that contract or suffer whatever consequences are due. So I don't believe it is the case that Plusnet have no capability of influencing OR (or beating OR with a stick) when needed - but I would agree that it does appear that often they choose not to.

Regarding the "major outage" the Zen status page may give some info.

[#6]

Regarding the "major outage" the Zen status page may give some info.

It doesn't - any more.

[#7]

The Zen page does give info on any planned maintenance, current faults, and faults that have been cleared withing the past 7 days. If there is nothing there for the OP's problem it means any problem was fixed more than 7 days ago.

A major telephone outage would be a priority to fix for emergency calls if nothing else, and there is no reason outside Plusnet's control that would mean Plusnet wouldn't be able to provide more information.

[#8]

My Zen page, not selecting a code or number, although selecting a code returns exactly the same:

And, having checked the OR site, there does not appear to be any 'problems reported link either.

[#9]

That doesn't show any current faults for 0208, but does show some fixed faults and some planned maintenance. That seems reasonable to me, unless you know there is a major fault that isn't shown. 

[#10]

Prior to around March this year, the current/recent faults box showed all current faults across the OR network, without the need to input any data - I actually contacted Zen when I noticed this change and was told it 'was an OpenReach decision to void it'.

[#11]

Oh, that's disappointing. I guess it is just OR avoiding advertising their problems - easier than avoiding or fixing them.

[#12 · Accepted solution]

Thanks all for advice re VOIP, and insight into the wonderful world of ZEN.
OR have fixed the issue and I can kick the VOIP can a little further down the road.
a nice little compensation credit added to my PN account too.

Will close thread now.

[#13]

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@Doug-in-a-fix wrote:

... I can kick the VOIP can a little further down the road.

@Doug-in-a-fix 

Before you are forced to migrate your landline number in the next few months, make sure that you understand the differences between getting a true VoIP service, compared to the more restrictive "Digital Voice" (offered by BT, EE, Zen, Vodafone, etc).

Briefly, with VoIP you can choose your own phone service provider (independently from your ISP), can use your own phone equipment and broadband router, can use a mobile phone as a handset, and call charges are typically VERY cheap (especially on PAYG).  Whereas "Digital Voice" locks you in to the service offered by your broadband provider by forcing you to use their router or adaptor, call charges are expensive unless you can stay within a free or low cost call package, and it is unlikely that you could use a mobile phone as a handset (useful for when away from home).  Whatever you choose, check features that you might want to use, such as how answer phone messages are delivered.

Given that the landline switch off is imminent, you should at least acquire the relevant SIP phone and/or adaptors before there are potential supply shortages when the rest of the country unexpectedly panic on receiving their landline termination notices (probably around Christmas 2025).

.

[#14]

@outcast I don't know about he other providers you mention, but you are not forced to use Zen's DV service if you do not wish to.

[#15]

@jab1 

Just out of interest, is it possible to use Zens VoIP service with third party equipment, or are you locked to the Zen router, as is the case with BT (as @outcast mentions)?