out of contract

[#1]

So I have been out of contract for a while, as I don't want to sign up for another 2 years - they used to do monthly contracts, have they all gone? 

I have been with Plusnet since pre-2008, and they have never sent me a new modem; I had to buy a BT Smart Hub from eBay when I moved to fibre. I pay for the broadband, and my folks pay for the phone line, so I have never been able to upgrade as Plusnet demanded you have to move the landline. Is that still the case?

[#2]

If you don't have a (typically) 2 year contract you are on a monthly (rolling) contract.

You also can't easily change anything at the moment.

If your family wish to continue with a BT provided landline then they will have to "upgrade" to BT's Digital Voice by the end of the year.

The process of "encouragement" has started and I suspect they will find the phone service price increases significantly this year.

Probably the best way forward for your family would be for the phoneline to be "upgraded" to a BT full fibre service with a phone package and for you to split the cost between you.

By the end of this year, Plusnet will no longer provide landlines.

[#3]

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@swbooted wrote:

So I have been out of contract for a while, as I don't want to sign up for another 2 years - they used to do monthly contracts, have they all gone? 

Did Plusnet ever do monthly contracts? Apart from being out of contract!

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I have been with Plusnet since pre-2008, and they have never sent me a new modem; I had to buy a BT Smart Hub from eBay when I moved to fibre. I pay for the broadband, and my folks pay for the phone line, so I have never been able to upgrade as Plusnet demanded you have to move the landline. Is that still the case?

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What router were you using previously? I wasn't sent a new router when I moved to fibre from FTTC, because the existing Plusnet Hub 2 - which I was sent when I moved from ADSL to FTTC - is the current Plusnet router for fibre (FTTP). If you didn't have a Plus Hub 2 they should have sent you one on the change to fibre (FTTP).

True that Plusnet aren't offering any phone services in future. So, if you want to keep your current landline number, you can accept the offer of an easy cost free transfer to EE (with Digital Voice) or make your own arrangements to use another VoIP supplier for the home phone and port your existing landline number to them. (Plenty of details in this forum about how to do this).

But, do you really need to keep your landline number? In my case I simply let the little used landline go and now use a mobile with Wi-Fi calling via the Hub 2 router for home phone calls. The only difference being I am using my mobile number.

[#4]

@swbooted Sounds like you're in a similar position as I was a couple of years ago, phone line with BT and ADSL from PN, both "out of contract" but on fairly cheap monthly rates, is that correct? My ADSL ran at almost 20mbps so was fine for most things, but it sounds like you may be on FTTC from PN with POTS phone from BT?.

I recall PN agreeing to send me a new router (Hub One IIRC) at some point just for the postage costs as I was on something ancient, without changing the contract. Not sure they'd do that now though, but you can ask.......

Finally I moved, in carefully-planned stages, to FTTC/SOGEA and VOIP phone with A&A, mainly as a cost-saving exercise. In my case, to minimise disruption, I had the FTTC line installed as a new line (£50 charge) alongside the existing POTS/ADSL line to better manage the transition away from the BT landline. My dropwire had spare pairs so an easy job for the engineer. If you're on "fibre" already that's not needed for you.

[#5]

@swbooted 

I suspect you would have been sent a new router had you asked but that's history.

You have no choice but to look at your options now as PSTN is ending by Jan 2027 at the latest. Is it a BT supplied landline? If so, it complicates matters slightly. Your internet service currently depends on the landline.

Can you post a screen image (after hiding your details) so we can see what's available to you. Include the narrative below the window from the following.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

I suspect when you say you're on Fibre you mean FTTC. In a victory for the marketing bods over common sense FTTC is Fibre and FTTP is Full Fibre. Your internet connection would move to a SOGEA line which automatically cancels the land line.

Finally, do your parents still use the phone?

Brian

[#6]

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@swbooted wrote:

.....I pay for the broadband, and my folks pay for the phone line, so I have never been able to upgrade as Plusnet demanded you have to move the landline. Is that still the case?

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It's not a 'Plusnet demand', it's a fundamental change to the infrastructure, dictated by others.

If I interpret your post correctly, your parents pay BT for a telephone service and you pay for Plusnet broadband on the same line? If so, I must question if you fully understand the potential nightmare scenario coming rapidly down the line?

BT are currently in the process of changing all their PSTN telephone services, region by region, to their Digital Phone service, delivered over the Internet.

If they do this on your line, it will cancel your broadband service. This will have the following effect on your email account:

If you have not been ported to Greenby, the account will be cancelled and unless you use a POP3 client or back up your emails to a personal computer, all present and past emails will immediately be permanently deleted.

If the account has been partially ported, you may find that whilst your emails are safe on the Greenby servers, you are unable to send emails to some domains.

If you are in a fibre priority area, we need to see the Availability Checker results to find out, you will probably have to have Full Fibre installed to the property.

Unless you can persuade your parents to live without their landline phone number you will need to either move to another ISP, with your parents signing up to an Internet service with a Digital Phone, or you upgrade to Plusnet SOGEA or FTTP and persuade them to take out a new contract with a third party VoIP provider.

Don’t be persuaded to leave this on your ‘too hard pile’, time is of the essence to decide how to handle this whilst you still have options.

[#7]

"If you have not been ported to Greenby, the account will be cancelled and unless you use a POP3 client or back up your emails to a personal computer, all present and past emails will immediately be permanently deleted."

Just a quick reminder - even if not using a client POP email program it is possible, using the Plusnet webmail service, to download individual mailboxes to a PC in mbox format.

[#8]

My folks get the light user rebate, and we also have a panic alarm that, if dad has a fall, it will call for help. I understand this messes up digital switchover, as BT hasn't decided if they will support them going forward.  

[#9]

very similar - PN is out of contract the BT phone line isn't - PN said I could have a new router only if I migrated the phone line to PN and signed a new contract.

Currently wondering if I should jump ship to Vodafone as my employer gives a healthy discount on their plans. 

[#10]

@swbooted 

Your landline is changing: Everything you need to know

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/smart-living/everything-you-need-to-know-about/your-landline-i...

The UK is switching off its old analogue landline telephone network. If you have a landline from Vodafone, here’s how this affects you.

No hiding place?

[#11]

yeah BT landline and they still use it, but they are on the BT light user rebate scheme. 

[#12]

"we also have a panic alarm that, if dad has a fall, it will call for help. I understand this messes up digital switchover, as BT hasn't decided if they will support them going forward."

@swbooted

This is a priority to get sorted before doing anything else.

Does your dad's alarm provider offer mobile based solutions? and are BT aware he has one.?

If not he needs to be on put on BTs vulnerable customer status to at least prevent them from moving you to a digital connection automatically.

Vodafone may be a viable solution for you as they do support voice services and the phone just plugs into the router.

However time is not in your favor as the PSTN cutoff will there sooner than most people think.

[#13]

@Baldrick1

Does the attachment help? I have tried having a conversation with my dad, but he is still in denial and thinks he will still have his landline and phone number. I think BT assumes the older generation will just get it, but they don't. 

[#14]

@swbooted as I think you appreciate, the clock is ticking on the "traditional" BT landline and phone.

I've assisted a relative through this process.They (like your family) had a BT copper line and a Plusnet broadband service.

The now current state is a BT Home hub with phones plugged into it and BT provided (full fibre) broadband.

My learning from this excercise is don't attempt to make this change online.

Phone up BT and speak to a real person (the attempt to do this online with BT went very wrong).

BT supplied a battery backup unit so the phone (and broadband) survives a power cut.

The alarm pendant people will have to sort that out. You might find it's a blocker with BT until resolved.

[#15 · Accepted solution]

@swbooted 

The Availability Checker results show that Full Fibre is available and that you are currently on FTTC broadband. Be very cautious how you proceed. A false move could trigger the cancellation of your Dad’s phone/care line.

This will be automatically cancelled if you change your ISP to say Vodafone, update to Plusnet fibre or you cancel your Plusnet service. The only safe option to change or even cancel your Plusnet account is by BT upgrading your Dad’s service to SoGEA or Full Fibre with digital phone. This will automatically close your Plusnet account.  As has been said, this will first require your Dad’s care alarm to be compatible with the new service.

Plusnet will not provide a service if there is a care alarm in circuit, they will just refer you to BT. 
I would suggest that you confirm with BT that they know that your Dad is vulnerable and has a Care Line device and continue with your current arrangement until such time as BT convince him that something needs to change. At that time, move your data connection to BT, which will automatically cancel the Plusnet service.