Switching to EE

[#1]

@sstoddart Once Openreach confirm the switch-off of the PSTN network, the service will cease.

[#2]

@sstoddart 

Indeed the AI summary does not comment on the future of home phone line services with Plusnet.

There remains masses of work to be done by BT if the Jan 2027 PTSN switch off date is to be met...

• There are vast swathes of rural countryside where there are no fibre services of any description (still ADSL only) circa 84,000 properties
• There are about 1m phone line only users who frankly do not want (need) internet (and the associated costs)
• About 20% of all connections are still FTTC which need to be migrated to SoGEA or FTTP

Will BT get this done within the next 12 months is anyone's guess.  Plusnet have made the decision (or BT group has done that for them) that they are going to be a data connect supplier only - no voice or any other add on service.  It you cannot beat the competition then skin them to the bone!!

Sadly the days of Plusnet being a technology rich four-fold-bundled provider (broadband, phone, mobile and TV) along with email and website / domain hosting are very much long gone.  One is therefore faced with looking for other providers for these services, either individually or at least broadband and phone conjoined.  Only Sky and Virgin appear to still be doing all four services as a bundle.

[#3]

Hello Townman,

"Plusnet have made the decision (or BT group has done that for them)"  I love it...

I live out in the sticks but in recent years, BT (or should I say Openreach) huffed and puffed their way through backlanes to provide FTTC.. Our connection to the cabinet is via copper - well.. aluminium, to be accurate.  Broadband speed/quality is perfectly OK for our needs.

Telly is via FreeView and mobile via 3 (or should I say "Vodaphone") so no issues there.

"Sadly"... yes.  PlusNet, like so many others seems to be rolled up all too easily..  A bit like independent retailers in the high street, don't you think?  Getting a bit off topic here... appologies.

Cheers

Steve

[#4]

The independent retailer analogy is an interesting one, which has helpful similarities.

With PTSN all of the call management is done by BT Openreach / Network Operations: they count the calls, their duration and type and pass that data to the CP as a wholesale bill.  The CP then applies their tariffs to that data and bills individuals.

Switching to VoIP entails the CP building all of that call management capability for themselves as well as the infrastructure to facilitate VoIP.  Such makes it easy to understand why PN might not be playing in that space.  Within the group, why replicate what BT Retail and EE have already for a diminished market place.

It is similar to expecting a local retailer to attempt to set up an online store and distribution capability to stay competitive when that’s not within their investment capabilities.