Great suggestion ! Thanks. I've found a reasonably cheap wifi extender that can be used as an access point with the two networks given different names. I'll maybe give it a go once I'm back from having my hip replaced ! ... View more

UPDATE - Openreach communications much improved - had 3 texts this morning with updates before the engineer's arrival. The rod used looked identical to the reel above and he had no problem pushing through for install. All connected up in ~ 90 minutes without disturbing the existing phone wire. Now have both routers live and active ! Presumably PN will disable the old FTTC connection once informed by Openreach ? ... View more

Thanks for replies - looks like I'll have to wait and hope for a competent (and conscientious !)  engineer.  Biggest problem with losing the old line without new install is that our mobile connections here ,are not good on any of the networks. OK for basic stuff like email but not good enough for anything more complex. ... View more

One further issue with dependency on a mobile phone in an area of no/poor coverage - as I found this week ,when the "3" network went down I couldn't make any calls because wifi calling won't work during the network outage either. ... View more

@JSHarris  - I suppose OR could use that as a convenient "excuse" to cut off customers from PSTN once numbers become low enough.!! ... View more

@Dan_the_Van  - I didn't verify the caller's identity but would have done if I'd had any intention of moving my line. BT have been bombarding us with flyers tho'.     ... View more

@RealAleMadrid  Phone call from BT ? The salesperson told me that my analogue phone line would not work after Spring 24 as my "small" Welsh village exchange is being changed over early next year. I argued that I wasn't with BT Retail but she insisted repeatedly that " it doesn't matter who currently supplies your phone line" Obviously trying to get me to change over to full fibre with BT Retail and their VOIP service HOWEVER surely Openreach must have a threshold set for PSTN support ? Otherwise they are going to be maintaining the exchange kit for ~ 18+ months for a very small and steadily decreasing number of customers. ... View more

@Baldrick1  - not sure that you are correct re potential enforced loss of a PSTN line. I'm contracted until July 24 but as far as I can see, my exchange is being "switched off" in the Spring - cannot believe that PN customers will be kept on the old system for an extra few months ? ... View more

In that "exciting" BT/EE announcement ,I note a lack of any mention of Plusnet broadband  Any bets on when we all get presented with the move to BT as a fait accompli ? ... View more

A bit earlier in this thread, I asked for opinions on whether PN would release me from my minimum term contract for phone and broadband IF Openreach shut down PSTN service before the end date, releasing my number for me to set up VOIP somewhere. Surely this must have happened to someone as Openreach are already shutting down equipment in exchanges in some parts of the country. ... View more

So ,if my exchange (in Wales) is "switched off" before my contracted end date with PN then what happens to my phone service as PN aren't offering a VOIP service ? Will I have the 30 days to switch to a VOIP provider altho still being under contract for broadband ? Important as I want to keep my landline number because generally mobile service is very poor here and will get worse with 3G switch off as 5G is non existent and 4G also very poor. ... View more

It's very confusing - and the Press aren't helping much! - until I read this thread I assumed that PN would have to release me from my contract if "BT" switch off the equipment in my exchange before my minimum PN contract period - but this seems to infer that Openreach will keep it going for non BT Retail customers  - one wonders how long and for how many customers ? ... View more

Re the original topic of conversation, I have just had a promo email from Sky for "full fibre" - on that they stress that this deal is NOT suitable for customers with poor /no mobile coverage or in need of a landline ,so looks like Sky are going the same way ie no VOIP service with their FTTP. ... View more

Just for those who think those of us who are clinging on to the landline for as long as possible, are latter day Luddites :- 1.   I live in a black hole for mobile reception - we have tried Vodafone ,EE and O2 and none of them give reliable mobile reception downstairs. Incoming calls get missed including recently from a hospital consultant. 2.   Wifi calling would seem to be an answer BUT I'm alarmed by the number of people who seem to have difficulties in getting wifi calling to work when they pair up Handset A with SIM card B on broadband network C. Just about to buy a new mobile to use when PN mobile ceases so...... 3.   As posted previously, we suffered a power cut recently and the local tower went down with the result that we couldn't even make a call on the mobiles, wherever we were in the house or garden - I tried !! ... View more

@Townman  - on the newer estates around our "village" the existing Openreach infrastructure is all underground  - FTTP installers have been using the old wiring routes for fibre ,with the result that all the people I've talked to who have adopted fibre , had their ADSL/FTTC disconnected first before the fibre install was complete. Most of the 35 year old ducting is apparently "congested/blocked" ... View more

@corringham  - I fear that you are right - PN to vanish and customers to be pushed onto EE on much less competitive packages - BT management seem happy to lose the cheaper end of the market !! ... View more

@peterhr - re your final statement - yes ,would make life easier but apparently Openreach require a phone number to be associated with a FTTC/ADSL asset , so not a Plusnet restriction.  Also re the first part of your post - I'm still keen to find out whether there is now a successful route to port a home phone number to a VOIP provider when installing FTTP and cancelling FTTC service - Early reports seem to indicate that the process is not working well ,if at all. ... View more

My Dashboard and the next bill due to be taken on Tuesday ,now agree - but still 3p more than the amount in the Feb email !!! The small discount I get on the rental price hasn't been increased by the 14.4% ... View more

@jwsg - I suppose it'll take a while for customers to notice after the April billing date if they compare the Feb. email with the latest bill email. And ,if like me ,the difference is only a few p ,many won't notice. As to the Dashboard contract price ,I suspect relatively few PN customers ever look at it! ... View more

In answer to my own previous post - I've realised that they have continued with the full value agreed discount on the broadband portion ,but have only discounted the rental portion by the originally agreed 20p ,(not 20p plus 14.4% = 23p) ... View more

Weird one here - the new bill/future bill amount has been corrected - but is 3p more than my increase email received in February! Can't see how the system has arrived at a figure so close but not exact !! Not worth phoning about currently - I'll leave it til the fuss has died down. ... View more

Same here - won't contact CS until my actual bill appears on the 5th. ... View more

@Townman - I've read articles of this sort before BUT still don't know whether OFCOM are going to oblige ISPs to make existing phone numbers portable - PN still seem to be saying that I can only keep my landline number IF I switch to BT Retail with PN "assistance". Also no guidance on what is going to happen if/when my specific exchange switches off PSTN other than vague statements along the lines of "your ISP will contact you" . As a household with very poor mobile signal we really want to keep a landline of some sort. ... View more

It'll be "interesting" to find out what will happen to PN customers who have agreed an 18/24 month contract for broadband/telephone and then find that their exchange is to switch off PTSN services. ... View more

I've decided that the "two services" route to keeping the phoneline/number whilst upgrading to FTTP , has too much risk of going wrong and moving back to BT after all these years just doesn't seem sensible ,so I've renewed my existing FTTC package with PN for 18 months this morning .  Slight drop in price altho that'll be swallowed up by the Spring price leap !! So I'm out of this discussion until/unless PN come up with a solution ! ... View more