PlusNet Business landlines closing

So for the last 10 years I have had a Plusnet business package. I have now had a email informing me that they are withdrawing landlines in September. I know they want their business customers to move to BT but this is a bit naughty,
So I have had to setup a VOIP account with a 3rd party.

It's been expected for some time that PlusNet would likely migrate over to BT/'EE so it isn't a big surprise that they are doing this.

I realise it's not quite the same but do you think Plusnet will ditch ALL landline including non-business ones. I have just set a friend up (non techie) on Sky with a voice service. This was changed from BT because of the excessive cost of renewal.
I've taken an interest because my current Plusnet contract expires in a few months and as far as I can see Plusnet are now only offering FTTP in my area without landline ? I know many people don't use or want a landline these days but I'm old school and prefer to keep one. If nothing changes it looks like I too might be moving to Sky. I note that Sky now has better customer satisfaction score than Plusnet. Sad really because I've been with Plusnet for over 20 years with no real cause for complaint.

If you are in an active Fibre Priority exchange area and FTTP is available at your premises (as the areas don't have 100% coverage) then changing providers will require you to switch from FTTC to FTTP.

If you are recontracting with the same provider this shouldn't be the case as that is purely between you and the provider, there is no change in the Openreach connection. However the provider may use it as an excuse to force migration to FTTP, with Plusnet being part of the BT group this would likely be the case.

It appears unlikely that Plusnet will offer a voice service on FTTP connections, if you wish to keep voice they will most likely offer FTTP+DV from BT Retail. BT group keep on saying they have no plans to close Plusnet, others are less convinced - currently it appears that the BT brand will be aimed at business and retail with DV, EE for broadband with optional 5G backup, Plusnet for basic no-frills broadband only.

In reply to a post by Netfreak:

do you think Plusnet will ditch ALL landline including non-business ones.

I would say yes, that's very likely.

The analogue telephone network ("PSTN") goes stop-sell very soon, in September 2023, and will be completely switched off in December 2025.

If Plusnet want to continue selling voice services on FTTC (which becomes SOGEA without voice), then they will have to build a digital voice product to make phonecalls over the top. This could also give them digital voice on FTTP.

However, why would they go to the trouble of doing that, when voice is a low-margin and declining business? Instead they will say "sorry we don't do voice any more. If you want voice, go to BT" (who already have their digital voice platform up and running).

Of course, you could also go to Sky or Vodafone or Zen, all of whom offer digital voice already. Or you could move your voice service to a third-party VOIP provider and make it completely unbundled from your broadband.

The other big provider which doesn't offer digital voice is Talktalk, but because they have their own MSANs in telephone exchanges (which are capable of doing both DSL and analogue voice) they may continue to offer analogue voice for a while longer; they can do so even after Openreach have turned off their analogue phone exchanges. But sooner or later, they'll have to make their own decision as to whether to turn this off too.

When they do, perhaps they should change their name from "Talktalk" to "Typetype"

In reply to a post by candlerb:

In reply to a post by Netfreak:

do you think Plusnet will ditch ALL landline including non-business ones.

I would say yes, that's very likely.

When the time comes as long as Plusnet allows you to port your landline number somewhere else without it impacting your active FTTC broadband connection I would do it now to be honest.

I believe currently porting landline number cancels landline and broadband which isn't what I want!

Wow! I seem to have struck a nerve here. Many of the comments are in line with what I’d been thinking. It looks as though I’ll be waving bye bye to Plusnet after 20 + years, Ah’ well.

On the other hand one option I’ve thought of would be to stay with Plusnet on FTTP and get another mobile on a cheap unlimited calls deal to use exclusively as a home phone. I say exclusively at home because I don’t want to taking calls from the doctors, dentists etc when I’m in the barbers, pub, shopping or whatever. Actually that would be much cheaper than an inclusive calls package from Sky or BT etc. The downside of course would be having to tell lots of people and organisations my change of number.

Another oddity that’s come to my attention is the fact that three of my near neighbours who have had FTTP installed also still have the old copper wire running from the same pole as their new fibre connection. Apparently Openreach refused (in at least one case) to remove the old wire and even put a new identical bracket next to the existing one to carry the fibre cable! Since they’d gone over to FTTP (with Sky) and don’t want a landline what is the point?

In reply to a post by Netfreak:

On the other hand one option I’ve thought of would be to stay with Plusnet on FTTP and get another mobile on a cheap unlimited calls deal to use exclusively as a home phone. I say exclusively at home because I don’t want to taking calls from the doctors, dentists etc when I’m in the barbers, pub, shopping or whatever. Actually that would be much cheaper than an inclusive calls package from Sky or BT etc. The downside of course would be having to tell lots of people and organisations my change of number.

Or you go to a Plusnet FTTP deal and move your existing landline number to a VOIP service when that happens. That would give you the option of being able to receive calls to your existing landline number on your mobile using the VOIP capabilities as well as through a VOIP connected phone in the house (your existing phone if you get an ATA to connect to the FTTP router).

In reply to a post by think26872:

In reply to a post by candlerb:

In reply to a post by Netfreak:

do you think Plusnet will ditch ALL landline including non-business ones.

I would say yes, that's very likely.

When the time comes as long as Plusnet allows you to port your landline number somewhere else without it impacting your active FTTC broadband connection I would do it now to be honest.

I believe currently porting landline number cancels landline and broadband which isn't what I want!

The way the system works that isn't possible. You're correct that porting the landline number will cease the broadband. I don't think that will change.

It's now possible to separate the phone number + broadband without ceasing the service but it requires migrating the broadband only to a new provider, then when completed migrating the number to VOIP. You have 30 days to retrieve the number after leaving the current provider.

Edited by j0hn83 (Tue 13-Jun-23 13:03:06)

You have 30 days to retrieve the number after leaving the current provider.

Isn't it a little hit and miss as to whether you can get the number? There are people who have lost their connection due to provider mess ups and not been able to get their phone number back even after just a matter of days.

The charity of which I'm a trustee (www.becg.tv) uses Plusnet as its ISP. As with other business customers we have been notified that the service will end in September. I can't see a FTTP provider coming to our premises in the near future so it seems like our options are:

1: Find a different ISP
2: See what a Plusnet to BT transfer will cost

None of the trustees like BT (Plusnet is OK because it's fairly autonomous).

All we need is a basic no-frills connection (we have FTTC 80/20, running at about 60/20 in practice). We don't need phone. We use our mobiles and if we really need a number then VOIP is the way to go.

The webmaster and I need to look at what's available but would appreciate any thoughts and recommendations.

Edited by ppppenguin99 (Thu 15-Jun-23 07:02:26)

Is it essential that you have a Business Broadband service? A number of former Plusnet Business customers are just transferring to residential.

Plusnet have recently started offering SOGEA FTTC connections, that is FTTC broadband with no Phone service. The price is around the same as the existing FTTC but could be a lot more palatable than a move to BT business.

In reply to a post by Netfreak:

Another oddity that’s come to my attention is the fact that three of my near neighbours who have had FTTP installed also still have the old copper wire running from the same pole as their new fibre connection. Apparently Openreach refused (in at least one case) to remove the old wire and even put a new identical bracket next to the existing one to carry the fibre cable! Since they’d gone over to FTTP (with Sky) and don’t want a landline what is the point?

Because the owner could change their mind next week, and ask for a copper service to be re-activated - which Openreach would be obliged to deliver. Even if the owner were to sign a declaration saying they most definitely won't, they could sell up and the next owner could ask for it.

This should change when the exchange goes into a copper stop-sell mode, at which point it's clear that the owner won't be able to activate a new copper service.

However, if you really object to the old cable now, there *have* been some reported cases where Openreach has agreed to take it down. There are also cases where at installation they replace the existing copper cable with a "hybrid" copper+fibre cable. I guess it depends what they have on the van at the time.

I doubt if PN would provide a resoidential service to a business address. Also their residential bills are explicitly stated as not being VAT invoices. We're VAT registered so that would be an extra expense.

We've looked around and the best deal we've found is from ringing the number on the PN email. £25.95+VAT/month for broadband only. 24 month contract with CPI+3.9% increase each April. Much as I hate BT we're going with it. Next best was IDnet at £32.50/month.

When I phoned back to do the deal I was offered a slightly better price of £23.94/month. This was with dynamic IP. Static IP was £5 higher. At present we don't need static IP but was assured that we could get it at any time if we pay for it.

I liked the video of the museum at the website. www.becg.tv

Apparently A&A do have business customers.
They can supply broadband and or VOIP. You could find out more.

https://www.aa.net.uk/

In reply to a post by ppppenguin99:

When I phoned back to do the deal I was offered a slightly better price of £23.94/month. This was with dynamic IP. Static IP was £5 higher. At present we don't need static IP but was assured that we could get it at any time if we pay for it.

With Plusnet, it used to be that a static IP was a *one time* charge of £5. If it still is, then I'd take it now: they could withdraw this at any time and start charging monthly to anyone who decides to take it later.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

In reply to a post by ppppenguin99:

When I phoned back to do the deal I was offered a slightly better price of £23.94/month. This was with dynamic IP. Static IP was £5 higher. At present we don't need static IP but was assured that we could get it at any time if we pay for it.

With Plusnet, it used to be that a static IP was a *one time* charge of £5. If it still is, then I'd take it now: they could withdraw this at any time and start charging monthly to anyone who decides to take it later.

At home I've had static IP since I joined PN in 2002 and at no extra charge. At the BECG charity we had static IP as a standard part of our business deal, again at no extra charge. We probably won't ever need static IP. Our security and solar power systems don't rely on static IP for remote monitoring. Though the data does seem to go via China which it wouldn't if, for example, our CCTV recorders had their own web servers built in.

What a surprise. BT have fouled up the transfer. It's not easy to understand the guys in Mumbai when they phone (BT are still using offshore call centres - I can understand Plusnet in Yorkshire) but it seems that BT gave Openreach the wrong info to do the transition from an ordinary FTTC service (with POTS) to SOGEA (broadband only). They are now having another go. I wonder if it will work this time.

At least we still have our Plusnet service and there isn't a great hurry. Glad I started early and didn't leave it until close to the deadline to move from PN.