In reply to a post by Fido:

For some reason or other; you seem huffed enough to jump down my throat about this trivia ignoring the fact that I had already pointed out the flaws so it may not be perfect but for some it could be a good option.

I'm sorry if you feel that me saying I would be very interested in hearing from anybody who has done the equivalent of A&A's "renumber and export" with BT while in contract counts as being huffed or jumping down your throat.

If that early term charge is in writing then consider whether you want to split your voice from your broadband now you have the opportunity to do so. Bear in mind if you don't want a service interruption you'll need another FTTC line (or 4G/5G, Virgin Media) installed and running as the broadband will (should) terminate once the port goes through.

I ported a BT DV number a few months ago to A&A, I did mess up slightly by serving 30 days notice to BT and then submitted the port request which did some very strange things - the number ported but the SOGEA service stayed active for the remainder of the 30 day term, and the number stayed alive within BT's systems until that 30 day date, so any calls from a BT landline or EE mobiles rang the digital voice line, everything else went to A&A. It did prove that BT linking the phone number to the SOGEA service is not a service limitation and is just the way their systems are set up to handle number port requests, but it was interesting to see it proven.

Another thing that needs investigating by people going through this is to see how this guidance from Ofcom is meant to be implemented, if keeping a previous number counts as a "nice to have" and a couple of weeks of it being unavailable is acceptable then it could be a lot less hassle than trying to run multiple connections alongside each other:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice-for-businesses/switc...

Edited by jpm (Thu 27-Jul-23 18:55:09)

It may not suit the OP but it may suit others in a similar situation.

In cirtain circumstances you can end a contract early without penalty. - When you have a contract with an ISP you can exit early, (without penalty), under cirtain circumstances. - (eg. if the ISP does certain things. - (eg. BT always have price rises as part of their business model but if the price rises are outside of the agreed/publish criterion that was agreed to when the customer signed up the customer can migrate without penalty).

Also, Since the change to BT Digital Voice forces the Customer to use the BT Router and his own, (eg Billion Router), works better on his line the change is not what he signed up to.

The change from PSTN to VOIP is coming by 2025 but if BT want to bring it in mid-contact/early on a customers line to suit their commercial decisions in my view the customer should be able to leave early without penalty as that is a significant change and it seems to me that BT has already recognised this by allowing customers to go broadband only when they introduce this change;

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/digital-voice-migra...

Therefore, according to the above guideance, BT will allow the customer to choose a different broadband only contract instead of the present contract that BT plan to unilaterally change.

According to BT, (as per the above link), If the customer chooses not to take up Digital Voice for their own reasons they can move to a broadband only contract.

Anyone can open one or more VOIP accounts tomorow and a new number is the easiest way, (as we all know that porting a bundled number can end the broadband).

If a person decides to not to take up digital voice and chooses the option of a broadband only contract the BT link between the new broadband only contract no longer applies. - So far so good.

If the customer just keeps the new local VOIP number that they chose when they signed up to VOIP; all is good.

If within 30 days the customer then wants to port his old/disused number to VOIP that may create an issue but theoretically since the new BT contract is broadband only it should not cease the broadband.

When I had both broadband and a PSTN phone line with Zen; they were started at different times and I ensured that they were not bundled. - When I opened a VOIP line with a new number I ended my PSTN number with Zen but even though they were never bundled the Zen system still referred to the old PSTN number, that has not existed for over a year, and I suspect that if I had tried to port the number it would have caused a lot of issues.

If the PSTN line and the broadband is not linked the theory is sound, however, since BT customer service people will not be up to speed keeping the new VOIP number is much easier if that is possible.

Are they considered high … well, for me, I think so, though I daresay others will think not.

I would wager that a DLM reset would clear those right up.

"If within 30 days the customer then wants to port his old/disused number to VOIP that may create an issue but theoretically since the new BT contract is broadband only it should not cease the broadband."

How can someone port a number they don't have anymore?

The Ofcom number portability rules changed in April:
"When signing up with a new provider you can also request to keep your old phone number for free by contacting your new provider even if you have already cancelled your previous service (as long as you request this within one month of cancelling)." - from https://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice-for-businesses/switc... (also applies to non-business landlines).

How well this works in practice is anyones guess.

Previous provider is obliged to ‘ring fence’ the number for 31 calendar days, so that the customer can port the number to a new provider. This is in accordance to the recent changes to number porting rules which came into affect in April.

See “Right to Port” guidance to service providers from Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator:

http://www.offta.org.uk/latest-news/telecommunicatio...

We need to find a guinea pig to try this out.

I have been in contact with an ISP that knows their stuff.

I asked - could I move to BB only with BT, loose my number and then ask them to pick it up following Ofcom’s rules. They said they didn’t think the cancellation process would work and wasn’t anything they had tried.

They suggested that as part of the move to SOGEA there is an option to export the number to a VOIP provider. I googled and found Integral Number Port/Transfer. I would need to give BT the CUPID of the VOIP provider.

I am checking with BT. Although this is technically possible, I don’t think it is standard end user (for example me) facing procedure. The normal BT service line may struggle if I provided a CUPID and asked for a number port. I am guessing the answer will be “No”

Moving to BB only will cost £3 per month extra and will be for 24 months.

No resyncs after 48 hours. Physical letter from BT arrived today. FTTP with OR is not planned in my area. Don’t fancy Hey!B that are doing ducting/pol work

I suppose options are
a) SOGEA transfer option and extra £72 (plus CPI) over the next 2 years
b) transfer to provider that will provide SOGEA using FTTC and VOIP. New service probably significantly more than my current £23 per month BT price. Also assumes my ETC is £3.11
c) new SOGEA FTTC line installed and then move number to VOIP which will cancel my original line. Possible install costs and increased monthly rental. Move to FTTP later. Lots of lines coming into the property.
d) do nothing. When FTTP arrives, get it installed and then move number to VOIP ceasing FTTC.

Agreed and being done with a BT subsidiary - PlusNet.

FTTC moving to FTTP - no early termination and permitted to port voice.