Compatible phone service for VDSL2

I am looking at ordering fibre-based broadband at my flat, but I don't want to change my phone service. The phone is currently through Sky. When I check my line on plusnet's website it tell me that I have an incompatible phone service and I would need to sign up for their phone service to get their broadband. I take it this means that Sky is using LLU on the voice side, and that currently there is no support for having voice LLUed with one provider and broadband LLUed with another. Is my assessment correct?

Thanks

Andrew.

Plusnet will only provide broadband (ADSL or FTTC) on a BT Wholesale (WLR?) telephone line, not an LLU line. The line does not specifically need to be provided by Plusnet but they do have a surcharge on the broadband charges if you don't also pay them for line rental.

My own telephone line is provided by Zen (great value for my purposes) and FTTC by Plusnet.

In reply to a post by andrum99:

broadband LLUed with another

PN is not LLU.

It's the Sky line that is the issue.

And you can't have broadband with another provider if you have a LLU (unbundled) phone line.

Why would you not want to take up Sky's Fibre offerings?

Your assessment is nearly correct but not quite.

It can be done, but not the sort of thing newly-trained Tier 1 support at Plusnet would be able to handle. Some of the more experienced ones, or higher tiers should.

If you migrate the broadband away Sky will let you keep the line rental with them and change it to a normal "BT line". (Wholesale Line Rental which is what all non-LLU lines are). AIUI Sky would need to provide a MAC for the broadband but agree I am correct.

As has been said, your Plusnet costs would be higher. Both the broadband monthly charge and a setup charge that isn't levied if you take Plusnet line rental. If you do take Plusnet line rental you will normally be able to keep the same number. Was it originally a "BT line", or was it installed by Sky from scratch?

Because their routers are rubbish and they don't let you use your own router.

Andrew.

Do you have broadband from Sky at present?

Paying £7.50 or £10 a month for it? If YES then you are on full LLU and Sky need to move you back to shared LLU first. Slightly messy and probably will mean they will turn off their broadband, and then once the phone is back and recognised by the BT Wholesale checker you will be able to order broadband-only from PlusNet.

IF you do not have broadband currently and have never had it from Sky on that line, then the line should already be a WLR one and PlusNet may be saying no by mistake.

The way to verify if the line is good is whether the BT Wholesale checker at http://www.thinkbroadband.com/btavailability.html understands your telephone number.

Sorry I should have explained - I do indeed have broadband from Sky at the moment. The BT wholesale checker does not recognise the number so that's why I'm guessing I'm on full LLU (i.e. MPF). My brother has phone, TV and broadband with Sky and pays for it and I don't really want to change anything except the broadband. I guess if it was cheaper we could just move the phone as well. The number is 01383 24xxxx which I'm assuming is from Easynet's number range.

Thanks

Andrew.

In reply to a post by andrum99:

Because their routers are rubbish and they don't let you use your own router.

It's easy enough to configure your own router to use on Sky.

To do what you originally wanted will mean cancelling the broadband and getting Sky to shift you back to WLR first.

Likely broadband downtime of a few weeks by the time everyone does everything and new order goes through.

As someone else said you can use your own router, people have managed to do it with Sky Fibre, just really looked into it, as happy enough my Sky router (keep that one simple) all the complex stuff is on my other line.

I'm using a Billion 8800NL modem/router with my Sky fibre connection because it syncs at a higher speed than the HG612 I have and also the SR102.

Sky know I'm using the 8800 because I told them when I was reporting a fault on my line because they didn't have any line stats on their system which are only reported by Sky's routers. They didn't seem particularly bothered.

Edited by simon194 (Tue 02-Sep-14 21:37:20)