I have a plan

I am stuck with TTB on FTTC til at least October this year under contract for broadband and phone. According to TTB price list the cancellation fee for last 12 months is £125.

So in October I plan to get a data FTTP installation alongside my FTTC and Phone with a provider that gives you cashback either Sky or Plusnet.

Once FTTP is up and running (TTB now say FTTP is available but haven't returned a call with prices from a specialist) I plan to port my phone to A&A which should cancel the phone and FTTC and get final Bill from TTB.

To be honest TTB network is fine but customer service and sales are rubbish. I have to login into the support portal on different browsers to read and update tickets and this has been going on for years. Told their tech support but it was never fixed and the sooner I leave the better.

So what do you think of my plan?

So what do you think of my plan?

Fingers crossed Tim. 🤞

The dual running costs for the period will be presumably less than the cancellation costs; so thumbs up👍

Just double check on the notice period, to terminate on the anniversary date of the contract, that TT require. As you don’t want to necessarily be paying dual running costs for any longer than required. Unless you want to have a backup connection, but that’s another kettle of fish.

Edited by Pheasant (Wed 20-Aug-25 09:49:57)

I kept plusnet going for almost a month after I had Zzoomm installed, but I did not really have much choice, and I preferred that anyway. At least I knew Zzoomm was up and running before I scrapped Plusnet, not sure if I would want to do it longer than a month

Your plan is similar to what I did a couple of years ago.

Around this time in 2023 I had FTTC on a rolling monthly contract with IDNet as the initial contract had come to an end. Community Fibre became available, so I signed up and got connected. After a few days of testing the new connection, I ported my PSTN number to A&A and this ceased my phone line and, with it, stopped my FTTC connection.

I'd checked with IDNet to ensure that there would be no charges and that the porting of the landline number would be enough to stop the service and the contract.

All working fine a couple of years later. Openreach seem to be building out fibre in the area so hopefully I'll have that option soon. Virgin Media has been available for a few years.

Edited by teshy (Wed 20-Aug-25 11:21:00)

Normally you would be cancelling your contract by going to the new ISP, you would then supply the new ISP with the proof that charges where to be paid due to this. As you are starting a new contract then cancelling your old one at a later date this might not meet their critria for a payout, best check first.

In reply to a post by burble:

Normally you would be cancelling your contract by going to the new ISP, you would then supply the new ISP with the proof that charges where to be paid due to this. As you are starting a new contract then cancelling your old one at a later date this might not meet their critria for a payout, best check first.

Good point will have to look into that with PlusNet.

There might be a fly in the ointment with the PlusNet reward card for £100. The offer ends 27 August which puts the pressure on to order early. No guarantee the offer will be available in September as July offer was only £75. Need TTB to confirm the early termination fee for 12 months is £125 as per price list.

Well I am confused. Going through the Plusnet order system online it asks if I want to keep my current phone provider so clicked yes. Later on reading the legal bit it says your phone will be disconnected on a full fibre order. Is the legal bit just out of date?

Edited by Banger (Thu 21-Aug-25 01:31:36)

Well as I suspected I was told today the order will affect my landline so they have cancelled my order. Gonna wait til October 23 and order again.

In reply to a post by Banger:

Well as I suspected I was told today the order will affect my landline so they have cancelled my order. Gonna wait til October 23 and order again.

Perhaps a new order for "Fibre" broadband only (VDSL only) would certainly cease the copper landline but a new customer order for "Full Fibre" broadband only (FTTP) may not? After installation and activation of "Full Fibre" broadband only, PSTN voice and DSL could still be retained on an undisturbed active copper line until one wished to port the number to a VOIP provider at a later date...

Not according to the sales guy at Plusnet, its gonna be tricky keeping my number.

Do they need to know your current landline number for a new FTTP broadband only customer order - would a mobile phone number be OK should a contact phone number be needed during the ordering process?

Hopefully someone will be able to confirm but I thought I had read on here some where that you can reclaim your telephone number up to 30 days after the line has been cancelled.

I think I read that. I spoke to A&A on IRC and they told me it shouldn't cancel and they have loads of customers on Plusnet with VOIP with A&A so have re-ordered with PlusNet. Plusnet asked me my previous provider and if I wanted to cancel with them and he could arrange it, I said no.

Edited by Banger (Thu 21-Aug-25 16:26:05)

In reply to a post by Banger:

Plusnet asked me my previous provider and if I wanted to cancel with them and he could arrange it...

That's interesting since you would be a new customer and not migrating a FTTP broadband service from one provider to another.

Sounds to me like there is some confusion here, between a migration and a completely separate new service. The latter should not affect the former - if they are independent contracts.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Sounds to me like there is some confusion here, between a migration and a completely separate new service. The latter should not affect the former - if they are independent contracts.

Possibly a case of sales confusion due to Plusnet's use of the names "Fibre" and "Full Fibre" for their differing FTTC and FTTP broadband deals?

In reply to a post by 4M2:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Sounds to me like there is some confusion here, between a migration and a completely separate new service. The latter should not affect the former - if they are independent contracts.

Possibly a case of sales confusion due to Plusnet's use of the names "Fibre" and "Full Fibre" for their differing FTTC and FTTP broadband deals?

I'm somewhat confused by the 3 parallel threads regarding the OP moving to FTTP but that says more about me than the OP

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

In reply to a post by 4M2:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Sounds to me like there is some confusion here, between a migration and a completely separate new service. The latter should not affect the former - if they are independent contracts.

Possibly a case of sales confusion due to Plusnet's use of the names "Fibre" and "Full Fibre" for their differing FTTC and FTTP broadband deals?

I'm somewhat confused by the 3 parallel threads regarding the OP moving to FTTP but that says more about me than the OP

I will try to keep it in one place. Just the Plusnet forum is a bit quiet at the moment.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Sounds to me like there is some confusion here, between a migration and a completely separate new service. The latter should not affect the former - if they are independent contracts.

This is what I am hoping as I talked to a sales rep on IRC from A&A who told me PlusNet rep was incorrect and when I ordered online the form asked me if I was switching or not. If I clicked No it carried on with the order if I clicked Yes it asked me who my current supplier was.

In reply to a post by Banger:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Sounds to me like there is some confusion here, between a migration and a completely separate new service. The latter should not affect the former - if they are independent contracts.

This is what I am hoping as I talked to a sales rep on IRC from A&A who told me PlusNet rep was incorrect and when I ordered online the form asked me if I was switching or not. If I clicked No it carried on with the order if I clicked Yes it asked me who my current supplier was.

You have always had the option of either "switching" providers; be it adsl, vdsl or now fttp. Or go with a new connection leaving the existing service intact.

I'm not sure how PN screwed that up.

Did you ask on the PN forums

https://community.plus.net/t5/Forum/ct-p/Forum

In reply to a post by Taras:

In reply to a post by Banger:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Sounds to me like there is some confusion here, between a migration and a completely separate new service. The latter should not affect the former - if they are independent contracts.

This is what I am hoping as I talked to a sales rep on IRC from A&A who told me PlusNet rep was incorrect and when I ordered online the form asked me if I was switching or not. If I clicked No it carried on with the order if I clicked Yes it asked me who my current supplier was.

You have always had the option of either "switching" providers; be it adsl, vdsl or now fttp. Or go with a new connection leaving the existing service intact.

I'm not sure how PN screwed that up.

Did you ask on the PN forums

https://community.plus.net/t5/Forum/ct-p/Forum

I did but it's a bit quiet on there at the moment as is TBB Plusnet forum.

Uh oh there is an open case from "System" on TTB entitled Retention and Leaving with no detail. I assume that OR has put a cease on my line but no way of checking. I have replied to the case with I am not leaving I plan to have 2 lines please cancel any cease on the line. Also sent an email to TTB CS stating my intentions. I have had a few replies on Plusnet Community one from Staff who said I could either have a new line or put the order on hold til contract is done. This is turning into a mess.

In reply to a post by Banger:

Uh oh there is an open case from "System" on TTB entitled Retention and Leaving with no detail. I assume that OR has put a cease on my line but no way of checking. I have replied to the case with I am not leaving I plan to have 2 lines please cancel any cease on the line. Also sent an email to TTB CS stating my intentions. I have had a few replies on Plusnet Community one from Staff who said I could either have a new line or put the order on hold til contract is done. This is turning into a mess.

and you want a new line.. I saw the comments on the PNF.

Email fired off to ceo at Openreach see if they can help.

Spoken to CS at TTB and I am assured the stop on the line is cancelled.

In reply to a post by Banger:

Email fired off to ceo at Openreach see if they can help.

Why?

This is not an OR issue but a (now) multi isp mess up.

Panic, thought the CEO maybe able to sort out the stop on the line turns out TTB can.

So have had to cancel my order with PN as they cant provide a line without cancelling current service. BT and EE cant either. Will have a look at the Sky order process.

In reply to a post by Banger:

So have had to cancel my order with PN as they cant provide a line without cancelling current service.

That is not what they said in the forum

In reply to a post by Taras:

In reply to a post by Banger:

So have had to cancel my order with PN as they cant provide a line without cancelling current service.

That is not what they said in the forum

I know but that is what I am being told when I ring up. I spoke to someone earlier who said it was possible, just seem to be getting the run around. No one from Staff seems to want to comment on the thread.

I have discovered IDNet and possibly Zen might do new installs without cutting me off.

So I have gone with AA on a 1 month contract but just for installation see if OR can do it. The online ordering system said it was up to me to cease the current provider manually. Fingers crossed.

Probably greater than 99% of ordinary folks (non broadband nerds as said here on another thread recently 😂) will just go through the switching process swim-lanes - so this is why your big bog-standard ISPs will flounder when it comes to to what your trying to do.

Better off with someone like AA here as they have folks that can work without a script…

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

so this is why your big bog-standard ISPs will flounder when it comes to to what your trying to do.

Ofcom's "One Touch Switching" may be the cause of the problem, but it is crazy, I've had plenty of staff with personal broadband and separate lines/services paid by employers in the past. Maybe Ofcom never anticipated someone wanting to keep their openreach based VDSL/FTTC from one supplier, and have openreach based FTTP from a different supplier. Perhaps Openreach should complain to Ofcom about lost business!

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Ofcom's "One Touch Switching" may be the cause of the problem, but it is crazy,

I agree. I have said here before that OTS is not suitable for dealing with anything other than a single line and have been shot down for it. But here we are. OTS is fine for dealing with one line, not with one premises. It stems from a simplistic and false heuristic that 1 premises can have but 1 line. I'd bet that there is a relational database model error at the heart of this.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

so this is why your big bog-standard ISPs will flounder when it comes to to what your trying to do.

Ofcom's "One Touch Switching" may be the cause of the problem, but it is crazy, I've had plenty of staff with personal broadband and separate lines/services paid by employers in the past. Maybe Ofcom never anticipated someone wanting to keep their openreach based VDSL/FTTC from one supplier, and have openreach based FTTP from a different supplier. Perhaps Openreach should complain to Ofcom about lost business!

Interesting OR CEO's dept. told me there were two orders on the property one from Plusnet and one from A&A who I eventually went with that would just put fibre in without knocking out the phone. So PN must have got it right eventually but they asked me which to cancel and I replied with PN. I plan to go with PN eventually once my phone is sorted due to price and speed.

In reply to a post by Banger:

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

so this is why your big bog-standard ISPs will flounder when it comes to to what your trying to do.

Ofcom's "One Touch Switching" may be the cause of the problem, but it is crazy, I've had plenty of staff with personal broadband and separate lines/services paid by employers in the past. Maybe Ofcom never anticipated someone wanting to keep their openreach based VDSL/FTTC from one supplier, and have openreach based FTTP from a different supplier. Perhaps Openreach should complain to Ofcom about lost business!

Interesting OR CEO's dept. told me there were two orders on the property one from Plusnet and one from A&A who I eventually went with that would just put fibre in without knocking out the phone. So PN must have got it right eventually but they asked me which to cancel and I replied with PN. I plan to go with PN eventually once my phone is sorted due to price and speed.

i don't think ots is the problem, rather the ordering systems some isps have set up. Same with having two onts, and switching isps for one of them causes issues.