Migrating from Plus Net to Be Unlimited - PSTN cease query

Hi folks,

I'm currently migrating my broadband from Plus Net to Be Unlimited. My phone line is with BT. I've applied for a broadband-only service from Be and used the MAC code provided by Plus Net.

After the order was placed, Plus Net contacted me to say:

A LLU PSTN cease has been placed on this account. This is due to complete on 26/09/2011.

This is the date my Be account will activate.

After further enquiry, they said:

At the moment we have a PSTN cease booked for 26/09/11. This means that on this date the Home Phone will no longer be delivered on a BT Wholesale exchange therefore the Broadband would no longer be compatible with Plusnet after this date, as our services will only be compatible with a BT Wholesale Exchange. Therefore the information suggests that the new provider will also be taking over your Home Phone services.

However, when I speak to BT, they have told me (two separate advisers, one in the broadband department, one in the home move department) that there is no cease on the line, or any changes to the account.

When I speak to Be, they said

There is no order with us for Land line only for Broadband.
If BT disconnect the telephone line the migration order scheduled for 26/09/2011 will be cancelled.
Please get in touch with BT to check why there is PSTN cease.

So I'm left really confused - BT say there is no cease, Be say they are definitely only going to provide me with broadband (and couldn't tell me whether a cease was on the line or not) and Plus Net insist there is a cease order on my phone line.

Doing more research into moving to Be, I understand this may be related to them being an LLU provider, however apparently they normally are an SMPF, not an MPF provider so wouldn't normally cease the entire line, only broadband.

Basically, I'd be really grateful if somebody had any experience with this - is it normal when moving broadband to an LLU provider for the old ISP to see a cease on the line? Is there any magic number to reach someone technical in BT who I can be confident fully understands the queries? It's difficult for me to instruct BT to cancel the cease order when they say there is nothing on the account!

Thanks for any help or guidance you can offer!

Col

Be unlimited bb is SFMP only, plusnet i fairly sure is only a bt wholesale re-seller, ip stream ect, The plusnet bod probably when referring to the cease order on your line, was meaning that bt had been sent the cease order for the plusnet bb service, and to provide be unlimited smpf llu bb service, cease & re-provide order, that is the normal procedure

Who is your Telephony (PTSN )provider, plusnet or bt or other?

Edited by tommy45 (Fri 23-Sep-11 18:58:02)

In reply to a post by tommy45:

Be unlimited bb is SFMP only, plusnet i fairly sure is only a bt wholesale re-seller, ip stream ect, The plusnet bod probably when referring to the cease order on your line, was meaning that bt had been sent the cease order for the plusnet bb service, and to provide be unlimited smpf llu bb service, cease & re-provide order, that is the normal procedure

Who is your Telephony (PTSN )provider, plusnet or bt or other?

My telephony provider is BT. I hope what you say is true, it's just that Plus Net keep emphasising that they think it's my phone line service that will be terminating which is confusing me.

Thanks for the reply.

Hi folks,

I'm currently migrating my broadband from Plus Net to Be Unlimited.My phone line is with BT. I've applied for a broadband-only service from Be and used the MAC code provided by Plus Net.

Not the OP

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

Thanks for any help or guidance you can offer!

Col

I can see why you're leaving Pusnet

I would say that i'm 99.9% sure that only the active ADSL service will cease and then the line will be connected to Be's llu kit at the exchange for adsl service, their will also be a short period of downtime with your ptsn service whilst this connection is made,
The only thing that can occasionally go wrong is the engineer connects the wrong pair up , leaving you without an active line, but that would be down to bt openreach,and is unlikely to happen, but as far as plusnet are concerned they will of only ordered a adsl cease order,
Once the Mac code is used by the gaining isp this is given to bt openreach and the cease & re provide order is generated this would then presumably show on the existing isp's system, and then in turn should start the process of closing your account and final bill if due

In reply to a post by tommy45:

<snip>

Thanks for the reassurance - there was only so long I was willing to keep holding on BT's lines to try and make sure nothing is being cancelled

Batboy, to be fair, I've always found Plusnet's customer support to be excellent. I'm just leaving because their (well publicised) traffic shaping policy doesn't suit my needs and I'm not convinced the 'pro' package is good value for money.

Anyway, thanks again and I'll let you know if Monday goes well.

Col

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

In reply to a post by tommy45:

<snip>

Thanks for the reassurance - there was only so long I was willing to keep holding on BT's lines to try and make sure nothing is being cancelled

Batboy, to be fair, I've always found Plusnet's customer support to be excellent.

I've always found them to be quite the opposite, more akin to your current experience.

Just for anyone following a similar path who might benefit - broadband transferred successfully today and I seem to have received a 200kbps boost to my line speed in the bargain.

Looks like the phone line cease was a false alarm. Thanks everyone for your help

Col

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

A LLU PSTN cease has been placed on this account. This is due to complete on 26/09/2011.

That looks like a system generated notice following the receipt of a scheduled event from BT Wholesale's reporting systems.

If you don't mind providing me with your old Plusnet username then I'd quite like to take alook to see if I can work out what happened. I wouldn't want similar confusion being extended to other customers whether they're leaving us or not!

Rgds,