No xDSL & PSTN bundle migration orders from September.

According to an email notification that I received today from my ISP (Aquiss) it looks like any user who wishes to migrate their non-LLU(?) xDSL and bundled PSTN account from any provider to another provider will find it impossible to place such an order from the beginning of September. Hence if folks wish to retain their PSTN voice service they will be stuck with their current ISP for xDSL and PSTN voice up to 2025, at the latest, when the PSTN switch off will occur. Moving only the PSTN voice service prior to September could cause the xDSL service to be ceased with the current provider and that may not be an option.

I guess a bundled xDSL broadband and "landline" voice service could be migrated to another provider if the user agreed to having VoIP with them? Presumably any gaining provider would have to provide the necessary hardware (or suggest suitable hardware) for a "landline" voice service to continue.

I wonder if this situation is widely known by users who currently rely on a copper connection for both broadband and voice and might consider ordering a migration to another provider from September? It's probably not an issue for a migration to e.g. BT retail's broadband + "digital voice" where a router is provided that allows certain existing analogue devices to be used together with the existing phone number, but that may not be the common practice.

From the email:
"After 31st August 2023, ADSL or FTTC circuits... will not be able to migrate, transfer, regrade, bandwidth modify, request a working line takeover or add any extra services to a phone line, in line with Openreach changes, without the agreement of you losing your historic analogue phone line service going forward".

Edited by 4M2 (Mon 07-Aug-23 20:33:05)

Are you saying that the stop sell breaks AAISP's "Renumber and export" service which specifically allows you to port your number to VOIP without a break in the xDSL service?

Of course that only works if your broadband and voice is currently provided by AAISP and you won't be able to move to them after September so I suppose it does for many people.

Edited by Dassa (Wed 09-Aug-23 14:47:46)

In reply to a post by 4M2:

I guess a bundled xDSL broadband and "landline" voice service could be migrated to another provider if the user agreed to having VoIP with them? Presumably any gaining provider would have to provide the necessary hardware (or suggest suitable hardware) for a "landline" voice service to continue.

The stop/sell starts on 5th September, but simply after this date, anyone on a copper (FTTC/Gfast) service and wanting to change provider of which there are only copper services available (i.e no FTTP), have to move to SoTAP/SoGEA/SoGFast, either keeping the voice via VoIP or ditching that entirely.

This does not apply to MPF lines however such as Talk Talk or Sky's which currently have no stop date.

Matt

Edited by uno (Wed 09-Aug-23 15:28:35)

Please see Matt's post above.

Edited by 4M2 (Wed 09-Aug-23 16:44:50)

In reply to a post by uno:

The stop/sell starts on 5th September, but simply after this date, anyone on a copper (FTTC/Gfast) service and wanting to change provider of which there are only copper services available (i.e no FTTP), have to move to SoTAP/SoGEA/SoGFast, either keeping the voice via VoIP or ditching that entirely.

This does not apply to MPF lines however such as Talk Talk or Sky's which currently have no stop date.

Matt

Thanks for the clarification. Firstly: it seems that Aquiss are using the 1st of September as a cut-off date for their own particular reasons. Secondly: after stop/sell I assume that with a migration xDSL broadband would only be available and, if required, voice would be VoIP. The VoIP service would have to be with the same provider if the phone number wished to be retained, otherwise if the number was ported to another provider the xDSL would be ceased on that line? Thirdly: as I expected, it does not apply to full LLU MPF lines.

Edited by 4M2 (Wed 09-Aug-23 16:46:51)

In reply to a post by 4M2:

Secondly: after stop/sell I assume that with a migration xDSL broadband would only be available and, if required, voice would be VoIP. The VoIP service would have to be with the same provider if the phone number wished to be retained, otherwise if the number was ported to another provider the xDSL would be ceased on that line?

Yes. There is an Openreach order type for working line take over also converting FTTC to SOGEA and porting the PSTN number out as part of the process. Zen use this - you could have FTTC and PSTN from two different providers and migrate to Zen SOGEA + DV in one go.

Alternatively you could migrate to SOGEA only, which will cease the PSTN service, then start the number port the day before the migration or during the 30 days grace period which is now mandated by Ofcom. You would be without the PSTN service for a few days.

Are you saying that the stop sell breaks AAISP's "Renumber and export" service which specifically allows you to port your number to VOIP without a break in the xDSL service?

They will likely have to handle the process differently. If currently they do a FTTC+PSTN WLTO from another provider, followed by a PSTN renumber and export this will not work as that type of WLTO wil no longer be permitted.

Can SoTAP and SoGFast be ordered yet?
Wherever I look I keep being told it is not available.

Thanks
Dan

All quite irrelevant to areas such as mine that no longer offer copper anyway.

I know it's advancement but there must be a lot of folk, like me, that were happy with what ADSL offered?

It just seems like a way of doubling the cost for half the service.

So your exchange is/was a FTTP Priority Exchange where all Openreach copper-based services are put into Stop Sell?

Looks that way.

Edited by hk11 (Thu 10-Aug-23 01:51:18)