So the Telecare is now sorted (and rather unexpectedly already real-life tested) and I have Toob coming in a couple of weeks to get fibre broadband put in. I have opted to manually switch, so the fibre should go in alongside the existing copper line which will be ceased once I have dealt with the VOIP switchover to A&A. The A&A account is already up and running. Just the number will need to be ported when we are ready. If I understand correctly, the act of porting the number will also cease the broadband service on the copper line?

Hope things are OK, given the real life test.

I think that transferring the phone number should cease the broadband. This ceased our phone line with no broadband. Initially, the line was live but out of service and voltage was withdrawn when I checked a few weeks later.

In reply to a post by DFScale:

Hope things are OK, given the real life test.

Thanks. Mum is in hospital for now but doing OK.

In reply to a post by DFScale:

I think that transferring the phone number should cease the broadband. This ceased our phone line with no broadband. Initially, the line was live but out of service and voltage was withdrawn when I checked a few weeks later.

Thanks. I think I read somewhere that when someone transferred the telephone number to VOIP the contract (both telephone and broadband) with the existing provider was automatically ceased once the number had been transferred. If so, then that will be fine so long as they don't cease the existing broadband when Toob put their fibre cable in. I specifically asked for a manual switchover to avoid that.

In reply to a post by TruthDigital:

In reply to a post by DFScale:

Hope things are OK, given the real life test.

Thanks. Mum is in hospital for now but doing OK.

In reply to a post by DFScale:

I think that transferring the phone number should cease the broadband. This ceased our phone line with no broadband. Initially, the line was live but out of service and voltage was withdrawn when I checked a few weeks later.

Thanks. I think I read somewhere that when someone transferred the telephone number to VOIP the contract (both telephone and broadband) with the existing provider was automatically ceased once the number had been transferred. If so, then that will be fine so long as they don't cease the existing broadband when Toob put their fibre cable in. I specifically asked for a manual switchover to avoid that.

For others looking at the same sort of situation it would be good practice if they wish to retain their existing phone connection until they are sure that everything new works not to make any connection between the existing and new situations. They should order the new FTTP connection as a totally new installation rather than a transfer. Then once they are happy that everything new works they can migrate their existing FTTC telephone to a VoIP provider which will cease the existing FTTC contract. The downside is one or two months of paying for two connections so you accept the risk of cock-up or pay the money!

In reply to a post by GonePostal:

For others looking at the same sort of situation it would be good practice if they wish to retain their existing phone connection until they are sure that everything new works not to make any connection between the existing and new situations. They should order the new FTTP connection as a totally new installation rather than a transfer. Then once they are happy that everything new works they can migrate their existing FTTC telephone to a VoIP provider which will cease the existing FTTC contract. The downside is one or two months of paying for two connections so you accept the risk of cock-up or pay the money!

Thanks @GonePostal. That is exactly the reason why I am asking. Not all ISPs that I spoke with seem to offer the option to switch over "manually" and lay the new service in alongside the existing one. Vodafone certainly wouldn't as they don't offer a broadband only solution. BT/EE I am not sure, but it never got mentioned, and I got to the point of not trusting anything that Virgin Media were telling me. However, Toob do actually ask as part of the signup and if I recall, Zen said they could install alongside as well. The point is one has to ask otherwise it will be assumed that the existing provision is to be ceased immediately as per the "one touch switching" arrangement. Since a new fibre is going in alongside the existing copper, I don't see any reason why both can't co-exist alongside each other for a short while (subject to, as you point out, overlapping contract payments) until everything is confirmed working as expected as per your advice.

Edited by TruthDigital (Wed 01-Oct-25 21:21:14)

You have exactly pinned the problem as you have been asking about upgrading within an existing infrastructure and that infrastructure will try and force you to stay within that infrastructure.

To give you as the user control over what you need you would need to order a new connection, not a transfer of an existing connection which leaves you in thrall to the existing infrastructure which will always have the incentive to keep you within the existing customer base and will try and produce reasons to make it hard for you to go elsewhere. There is no technological reason why two connections cannot exist in parallel but both supposed commercial necessities and the technology of the sign up processes within ISP web-sites mean that if you are out of the norm then you have problems.

If you are starting from scratch or wish to create a new connection before ceasing an existing connection none of those reasons will apply.

Edited by GonePostal (Wed 01-Oct-25 22:57:05)