Porting number away from BT Digital Voice to a VoIP provider

Do proper processes yet exist for porting landline numbers attached to ISP's proprietary/closed 'digital voice' services (e.g. BT's Digital Voice, Sky's Internet Calls) away to other providers?

I am specifically thinking of whether it's possible to port a number used by a BT Digital Voice 'line' over to a SIP-based VoIP provider? (This would be one of the established VoIP providers.)

I appreciate that currently this might well also result in the associated broadband service being terminated - for many people that would be an issue, but in this instance the most important thing is retention of the landline number.

Thanks for any pointers and insight.

Edited by binary (Wed 22-Feb-23 21:03:11)

If the Number was originally installed as an analogue line by BT, you should be able to port it to most sip providers, you will need to find out if this will have any impact on the BT service, and you are no longer in contract for the voice service.

I would also consult your Sip provider, as the number porting process is flaky at best. By the end of 2033 or earl 2024 we should start to see more product choice.

In reply to a post by binary:

Do proper processes yet exist for porting landline numbers attached to ISP's proprietary/closed 'digital voice' services (e.g. BT's Digital Voice, Sky's Internet Calls) away to other providers?

Yes - they'll port just fine to a suitably competent provider.

In reply to a post by therioman:

In reply to a post by binary:

Do proper processes yet exist for porting landline numbers attached to ISP's proprietary/closed 'digital voice' services (e.g. BT's Digital Voice, Sky's Internet Calls) away to other providers?

Yes - they'll port just fine to a suitably competent provider.

Thank you - this is reassuring.

In reply to a post by copex:

If the Number was originally installed as an analogue line by BT, you should be able to port it to most sip providers, you will need to find out if this will have any impact on the BT service, and you are no longer in contract for the voice service.

I would also consult your Sip provider, as the number porting process is flaky at best. By the end of 2033 or early 2024 we should start to see more product choice.

It is indeed a number originally installed as a BT analogue line - however having had a quick read around, I'd think that even a number that actually 'began life' as a BT Digital Voice number should still be portable, should it not?

I appreciate that whilst technically 'breaking off' a Digital Voice number from a broadband+voice bundled plan and porting that number elsewhere should (in an ideal world) be a possibility, it's likely that contractually or from a product systems and process point of view it would kill the underlying broadband service (particularly so with a mainstream provider such as BT). Perhaps this will change in time.

Re your comments about improved number porting process in late 2023/ early 24 - that's good as it's likely that's when any such port would take place!

Edited by binary (Sun 26-Feb-23 16:44:48)

In reply to a post by binary:

In reply to a post by copex:

If the Number was originally installed as an analogue line by BT, you should be able to port it to most sip providers, you will need to find out if this will have any impact on the BT service, and you are no longer in contract for the voice service.

I would also consult your Sip provider, as the number porting process is flaky at best. By the end of 2033 or early 2024 we should start to see more product choice.

It is indeed a number originally installed as a BT analogue line - however having had a quick read around, I'd think that even a number that actually 'began life' as a BT Digital Voice number should still be portable, should it not?

I appreciate that whilst technically 'breaking off' a Digital Voice number from a broadband+voice bundled plan and porting that number elsewhere should (in an ideal world) be a possibility, it's likely that contractually or from a product systems and process point of view it would kill the underlying broadband service (particularly so with a mainstream provider such as BT). Perhaps this will change in time.

Re your comments about improved number porting process in late 2023/ early 24 - that's good as it's likely that's when any such port would take place!

I have just successfully ported our PSTN landline over to AAISP VoIP service without any trouble, however as you have stated it kills any broadband associated to that number. I just upgraded to FTTP so wanted that to happen anyway.

If you wanted to AAISP have a work around where they can give you a 'dummy' number that allows you to port your number to VoIP and retain broadband, it’s a work around I believe and the only provide to offer such a service. Personally, I wouldn’t have bothered if FTTP hadn’t become available. So if you can wait, I'm sure the process will be simplified.

In reply to a post by Matt182:

If you wanted to AAISP have a work around where they can give you a 'dummy' number that allows you to port your number to VoIP and retain broadband, it’s a work around I believe and the only provide to offer such a service. Personally, I wouldn’t have bothered if FTTP hadn’t become available. So if you can wait, I'm sure the process will be simplified.

Not a work around but an Openreach offered service called renumber and export. They aren't the only ones to use it though no big provider will support it.
To retain broadband it requires migrating your broadband to AAISP.
They can't renumber a number that isn't theirs and porting just the number to them will cease the broadband.

AAISP have used it much more than other providers because they don't do voice services over PSTN.
Anyone who wanted to migrate voice and broadband to AAISP needed migrated, renumbered to a dummy number for broadband then the current number ported to their VOIP.