PlusNet to EE mid-contract moves

A little note about what's happening, PlusNet have been contacting customers (grouped by area), informing them of the switch from PSTN to Digital Voice services.

PlusNet don't offer VoIP type services so are telling customers that they will be automatically switched to EE for broadband+voice, but can contact PlusNet if they no longer require their landline voice element in which case they can stay with PlusNet.

As this is happening mid-contract, PlusNet are saying the price with EE will remain the same up to the end of contract. However they omit to mention what the standard EE pricing is (for broadband+voice at next renewal).

A bigger concern is that either being moved to another ISP (even one in the same group) or having your landline stop working
are both significant change to an existing contract,
yet PlusNet are telling customers they cannot move themselves to another ISP without incurring early termination charges.
This does not sound right because it is PlusNet are the ones initiating the mid-contract change so on principle (and possibly contract law) the customer should have the same option to choose for themselves.

PlusNet are also not really saying there are a choice of providers for home phone services nor offering guidance on migration.
(e.g. for FTTC the customer account portal ought to offer a way to accept the change to SOGEA then how to port out a landline number).

The latest letter states that a customer will receive new account details and package name from EE, and their marketing preferences will be transferred to EE (which for all purposes is a new contract with a custom term length set to be whatever remained on the old PlusNet contract)
but that customers have 30 days to let PlusNet know (by phone) that they would like to remain with PlusNet by "dropping your landline and moving to a broadband-only package".

Edited by prlzx (Mon 15-Dec-25 10:45:12)

Although what you say isn't good for those wanting a customised migration\separation of line and broadband I do think Plusnet are trying to keep it simple so their process is as effective as possible.

They are keeping to their contract - giving you exactly teh same service and price untill the end of contract. Not ideal, but does not break the contract or give you a reason to leave at no cost.,

It has been a long-standing bugbear that Plusnet have no mechanism for users to migrate from FTTC to either SOGEA or FTTP and port out their phone number to another provider, sadly something the one-touch switching processes completely failed to address.

For those not wanting to change broadband provider, due to being mid-contract or to keep rewards payments and/or static IP addresses, the only option is to accept the migration to broadband only, then recover the PSTN number with a third-party VOIP provider during the 30-day recovery window with fingers crossed that no problems arise.

Please read what I wrote and what they are saying in the letters and emails.

No if (1) transferred to EE there is a different legal entity or trading style then it is a new contract with a different ISP regardless of how the marketing language looks.

And if (2) you stay with PlusNet the terms of your contract change mid-contract because they will no longer supply you with a telephone service.

As I stated, either way I don't think they can force your to choose between (1) and (2) while also saying that you cannot migrate to another ISP mid-contract without fees for terminating a service mid-contract, because that is in direct contradiction to options (1) and (2)
neither of which are a continuation of existing contract between the same two parties (customer and ISP).

To clarify in case you misunderstand. PlusNet are not offering to resell you the EE package at the same price and rest of term with PlusNet remaining your point of contact.
PlusNet are migrating you to a new account and a package EE by passing your details to EE as your new customer contact to deal with, unless you phone PlusNet and tell them you didn't want that.

Edited by prlzx (Mon 15-Dec-25 15:32:16)

In reply to a post by tdw42:

... accept the migration to broadband only, then recover the PSTN number with a third-party VOIP provider during the 30-day recovery window with fingers crossed that no problems arise.

This is broadly correct and I have advised the person affected to check what the actual cost of the equivalent package of FTTC+Home Phone would have been on EE once the short term "continuation" offer ends, so that they can compare with other voice providers.

I have also suggested to the person they might want to start contacting utility, services and housing organisations to check they have an email address or mobile/SMS as primary contact method to reduce dependency on the landine numbers generally.

The timing is quite challenging or scary for older people being told that they have to decide something over the Christmas holiday that may involve a break in Internet access and being sent something else to plug in,
when they don't understand the terminology
especially the part
"if you don't reply we'll assume you want us to move your to EE and be given a new account and package there and you'll need to swap out your router".

Especially as by default their landline will just stop working until they figure out what to plug in where if it's at all unclear on the date and time of changeover.

Edited by prlzx (Mon 15-Dec-25 16:37:10)

Hi,

In reply to a post by prlzx:

Please read what I wrote and what they are saying in the letters and emails.

No if (1) transferred to EE there is a different legal entity or trading style then it is a new contract with a different ISP regardless of how the marketing language looks.

And if (2) you stay with PlusNet the terms of your contract change mid-contract because they will no longer supply you with a telephone service.

As I stated, either way I don't think they can force your to choose between (1) and (2) while also saying that you cannot migrate to another ISP mid-contract without fees for terminating a service mid-contract, because that is in direct contradiction to options (1) and (2)
neither of which are a continuation of existing contract between the same two parties (customer and ISP).

You are misunderstanding what you are being offered. Plusnet is saying that the contract will continue as it was before but will be novated to EE. I strongly suspect that the contract permits its novation to a third party so this is entirely in accordance with the contract and is not a change. You still get the same service at the same price under the same terms and therefore no compensation or opportunity to break is required.

In addition to notifying you of this (non)change, they are offering you the possibility to mutually agree to vary the contract with Plusnet to remove the provision of a telephone line. That is optional, your choice.

Are you a PlusNet customer or have you received the letters and emails to know what I am talking about?
I have received copies of the comms from the affected customer that I am quoting from.

It is not a name change or rebranding of what they have to continue - they are NOT being sold an EE branded package through PlusNet while remaining a customer of PlusNet.

And it involves a replacement router with a new VDSL account with EE, new billing agreement/dates from EE, new Direct Debit from EE. They have not been told what model (or how many LAN ports) either.

They are either being transferred over or are having part of their current service turned off - those are the 2 choices as well as being made anxious by "early termination fee" warnings.

By the way the "Novation" you are choosing to categorise this (as compared with "Assignment"), both types still requires informed consent of both parties and the party being impacted should not be threatened with early termination fees if wanting to make a contract at that time with a 3rd party of their own choice.

Stating that there is "no change" as long as price and end date are the same is wrong as those are not the only material changes that matter. PlusNet are not claiming that either.

PlusNet should not have offered 18 months contracts with financial lock-ins in 2025 if they already knew they were going to break this out at less that half way through the term but only to allow in ways that suit PlusNet.

If you had read my posts fully and my sig you would know I am posting here on behalf of an affected customer, and the sole purpose is so that this forum has information on how PlusNet are handling the PSTN switchover and how it impacts vulnerable customers.

My purpose in posting is not for other people to try to dismiss the concerns (and lived experience) of my associate and how this is affecting them.

Please indicate which part of this post you do not understand.

Edited by prlzx (Mon 15-Dec-25 17:31:15)

It's passable for people that understand the terminology being used.
The main problem is the "if you say nothing this will happen regardless" alongside the customer services op being unable to say when it will happen.

People need to know if they can wait until the first full working week back after New Year before having to decide, or if the phone will stop working before then.

Customer services are not able to say when each area or individual customer is due to happen yet.
The automated letters and emails are being sent in groups (combo of exchange areas as notified by Openreach along with a commercial incentive to migrate as many people off PSTN as possible prior to known wholesale price increases in the pipeline - so effectively by March 2026).

The letter does not clarify what date the "30 days to phone us if you want to stay with PlusNet" starts from, could be the original email, the follow up phone call to customer services or the follow up letter.
So it's a bit rough.

Edited by prlzx (Mon 15-Dec-25 16:25:43)

Don't get me wrong, its not good what they are doing and how it could affect those who don't fully understand what the impact could be. I was just pointing out what their motives probably are.

I'm inclined to say I feel lucky in retrospect that Zen offered a like-for-like PSTN switchover at same monthly price, and no router change needed and no additional hardware at that time.
It meant I did not have to worry about interruptions to my remote working, fixed IP assignments or missing calls.

I only found out afterwards on this forum that new customers would not be offered bundled Digital Voice without inclusive minutes and our "line-only" style offer was only available by being grandfathered-in (from a comparable lifetime-price-guaranteed bundle).

Because I had previously bought a DECT handset the only change needed was to pair it with the Fritz!box instead of the PSTN base. And I could have plugged that DECT base into the router otherwise.

Zen's minimum package is still overpriced IMO (when on mobile, SIM-only UK mins+SMS and modest 3GB data is £5/month recurring and no contract).
Which makes it less attractive for switching over a new customer unless the convenience of an all-in-one box is enough.

Edited by prlzx (Mon 15-Dec-25 16:54:04)

In reply to a post by prlzx:

The timing is quite challenging or scary for older people being told that they have to decide something over the Christmas holiday that may involve a break in Internet access and being sent something else to plug in,
when they don't understand the terminology
especially the part
"if you don't reply we'll assume you want us to move your to EE and be given a new account and package there and you'll need to swap out your router".

Especially as by default their landline will just stop working until they figure out what to plug in where if it's at all unclear on the date and time of changeover.

It does seem like bad planning on the part of Plusnet given that deliveries take significantly longer over they Christmas period, and it isn't as if they didn't know about the PSTN switch off so could have started on these transfers months earlier.

Does their communication say anything about them providing additional support for vulnerable users or those using telecare devices? BT are a signatories to the PSTN charter, so they should be offering prove telecare visits and/or backup power solutions if there are no other means for making emergency calls, but it isn't clear if that is just BT Retail or the whole BT Group including EE & Plusnet.

A lot of this is answered in the Plusnet Terms and Conditions which you signed up to when you took the service, and it gives Plusnet broad authority to do this.

"16. Our right to suspend your service or end our agreement

16.1. We can suspend or stop providing our services and/or end our agreement where:

16.1.1. our ability to continue to provide the service to you is materially and adversely affected because: (i) any of our telecommunications carrier(s) or supplier(s) ceases to provide services to us; or (ii) any authorisation required by us ends or is changed;

[...]

16.1.10. we are no longer providing the service to customers.

[...]

16.4 We can terminate our services and/or end our agreement at any time by giving you 28 days' notice."

Under this part, Plusnet could have said "we are terminating the service because Openreach are no longer providing WLR". However, instead, they've chosen to allow people to migrate seamlessly to EE, or to drop the voice part of the service.

The contract allows them wide scope to make such changes:

"18. Changing these terms, prices or our services

18.1. We may change the price, or other charges, the service or the terms of our agreement:

18.1.1. if we materially change the service, or introduce new services, features or benefits (for example if we increase the maximum upload speed for your broadband service);

[...]

18.1.4. to reflect changes in technology (for example if we develop new systems which provide you with a better service);

[...]

18.1.7. due to any other change in circumstances in the future, that we can't predict, which means a change is necessary."

The question is, does this allow you to exit the contract penalty-free? Well, it depends. There is this:

"18.6.3 We’ve changed the service in a way that is not exclusively to your benefit

[...]

If you give us notice to terminate this agreement for any of the reasons set out in this clause (excluding 18.6.6) and 18.8 then the agreement will terminate on the day before the proposed change comes into effect. Where that is not possible, the agreement will terminate as soon as reasonably possible, and the change will not apply to you."

It's then down to a discussion around whether an imposed migration to EE is exclusively to your benefit ("EE is the better provider" etc). You could argue that the hassle of having to swap routers and reconnect your phone line and/or rewire extensions is not to your benefit, and I think that would be fairly strong. Even one minor inconvenience means the whole bundle is not *exclusively* to your benefit.

Therefore, with enough complaining, maybe you could get an early contract exit - if that is indeed what you're looking for.

However, Plusnet might instead consider it as "transferring" the agreement, especially since the financial terms are being carried forward. In which case:

"19.1.[...] We can transfer our agreement to another company provided this does not adversely affect your rights under the agreement."

Then it's a question of whether being moved to EE "adversely" affects your rights - and in this case, it's not necessary that such a transfer must be *exclusively* to your benefit. You'd have to argue a significant adverse impact overall.

Hi,

In reply to a post by prlzx:

Are you a PlusNet customer or have you received the letters and emails to know what I am talking about?
I have received copies of the comms from the affected customer that I am quoting from.

It is not a name change or rebranding of what they have to continue - they are NOT being sold an EE branded package through PlusNet while remaining a customer of PlusNet.

I never said it was, it is a transfer of a customer from one company to another as provided for by the contract.

In reply to a post by prlzx:

And it involves a replacement router with a new VDSL account with EE, new billing agreement/dates from EE, new Direct Debit from EE. They have not been told what model (or how many LAN ports) either.

A new account is not a material change, a new billing date is not a material change, a new direct debit is not a material change. If you are saying that it is a new contract (you mention "agreement") then that might be a material change, similarly, a new router might be a material change depending on how the Plusnet service was sold (although I suspect the contract will be emphatic that it isn't).

In reply to a post by prlzx:

They are either being transferred over or are having part of their current service turned off - those are the 2 choices as well as being made anxious by "early termination fee" warnings.

By the way the "Novation" you are choosing to categorise this (as compared with "Assignment"), both types still requires informed consent of both parties and the party being impacted should not be threatened with early termination fees if wanting to make a contract at that time with a 3rd party of their own choice.

Why are they being made anxious about early termination fees - that doesn't make sense unless they are planning to actively terminate the contract. The informed consent for the change is part of the existing contract. There would be no point in putting it in the existing contract if further agreement was required to implement it.

In reply to a post by prlzx:

Stating that there is "no change" as long as price and end date are the same is wrong as those are not the only material changes that matter. PlusNet are not claiming that either.

PlusNet should not have offered 18 months contracts with financial lock-ins in 2025 if they already knew they were going to break this out at less that half way through the term but only to allow in ways that suit PlusNet.

If you had read my posts fully and my sig you would know I am posting here on behalf of an affected customer, and the sole purpose is so that this forum has information on how PlusNet are handling the PSTN switchover and how it impacts vulnerable customers.

My purpose in posting is not for other people to try to dismiss the concerns (and lived experience) of my associate and how this is affecting them.

Please indicate which part of this post you do not understand.

I fully understand your post. I don't understand why you consider that there is an issue. To mirror your comment, if the customer wasn't happy for Plusnet to be responsible for the provision of phose and internet for 18 months, why did they sign the contract. The fact that Plusnet could do this by passing the customer to another company was agreed in the contract.

Your original post was based solely around an argument that there was a right to terminate which I disagree with. Only in subsequent posts have you started to criticise the clarity of the communications themselves, which to me is the important bit.

Was the customer you are supporting previously flagged up to Plusnet as vulnerable? That should have a significant bearing on what level of support was being offered.

I absolutely agree that the vulnerable need to be supported and that change can be difficult. I don't think it is appropriate to create a two tier society where the vulnerable are unable to contract for goods and services (which would be the net result if vulnerability was a get out of contract free card).

Did you come here to ask a question? You're being given correct answers but because you don't like them you're saying that people are wrong.

I am very glad that I ported my landline to A&A some months ago and moved to a broadband only deal with Plusnet thus pre-empting all of this and giving me control.

This is really helpful to know, thank you. I have elderly parents on Plusnet, who want to retain their landline (no amount of persuasion has yet worked for them to drop it), and I’m finding more information here than I am on Plusnet’s own website/forums! As yet they haven’t received this email, but it can’t be much longer surely.

In reply to a post by HealthNut:

This is really helpful to know, thank you. I have elderly parents on Plusnet, who want to retain their landline (no amount of persuasion has yet worked for them to drop it), and I’m finding more information here than I am on Plusnet’s own website/forums! As yet they haven’t received this email, but it can’t be much longer surely.

By January 2027, there will be no analogue "landlines" any more, *except* for standalone analogue lines (i.e. those which don't have broadband on top). These legacy lines will be supported for the time being via an exchange-based service called "SOTAP for Analogue" which is basically some VOIP equipment in the exchange which drives the line.

But:

1. You cannot order such a service. It's only for existing PSTN lines. (It's not been possible to order new PSTN lines since 5 September 2023).
2. It doesn't apply to lines which carry both voice and data.

Such lines will have to be migrated to SOGEA (FTTC) or SOTAP (ADSL) with digital voice on top. This means that if your parents want to retain their "landline" it will be provided as a digital voice service on a port on the router, where their current phones and/or extension wiring have to be connected. Since Plusnet don't do this, they'll have to migrate to a different provider if they want to keep the voice service.

If they are elderly, make sure they are registered with Plusnet as "vulnerable" so they get extra support in this process. And try to get yourself added as a secondary support contact, if you're not already.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

These legacy lines will be supported for the time being via an exchange-based service called "SOTAP for Analogue" which is basically some VOIP equipment in the exchange which drives the line.

We had this for a short time last year at one of our properties, the occupant received a letter giving a date of change and a warning to check equipment and that area codes would be needed for local numbers. On the day there was nothing of note to report, service continued as normal, I did ring 'our' number without area code and it rang straight through without issue, but I guess it's wise to add area code just in case.

Thank you for the advice, I will try to get them registered as vulnerable – which is something else they are reluctant to do. They don’t want to be seen as being vulnerable, even when at 80 and not especially technically literate, they are.

I have spent the afternoon reading up on the PSTN switch off and have a better idea of what is involved now.

They want to keep the landline as long as they can. As a landline – they’ve had some power cuts recently which have reinforced that. They are aware now that by the end of January 2027 they will have no choice but to move to VoIP, and potentially it could be as little as within 30 days, depending when Plusnet get around to them. They are adamant that they will wait until they’re forced to move to VoIP.

They’re not bothered that FTTP is available right now via a non-OpenReach provider who would buy out their Plusnet contract (still in contract until September I think), and that they could save money that way. They want their traditional landline until it is forcibly removed from them.

The annoying thing is that they both have mobile phones and rarely make landline calls. They rarely make any calls on their mobiles either tbf. It’s just resistance to change. I am sure that when they do eventually go VoIP that they might find the ability to listen to voice mail from anywhere useful.

Would I be right to assume that when they do get moved to EE that it would just be a new router through the post and plugging in the phone to the back of it? (They don’t have any extension wiring in use, just a traditional corded landline plus a single cordless base station; I think there’s a splitter somewhere to do that.)

Hi unfortunately I have no significant further information to share at this time how it is progressing.

The person I am assisting did receive a generic "moving to EE" leaflet in the post from PlusNet about EE's broadband and phone services based.
This was during a period while the person was having multiple conversations with PlusNet customer support to try to find out more about the 2 options and dates.

They haven't received a welcome email/letter with new EE account/login details so as such still no confirmation of a date when the PlusNet will migrate them off to EE or otherwise when PlusNet are due to change their current service to broadband without phone.
If the move does happen I expect the router will arrive in advance.

They might have been added to a vulnerable list but that isn't clear either.

I will post when they receive a relevant update specific to their service (as opposed to general bumf).

(edit: see clarification from candlerb below)

Regarding your parents service, TBB's BT exchange maps include tranche and stop-sell dates if that helps in narrowing down the time frames. My contact's exchange is showing as June 2026.

Edited by prlzx (Fri 13-Feb-26 19:04:52)

As you've found plusnet are stopping doing voice calls at all. They will not do a "VoIP" based landline service.

A school friend of mine moved his elderly mother from Plusnet to EE in summer 2025. This was very smooth; the Plusnet team communicated with (him) very well, and they posted out a new EE router that looked very like the plusnet one and said what day they should be swapped over. Mum was already using a DECT cordless system, but with a traditional wired phone as well, both plugged in to an adaptor into the BT socket.

On the day he plugged the double adaptor into the back of the EE router, both phones worked, as did the internet. The only debate you may have is around the ongoing cost, as EE is typically more expensive than Plusnet. This is with VDSL getting around 35 megabit.

In reply to a post by prlzx:

Regarding your parents service, TBB's BT exchange maps include the stop-sell dates if that helps in narrowing down the time frames. My contact's exchange is showing as June 2026.

Copper stop sell is completely unrelated to PSTN switch-off.

The PSTN went stop-sell nationally on 5 Sep 2023, and all PSTN will be switched off in January 2027. This date has already been pushed back once (from Dec 2025) and is unlikely to be delayed again.

Good to know!

So the stop sell dates shown on the TBB map are not actually saying when (as an example) you can no longer be sold a new (nor as a migration to) FTTC service using copper to the exchange for the voice component over PSTN then?

Edited by prlzx (Fri 13-Feb-26 19:07:23)

No. As of 5 Sep 2023, the WLR UK stop-sell date, it became no longer possible to order new or migrate existing WLR (PSTN voice only), ADSL (PSTN voice + ADSL broadband) or FTTC (PSTN voice + VDSL broadband) copper connections.

Any new or migrated connections are FTTP (where available), SOGEA (VDSL broadband only, where available), SOADSL/SOTAP (ADSL broadband only, only permitted when neither SOGEA nor FTTP are available). A voice service can be provided by the ISP or a third-party provider over the broadband connection. There is a special SOTAP for Analogue product for migrating existing WLR (voice only, no broadband) where it is not possible to upgrade to one of the other options, typically for CNI (critical national infrastructure) connections.

The TBB maps show the FTTP Priority Exchange stop-sell dates, this is an ongoing rolling programme which restricts new or migrated connections only to be FTTP unless not available at the specific premises. This stop-sell is applied at the notice date only if >75% of premises in the exchange area have FTTP available - there will still be upto 25% of premises which can only order copper SOGEA, or SOADSL/SOTAP if that is not available either. There are some additional rules which allow existing FTTC or SOGEA copper connections to be migrated to SOGEA 40/10 bandwidth only, and WLR to SOGEA 0.5 bandwidth only, rather than being forced to change to FTTP. You may have difficulty finding an ISP which makes use of these Openreach products.