In reply to a post by tallseabird:

Thank you - Is it just me or has the world gone crazy!

It has been crazy for sometime because Ofcom don't ensure that customers can always port their current landline number to a VOIP provider without disrupting their broadband service. If you have an altnet FTTP service then you can port your landline number to a VOIP provider and the altnet FTTP service will stay working.

Yes as others have said an ATA, or if you only want a cordless only setup then the gigaset N510 DECT voip only base station is about £50.

Then get a 4G or 5G hub for home/mobile broadband, set up an account with a Voip provider, prove the setup works with a temporary number, then port the landline number over, the broadband over copper service then ceases.

You could, like me, be waiting until the end of time for FTTP and the day you leave Plusnet for just about anywhere else is a very good day.

Yep that was the ‘rare exception’ I was thinking of; AAISP using Renumber & Export process:

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/number-portin...

However unless you’re already with A&A for broadband or indeed are happy to sign up with them for a new contract, then it’s not really a process for the masses.

I don’t believe that any other ‘residential’ ISP offer Renumber & Export, but happy to be corrected.

The other exception is Virgin Media. I ported my landline from VM to Sipgate during the twilight days of my contract and my VM internet and TV service was unaffected.

Its probably because the broadband isn't provided over the line with that number on it

In reply to a post by phoenixw:

The other exception is Virgin Media. I ported my landline from VM to Sipgate during the twilight days of my contract and my VM internet and TV service was unaffected.

Yes when it did a number port away from them in 2018 - the voice service was provided over a discrete copper pair (Area 15 in central London) - and at the time the rest of the service (broadband + TV) over HFC was unaffected.

New voice connections are now provisioned over the HFC (or RFoG) and via analog port on their hub. That being said I don’t *think* a number porting will “break” the other services (presumably once your out of contract / minimum term).