How to leave BT FTTC and ensure phone number is not lost

OK a family member is just out of contract with BT and currently has FTTC with PSTN Line.

The desired plan is to run with another ISP for the FTTC service and port the number over to another provider.

Now what is the bullet proof way to ensure the cherished phone number is not lost and how to switch the FTTC service with the absolute minimum of down time to the new provider?

Nothing is bulletproof but the surest way will be to move the phone to an independent VOIP provider first. After that is done, change ISP at your leisure. The phone will continue to work.

This assumes that a period without broadband is acceptable, porting the number probably will be successful ( not 100% guaranteed , nothing is ) but the associated BT broadband service will be ceased , which will need the new ISP to order a new service ( which will be after the cease order has completed it ‘journey’ ) so the lead time , for the BT cease and then ‘new’ ISP to successfully provide service could be a few days , or even longer , there is also the small possibility that the new provider can’t actually order FTTC if the cabinet is at capacity with someone else waiting to ‘grab’ the port as it becomes available and a ISP on behalf of someone else gets in before your ISP…..

Edited by Iniltous (Sat 02-Nov-24 12:38:54)

Yep, iIiltous, you are right. I am already thinking in terms of FTTP only

In reply to a post by trolleybus:

... what is the bullet proof way to ensure the cherished phone number is not lost and how to switch the FTTC service with the absolute minimum of down time to the new provider?

Given that the existing incoming landline cable to the house will already have at least two pairs of phone wires, your family member could order from the new ISP a new additional SOGEA installation - that would involve fitting a second master socket to the existing cable using a spare copper pair, without the need for a new cable being installed.

Once the new ISP's VDSL service was up and running, there would be almost zero downtime switching their broadband from the old BT service to the new ISP, and would avoid the slight chance hazard of the street cabinet not having any spare connections.

They could then port their BT phone number to their chosen VoIP provider, and in doing so ceasing the BT broadband in the process.
When I ported my phone number to VoIP, the downtime of having a working phone was about 30 minutes.

The disadvantages of this approach is that they might have to pay the new ISP's installation costs, and you end up with two master sockets on the wall, however it would be the belt and braces (almost "bullet proof" way) to ensure the "cherished phone number" is kept AND with minimum downtime.

Just make sure that the new ISP and the Openreach installer are clear that you need an additional (i.e. second) connection, and it is NOT a takeover of the existing line.

Here is my experience using Andrews & Arnold:-
https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/aaisp/f/4706680-aa...

My VoIP service through A&A has continued ever since. Initially via copper, now via A&A's FTTP

Cheers!

In reply to a post by purleigh:

In reply to a post by trolleybus:

... what is the bullet proof way to ensure the cherished phone number is not lost and how to switch the FTTC service with the absolute minimum of down time to the new provider?

Given that the existing incoming landline cable to the house will already have at least two pairs of phone wires, your family member could order from the new ISP a new additional SOGEA installation - that would involve fitting a second master socket to the existing cable using a spare copper pair, without the need for a new cable being installed.

Once the new ISP's VDSL service was up and running, there would be almost zero downtime switching their broadband from the old BT service to the new ISP, and would avoid the slight chance hazard of the street cabinet not having any spare connections.

They could then port their BT phone number to their chosen VoIP provider, and in doing so ceasing the BT broadband in the process.
When I ported my phone number to VoIP, the downtime of having a working phone was about 30 minutes.

The disadvantages of this approach is that they might have to pay the new ISP's installation costs, and you end up with two master sockets on the wall, however it would be the belt and braces (almost "bullet proof" way) to ensure the "cherished phone number" is kept AND with minimum downtime.

Just make sure that the new ISP and the Openreach installer are clear that you need an additional (i.e. second) connection, and it is NOT a takeover of the existing line.

This was my initial thoughts. I do however have a gut feeling that BT would charge a termination fee to cease thir service. Is this an urban myth on my part?

In reply to a post by trolleybus:

This was my initial thoughts. I do however have a gut feeling that BT would charge a termination fee to cease thir service. Is this an urban myth on my part?

Not a myth; some service providers *do* charge a temination fee if you cease the service without transferring it to another provider. Aquiss do for example (£45.00). If you're with BT or another service provider you'll have to check the T&Cs of the contract you signed.

Who is the SOGEA provider you want to transfer to? If it's one that does digital voice (e.g. Sky, Zen, Vodafone) then you could transfer the FTTC+voice together (relatively low risk), wait until FTTP becomes available, then order FTTP, and then port the voice number to terminate the FTTC service.

Who is the voice provider you want to transfer to? If it's A&A then you could move your broadband and voice to them, and then migrate the broadband away whilst leaving the voice. I think they are clued up enough to be able to do that safely.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

In reply to a post by trolleybus:

This was my initial thoughts. I do however have a gut feeling that BT would charge a termination fee to cease thir service. Is this an urban myth on my part?

Not a myth; some service providers *do* charge a temination fee if you cease the service without transferring it to another provider. Aquiss do for example (£45.00). If you're with BT or another service provider you'll have to check the T&Cs of the contract you signed.

Who is the SOGEA provider you want to transfer to? If it's one that does digital voice (e.g. Sky, Zen, Vodafone) then you could transfer the FTTC+voice together (relatively low risk), wait until FTTP becomes available, then order FTTP, and then port the voice number to terminate the FTTC service.

Who is the voice provider you want to transfer to? If it's A&A then you could move your broadband and voice to them, and then migrate the broadband away whilst leaving the voice. I think they are clued up enough to be able to do that safely.

The very cheapest way forward, with a probable risk of loosing the cherished number, would be to transfer the broadband service to the selected ISP, Cloudscape, but this would automatically ceases the voice service. Perhaps only a few minutes of down time for the broadband service though while the routers are swapped over.

My understanding is that a PSTN number once ceased, can be recovered/ported up to 30 days of it dying. The selected provider being Voipfone. But as the number is with BT, my trust in that being successful is low. However there would be no loss of phone service with a service from Voipfone, all be it with a temporary line number. The temporary number is ditched in favour of the cherished number if the porting is successful.

If the cherished number is lost, then I am in the dog house for helping out.

The combination of these two new suppliers does give a substantial saving on the monthly outgoings made at present.

If you are switching from one FTTC provider to another and you want to preserve the old number then naturally it should be possible to switch to the new Digital Voice service and have the old phone number ported over.

In my case I was with TalkTalk old Analogue phone service, which at that time was under my dad's account. I switched to BT FTTC under my name and entered the phone number at checkout just over 2 years ago. The phone number was ported over and TalkTalk were naturally notified of the migration process, which happened from my dad's account to my account without any problems.

We now have the phone number under Digital Voice with BT for over 2 years. This happened without any downtime. There is no analogue phone service and connecting the phone to the telephone socket does not bring in any dial tone but works by connecting with the router. We also got the Alexa wireless phone free of charge.

I believe you should naturally be able to migrate on the same Openreach network without losing your phone number. But if you switch to an Altnet then things may be a littler trickier. You probably need to separately order the Altnet and then switch the phone to either an independent VOIP service or choose the phone service offered by the Altnet.

When you order a new FTTC service, during the signup it should give you the option to enter your existing phone number to port it over the new provider. I don't see why you should run into any problems.