If your mother is comfortable using a mobile phone she could port the current landline number to a redirect service. An option is for incoming calls only, meaning folks calling her current number would be connected to her diffierent mobile number. The mobile would display and record the caller's actual number. Outgoing calls would only be possible from the mobile number though. This could preserve the number in the short term if VoIP is definitely required on the fibre line and its set up is proving to be problematic.

It might be worthwhile to check with various suppliers of a redirect service on whether that it is possible on a ceased voice line. IDNet certainly do port from an active voice line and it costs £6 per month on a one month minimum term for 25 hours of incoming calls plus a one-off £20 setup fee.

Generally a good idea to have a mobile phone account anyway in case of issues with VoIP such as internet downtime, power cuts etc - good luck.

Edit: by porting the the number from a FTTC line that would cease the broadband also.

Edited by 4M2 (Wed 10-Dec-25 21:05:42)

I would note that if you are using a smartphone, then a VoIP app on the phone will achieve the same at a much lower cost. I currently use A&A at £1.44/month to receive calls to our old landline number.

In reply to a post by burble:

I would note that if you are using a smartphone, then a VoIP app on the phone will achieve the same at a much lower cost. I currently use A&A at £1.44/month to receive calls to our old landline number.

That's a good deal!

In reply to a post by 4M2:

In reply to a post by burble:

I would note that if you are using a smartphone, then a VoIP app on the phone will achieve the same at a much lower cost. I currently use A&A at £1.44/month to receive calls to our old landline number.

That's a good deal!

Not as good as my Sipgate number, which receives calls with no monthly charges, but that's an oddity which may not continue.

In reply to a post by Tbb1225:

In reply to a post by burble:

There are several companies who will provide you with a 'telephone number', what you need to decide is what is needed, I'm guessing you might want the original number to receive calls, or original number to make and receive calls, in which case you need to act ASAP to retain the number.

Yes that’s going by to be awkward as the ISP we just left has been far from helpful (tried to charge us £90 the day after we initiated the switch, for a non-returned router we’d not even be asked to return) and I have a feeling it’s going to be a battle retaining our telephone number - which we’ve had for approx 50 years !
We will definitely try though.

you should be able to port your old phone number upto 30 days after disconnection.

When did you change service?

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

+1 for voipfone. I have been a customer for 10 years. I also use A&A and Sipgate.

That’s reassuring to know, thanks

In reply to a post by burble:

I would note that if you are using a smartphone, then a VoIP app on the phone will achieve the same at a much lower cost. I currently use A&A at £1.44/month to receive calls to our old landline number.

Interesting. I’ll look into this

In reply to a post by Taras:

you should be able to port your old phone number upto 30 days after disconnection.

When did you change service?

Only a week ago. The router was delivered back to the them yesterday.

In reply to a post by Tbb1225:

In reply to a post by Taras:

you should be able to port your old phone number upto 30 days after disconnection.

When did you change service?

Only a week ago. The router was delivered back to the them yesterday.

if the number was mostly used for incomming do A&A route, and pay the £15 admin fee, and then pay only £1.5 a month, Then its pay as you go. and they can recover the phone number.

either go with grandstream ata, gigaset or yealink brands, avoid the cisco spa atas as they are riddled with security holes.

Ebay, pmc telecomm, broadbandbuyer, ilgo and amazon are your go to places.

Really appreciate the advice. Yet to decide (mother yet to decide) what to do. Will try and get it resolved asap.