Landline switch off and how it affects price

I'm a bit confused about these landline switch off and alternative service emails. I understand what's happening technically, but I don't understand how it affects the price of Zen services.

As I understand it, I've always had to have a landline to have DSL. We used to have a house phone, but since we moved in 2021 we haven't bothered. We pay £29.99 a month for Line Rental and Unlimited Fibre 1, and apparently we have a lifetime price guarantee.

If we could get away without paying for the landline, we would — after all we don't use it for a house phone. But I always assumed we would be stuck with the basic price because you need the line for DSL.

Now that we are being told that traditional landlines will end, and we will be offered a choice of either no landline or a digital equivalent. You'd think maybe we'd get money off for a reduction in service. No mention of prices for no landline I can see. Will we end up paying the same for less?


The I get another email saying I can get Unlimited Fibre 2 for £38pm (12m contract, £10 setup charge). Hmm, maybe I will.

I go to the Zen website and it tells me I can upgrade to UF2 for £34pm (18m contract, £10 setup). It also says "no phone service" and "optional phone service". No mention of 12m contracts.

So, can anyone please explain what I could expect to pay in future, if I want to keep UF1 or upgrade to UF2, and I don't need a home phone? And will I lose this price guarantee in the process?

Cheers

Edited by YammerUK (Tue 07-Mar-23 17:00:13)

It's usually the same price for broadband with a traditionally analogue landline as it is for broadband with VOIP (Digital Voice).

Using BT as an example
BT is the exact same price for broadband + traditional landline for calls as it is for a broadband line with a VOIP (Digital Voice) call package.
BT is £5 cheaper for broadband only with no calls.

You will still have a line for DSL and it still needs maintained. The concept of line rental is going but that price is simply moved to the broadband part of the service.

Unfortunately many people make the assumption that they are paying £20+ a month for "line rental" so they would save that amount for having broadband only.
The reality is that the line rental part of a broadband bill subsidizes the broadband part in most cases.

When PSTN switch off was first mooted I seem to recall discussions that the Openreach wholesale rental price for broadband only via copper (i.e. SOGEA) was likely to be around 50p/month less than traditional voice and broadband (i.e. WLR + FTTC). With inflation as it is rental prices will be going up so this saving will likely just be swallowed up.

Zen have some information https://www.zen.co.uk/switchtodigital/

It is confusing as their FAQs say "If this is a direct move instigated by Zen we will move you to a like for like service with no change to your contract or billing." and "If you are eligible for the Price for Life guarantee, then this will be honoured." However they don't have a PAYG VoIP service, only one with inclusive minutes.

If you don't use the landline for voice, and 40/10 is sufficent for your needs or you wouldn't benefit due to the attainable line sync speed, then asking Zen to migrate you to SOGEA at the same price, loosing the voice service and retaining your lifetime price guarantee is likely your best option.

Yeah, sounds about right. These things always seem to work in the suppliers' favour, and I sort of assumed I wouldn't be any better off, despite being told about all the fabulous benefits of my landline service over the last few years!

Unfortunately many people make the assumption that they are paying £20+ a month for "line rental" so they would save that amount for having broadband only.

I understand how these things work, but it's easy to see why people assume this, when the bill breaks the service down into landline and broadband components, with the benefits of each listed.
In any other industry, you'd expect the withdrawal of some itemised services to be accompanied by a price reduction. It's common sense. I'm tech-savvy enough to know that it's not that simple for DSL, which depends on the landline. But even so, with no requirement for voice transmission by PSTN, that's an infrastructure saving to the supplier which you'd be excused for thinking might just be passed to the customer, especially when you've been told what you've been getting for the last few years.

See response I've had from Zen here: https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/zen/t/4732466-re-d...

Conclusion: do nothing and wait for the email from Zen and you'll continue paying the same and keep the price for life. All the emails you've had so far are marketing emails trying to make you change to a new contract and lose the price for life.

Also do as I've just done and use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of one of the marketing emails.

In reply to a post by tdw42:

If you don't use the landline for voice, and 40/10 is sufficent for your needs or you wouldn't benefit due to the attainable line sync speed, then asking Zen to migrate you to SOGEA at the same price, loosing the voice service and retaining your lifetime price guarantee is likely your best option.

This was what I did with one of my services. In fact it saved me .60p as I no longer have a requirement to bar outgoing calls! Long term I'd like full fibre, but that's complicated due to the incoming line via a wayleave arrangement with the house up the hill from ours (plus we all complained about a planning application he submitted - so I guess helping us in the future might be interesting).

Cheers. Sounds like a plan!

@jelv
Thank you for providing this information. In view of your findings, I will not be in a rush to switch to DV.