From zen fttc to zen fttp but voip with different provider?

Good morning all,

I'm currently a zen fttc customer, but fttp will be available here soon (hopefully!) I would like to move to fttp and stick with zen, but move my current landline number to another voip provider.

What would be the best way of coordinating this to ensure a minimum of downtime and retention of my existing telephone number?

Many thanks

Spud

I came from PlusNet, what I did was have an overlap in the two contracts and when was happy everything worked on FTTP and VOIP , using a VOIP pay as you go style account, then transferred number to A&A which cancelled the FTTC.

Thank you for your suggestion. I could see how that would work when changing provider as you did, but would a move from fttc to fttp with the same provider not automatically cancel the fttc and thus negate the possible approach that you suggest?

That's the safest approach, but it might not suit the OP. It would mean that they would have to take out a separate FTTP service as a new install from Zen, running the two in parallel, and then migrate the voice number to cease the FTTC. If they were within contract for FTTC then that would mean end-of-contract penalities and/or a line cease charge from Zen.

Zen do provide their own voice service with FTTP as a paid-for extra, so that would be a safe option, but if the OP wants to decouple to a separate VOIP service, this is certainly the right time to do it (and then the problem will never occur again).

In principle, just getting Zen to migrate from FTTC-with-voice to FTTP-without-voice should release the number and for it to be available for 30 days to claim by the VOIP provider. But there *is* a small risk of it being lost forever. People have done it successfully, but some have lost it.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

That's the safest approach, but it might not suit the OP. It would mean that they would have to take out a separate FTTP service as a new install from Zen, running the two in parallel, and then migrate the voice number to cease the FTTC. If they were within contract for FTTC then that would mean end-of-contract penalities and/or a line cease charge from Zen.

Zen do provide their own voice service with FTTP as a paid-for extra, so that would be a safe option, but if the OP wants to decouple to a separate VOIP service, this is certainly the right time to do it (and then the problem will never occur again).

In principle, just getting Zen to migrate from FTTC-with-voice to FTTP-without-voice should release the number and for it to be available for 30 days to claim by the VOIP provider. But there *is* a small risk of it being lost forever. People have done it successfully, but some have lost it.

Thank you for your help, what you are suggesting would seem to be the easiest solution. Do you know if there is anything I can do to maximise the possibility of retaining my current number during the 30 day period (I assume this starts from the date of fttp installation?) or where I can read more about this in order to be more informed?

In reply to a post by Spudgun:

In reply to a post by candlerb:

That's the safest approach, but it might not suit the OP. It would mean that they would have to take out a separate FTTP service as a new install from Zen, running the two in parallel, and then migrate the voice number to cease the FTTC. If they were within contract for FTTC then that would mean end-of-contract penalities and/or a line cease charge from Zen.

Zen do provide their own voice service with FTTP as a paid-for extra, so that would be a safe option, but if the OP wants to decouple to a separate VOIP service, this is certainly the right time to do it (and then the problem will never occur again).

In principle, just getting Zen to migrate from FTTC-with-voice to FTTP-without-voice should release the number and for it to be available for 30 days to claim by the VOIP provider. But there *is* a small risk of it being lost forever. People have done it successfully, but some have lost it.

Thank you for your help, what you are suggesting would seem to be the easiest solution. Do you know if there is anything I can do to maximise the possibility of retaining my current number during the 30 day period (I assume this starts from the date of fttp installation?) or where I can read more about this in order to be more informed?

If you have an adequate mobile signal a temporary expedient would be transfer the number from FTTC to a VoIP provider which would guarantee your number but also cease the FTTC connection then connect via the mobile signal until FTTP is live. You could continue to use your existing router if it has a slot for a SIM card or a USB port for a dongle with a SIM card.

In reply to a post by GonePostal:

In reply to a post by Spudgun:

In reply to a post by candlerb:

That's the safest approach, but it might not suit the OP. It would mean that they would have to take out a separate FTTP service as a new install from Zen, running the two in parallel, and then migrate the voice number to cease the FTTC. If they were within contract for FTTC then that would mean end-of-contract penalities and/or a line cease charge from Zen.

Zen do provide their own voice service with FTTP as a paid-for extra, so that would be a safe option, but if the OP wants to decouple to a separate VOIP service, this is certainly the right time to do it (and then the problem will never occur again).

In principle, just getting Zen to migrate from FTTC-with-voice to FTTP-without-voice should release the number and for it to be available for 30 days to claim by the VOIP provider. But there *is* a small risk of it being lost forever. People have done it successfully, but some have lost it.

Thank you for your help, what you are suggesting would seem to be the easiest solution. Do you know if there is anything I can do to maximise the possibility of retaining my current number during the 30 day period (I assume this starts from the date of fttp installation?) or where I can read more about this in order to be more informed?

If you have an adequate mobile signal a temporary expedient would be transfer the number from FTTC to a VoIP provider which would guarantee your number but also cease the FTTC connection then connect via the mobile signal until FTTP is live. You could continue to use your existing router if it has a slot for a SIM card or a USB port for a dongle with a SIM card.

Thank you for the suggestion, but we would fall at the first hurdle here I'm afraid as our mobile reception is very poor, and that is one of the main reasons for keeping a landline number via voip (but one from a different provider)

It depends whether they would allow you to take out a second contract - if you are outside you locked in period it may be possible.

In reply to a post by Kenneth:

It depends whether they would allow you to take out a second contract - if you are outside you locked in period it may be possible.

Shouldn't be a problem, I've been with Zen for nearly 20 years and my fttc has been 'out of contract' since mid-2015.

I would prefer to do this via a single contract though

Here's my experience. I'd been with Zen for BB and phone and while still on FTTC I moved the phone to Zen's Digital Voice, plugging the phone into the Fritz!Box router's FON port. Shortly afterwards I was upgraded to Fibre. When the 18-month DV contract ran out I decided that £6/month (1000 minutes/month) was good value for a heavy landline user but was too much for our very limited use. I opened a new phone-only account with Andrews & Arnold (with a new number) and after careful testing I ported my number from Zen into my A&A account, then cancelled the new number. All done with full retention of my number and no loss of service, apart from a few hours on porting day.