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.

Yes. If number retention for the OP is the end goal. The key is having the number to be ported in your active ‘possession’. This is definitely the least risk approach.

Allowing the number to default pass back into the bucket 🪣, is a greater risk of loss, despite the potential to still get it out if the bucket in the immediate 30 day period from when it’s released.

It also depends on Zen allowing the number to be ported out, without ceasing the underlying broadband - that is, a number migration would convert the FTTP-with-DV service to FTTP-without-DV. If experience with Zen shows that's possible, then great.

It wasn't possible in the old days for FTTC lines, where the base service was analogue PSTN "line rental" and broadband was an optional extra on top: cancelling the PSTN line automatically cancelled the broadband, as you couldn't take it without the line.

With SOGEA (and FTTP) that's no longer the case, because voice is an add-on to broadband rather than vice versa. In *principle* a provider like BT could let you migrate away the DV independently (or let you take the number, and automatically renumber the live DV service); but I would worry that companies which stick to existing processes and procedures might cancel the broadband too.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

It also depends on Zen allowing the number to be ported out, without ceasing the underlying broadband - that is, a number migration would convert the FTTP-with-DV service to FTTP-without-DV. If experience with Zen shows that's possible, then great.

That was my experience, but I only ported the number out after FTTC+DV was converted to FTTP+DV.

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?

In your position and given your originally stated aims to minimise downtime and retain your existing number - I would not personally recommend that approach - the migrate from Zen FTTC (with voice) to FTTP only and then hope to still pickup the (now dropped) landline and migrate that to third party VOIP.

The least risk (of losing number) approach is:

1. Order the future Zen service that you want - FTTP only
2. Migrate the number to third party VoIP provider, to secure it long term. Which also triggers a cease on FTTC.

You can max out the risk-free approach by ensuring (1) is fully up and running before undertaking (2). The cost of this is running two service in parallel for a short while.

OR

You can reduce dual running cost and stagger (actually bring it forward) the initiation of (2) timing wise. However the risk then is not having operational internet if (1) isn’t fully delivered / operational for whatever reason before (2) takes effect - that is your FTTC service is ceased.

Edited by Pheasant (Sun 09-Feb-25 16:57:08)

Can I say a big thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread. I now have a much clearer understanding of what I need to do in order to achieve the desired result and I will place a separate order for FTTP rather than an upgrade and then transfer the telephone number associated with my FTTC circuit to VOIP as soon as FTTP is up and running which should also cease the FTTC contract