How do I leave VM Fibre but keep my phone number?

Zolablue

Hi, about 15 months ago I left NOW Broadband and had VM installed via an MSE offer. The offer period ends in a couple of months and, as VM is so expensive, I will probably be going elsewhere at that point (I will try and negotiate a new deal with VM but I want an exit plan if that doesn't work).

I understand that if you go from one ISP that uses Outreach/BT equipment to another then eth process is very straightforward but how do I go about changing back to an ISP that uses Outreach/BT from Virgin Fibre and still keep my telephone number? Can anyone tell me the process please?

Thanks

iniltous

If you took a number with you to VM from an Openreach based provider , then it is possible to take that number elsewhere, but a lot depends on the provider you chose to use , and how motivated they are to do what you want….some will say it’s not possible , but that’s not true, they don’t want the hassle so imply that it’s not possible….if the number was issued by Now ( as opposed to previously porting it to Now from someone else ) then obviously Now should be able to get the number back and reissue it to you, but any and all mainstream providers on OR should be able to do this as well.

QrizB

Alternatively, can you port it out to a VoIP provider and then take it with you wherever you go (even if you move house or move country)?

I've got a number with Sipgate:

https://www.sipgatebasic.co.uk/

Carpetto

We are switching from VM to Vodafone and there is an option to keep our existing number

littleboo

QrizB said:

Alternatively, can you port it out to a VoIP provider and then take it with you wherever you go (even if you move house or move country)?

I've got a number with Sipgate:

https://www.sipgatebasic.co.uk/

^this. Port once and never have to port again, it doesn't matter what any new providers give you, you just carry on using the voip service

Zolablue

Sorry for the time it has taken me to respond to your helpful responses.

Thank you all for your input.

Zolablue

QrizB said:

Alternatively, can you port it out to a VoIP provider and then take it with you wherever you go (even if you move house or move country)?

I've got a number with Sipgate:

https://www.sipgatebasic.co.uk/

Won't it be even more complicated to switch my phone number out of Virgin to them than to another "normal" provider?

Do I need any special equipment to connect my phones to?

Can you port out should Sipgate start charging for their service or, worse still, go bust?

Sorry for the questions but I like the idea of never having to switch my phone again but I've never come across this option before (a bit too old for a lot of this tech stuff!)

Thanks

QrizB

Zolablue said:

QrizB said:

Alternatively, can you port it out to a VoIP provider and then take it with you wherever you go (even if you move house or move country)?

I've got a number with Sipgate:

https://www.sipgatebasic.co.uk/

Won't it be even more complicated to switch my phone number out of Virgin to them than to another "normal" provider?

You don't need a normal phone provider, just your VoIP account with Sipgate (or one of the other VoIP providers).

Do I need any special equipment to connect my phones to?

My Sipgate calls are delivered to my mobile phone. I use the Grandstream Wave app; other apps exist. If you want to continue using your fixed-line handsets you can buy an adapter (here's one from Grandstream, cheaper ones exist).

Can you port out should Sipgate start charging for their service or, worse still, go bust?

Yes, I believe you can (although I never have). Sipgate charge (quite reasonable prices) for outgoing calls and receive termination fees for incoming calls, exactly as other phone companies do.

Zolablue

QrizB said:

Zolablue said:

QrizB said:

Alternatively, can you port it out to a VoIP provider and then take it with you wherever you go (even if you move house or move country)?

I've got a number with Sipgate:

https://www.sipgatebasic.co.uk/

Won't it be even more complicated to switch my phone number out of Virgin to them than to another "normal" provider?

You don't need a normal phone provider, just your VoIP account with Sipgate (or one of the other VoIP providers).

Do I need any special equipment to connect my phones to?

My Sipgate calls are delivered to my mobile phone. I use the Grandstream Wave app; other apps exist. If you want to continue using your fixed-line handsets you can buy an adapter (here's one from Grandstream, cheaper ones exist).

Can you port out should Sipgate start charging for their service or, worse still, go bust?

Yes, I believe you can (although I never have). Sipgate charge (quite reasonable prices) for outgoing calls and receive termination fees for incoming calls, exactly as other phone companies do.

Thanks for the info. So it seems quite expensive to set up as I would need an adapter and there's a £30 sipgate charge to port my number. We would definitely need to use our landline phones as there are a number of us in the family sharing the phone. Forwarding to 1 mobile wouldn't be easy to manage.

I contacted sipgate asking whether they can transfer my number and, while they said that they can do it, they said that my broadband service would end when they port my phone number. That's not ideal.

My current phone plugs directly (via a phone/ethernet converter cable) into my virgin router. Presumably this isn't the same as VoIP?

QrizB

Zolablue said:

Thanks for the info. So it seems quite expensive to set up as I would need an adapter and there's a £30 sipgate charge to port my number. We would definitely need to use our landline phones as there are a number of us in the family sharing the phone. Forwarding to 1 mobile wouldn't be easy to manage.

You can run the app on several mobiles simultaneously (there's probably a limit to how many, but it's definitely more than one). All will ring and the first person to pick up gets to answer.

I contacted sipgate asking whether they can transfer my number and, while they said that they can do it, they said that my broadband service would end when they port my phone number. That's not ideal.

You co-ordinate that with your switch from Virgin to your new BB supplier.

My current phone plugs directly (via a phone/ethernet converter cable) into my virgin router. Presumably this isn't the same as VoIP?

I don't know Virgin's hardware (I've been outside cable coverage for 15+ years now) but yes, it's likely that the Virgin box includes the same functions that you would get from the Grandstream adapter.
Come 2025(?) when analogue telephony is switched off, everyone's landline will be VoIP.

Zolablue

I don't know Virgin's hardware (I've been outside cable coverage for 15+ years now) but yes, it's likely that the Virgin box includes the same functions that you would get from the Grandstream adapter.
Come 2025(?) when analogue telephony is switched off, everyone's landline will be VoIP.

I believe that our area changed in November - no new connections to Openreach will be analogue.
Thanks for the info