Contract Ending - Virgin Media BB+TV+Phone - Help Requested

Saga

Short version: currently on VM BB+TV+Phone but want just BB when VM contract ends in about a month. Do I need BT landline rental even if I go with another ISP?

Long version: up to 8 yrs ago we were with BT for ~20Mbs BB+TV+Phone, but switched to VM. Now I want only BB as TV will be Freeview HD and can do without landline for phone. If I wanted to go for basic quality BB (say 67Mbs) with Plusnet or another ISP, do I need to re-rent the old landline monthly from BT and will I need to get a BT engineer out plus all the piled on charges on top for doing so? Is there a way of testing the viability of the phone line & socket (as it's been 8 years since it was last used) online for free and without a BT engineer having to visit?

I've seen a Shell Energy BB deal with £67 landline connection fee but no monthly landline charges when I put "I don't know" when asked if I had a working landline and phone number. But I'm not sure if this assumes I will rent the landline from BT.

born_again

Are you talking about having to have a landline for internet? As most are fibre now.

littleboo

You just need to contact the new provider, they arrange everything. You don't have a working Openreach landline

Saga

born_again said:

Are you talking about having to have a landline for internet? As most are fibre now.

Not sure! I'd like internet access only.

We used to have BB provided by BT. All I can remember is the router was either a Home Hub 4 or 5. When we switched over to VM the new data rate was about 20-30Mbs so the BT would have been similar. The existing wall socket is still labelled 'BT Openreach Master Socket 5C' but google seems to suggest that could mean copper or fibre! I'm only about 80% sure we had fibre broadband.

Does this help?

Saga

littleboo said:

You just need to contact the new provider, they arrange everything. You don't have a working Openreach landline

Thank you!

PZ19

just put your cancellation into Virgin and hopefully you get a call back in the following days with an offer that you can’t turn down.  Maybe even get to keep the tv for lower than you pay now