Please explain VOIP. :-)

notbritishgas

littleboo said:

Yes, or look at Andrews and Arnold,  a very well respected ISP who also over a standalone voice service. I recently ported my FiLs number to them as we wanted to keep it for a while after he moved to residental care.
https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-information/

Thinking of going with a&a. Can you tell me if the box is plugged into the ethernet port on the router and the phone can be anywhere connecting by WiFi or something.

Browntoa

Out of interest, I've gone supplier independent 

My own VoIP number, accessed via both a phone app and a grand stream 801 adapter that plugs into a Lan port ( anywhere I am in the world if needed) 

noitsnotme

iniltous said:

OTS has absolutely nothing to do with ISP ‘forcing’ customers into having linked numbers with broadband , it’s simply a way to move between different networks ( City Fibre to Virgin for example ) without having to advise the losing network provider yourself, something already the case with the old switching process on Openreach  .
If a phone number is linked ( bundled ) to a broadband service and the number is ported , even with OTS , the broadband is ceased if the number is ported .

I misunderstood him then.  This is what was said (from chat transcript). Landline kept getting mentioned but it’s actually a VOIP phone service bundled with the broadband (the phone plugs in to the Vodafone router).

”I am just taking a look through some information now, as a new process called one touch switching has just been launched nationally, which I believe now allows for you to have a different provider for the broadband than the landline”

”the new one touch switch process should allow for a request to be made for only the landline, or only the
broadband”

”when asking the new provider to set up a landline plan, as part of the switch request they only tick the landline services to be transferred. This should then leave the broadband plan with us unaffected”

Although he couldn’t guarantee the last bit so escalated it for and answer.

So you’re saying there is no way I can port out just the existing VOIP phone service, leaving the broadband service active?

iniltous

It depends on the basis on which your telephone contract and broadband contract are provided, but OTS is irrelevant to that , the tick box for telephone and broadband is likely to be for those customers that want to move both services from provider A to provider B , it indicates to the new provider that a number port is required, if the migration is between separate networks ( Virgin to Netomnia for example) but if an ISP , gets an indication to port a number , and there is an associated broadband service , that may be  linked contractually, to port the number , still ceases the broadband because there is no contractual basis for the broadband to remain on its own , OTS doesn’t change this contractual relationship.

What you are asking , seems reasonable until you look deeper, say you negotiate a phone and broadband package for £35/month , this price regardless of wether you realise it , is contingent on you taking both services, ……at some point , and assuming no minimum term complications , you want to move  your number to a VoIP provider , and you do so by asking a VoIP provider to start the migration process, this raises many questions,

what is the price you expect to now pay , and on what contractual basis should your old phone provider continue to supply broadband only to you ? , your contract was for both services ,  should it now be broadband only but at the same price you paid for telephone and broadband , should it broadband only at a reduced price , in which case who decides what the price reduction should be , given the original deal was for dual services , or should you be charged a renumber fee , for supplying a different phone number on your broadband ( something you are still in contract for simply outside a minimum term ) , and that will likely be a phone number you probably don’t want , and that’s not every possible outcome covered , hopefully you can see it’s a contractual minefield, by asking not to have telephony you break the contract, if the ISP want to remove broadband as a consequence, that’s up-to them .

noitsnotme

iniltous said:

by asking not to have telephony you break the contract, if the ISP want to remove broadband as a consequence, that’s up-to them .

That was my main worry and not a risk I’m willing to take while still in contract.  I’ll have to wait for them to come back to me with a final answer.  I would be happy to continue paying the same price even with the telephony removed.

Failing that I’ll wait until it’s out of the fixed contract period and then port the phone number away.  If it cancels the broadband at that point I’ll just start a new service with the provider I’m planning to move to anyway (Toob) who don’t offer telephony.  They do partner with Vonage but I would prefer to use A&A who are cheaper.

littleboo

The OP was enquiring a switch to a new provider which would result in a new fibre being delivered. In that case, the approach is to run both services for a short while and initiate the porting when the new service is active. This will probably cause the broadband to also get ceased, but if not, you can issue a cancellation once the port has been completed. Numbers are supposed to be available for 30 days after a cease, but its a bit more complicated then as the number is no longer active.
In the case of my FiL, as we were ceasing both service and he was out of a minimum term contract, I gave a cancellation notice and then ported during that 30 day window. It worked well.
Porting a number out from bundled broadband & phone services is not possible as far as I know and if you are in a minimum term, it could cost you early termination charges and loose your broadband.

ThisIsWeird

littleboo said:

The OP was enquiring a switch to a new provider which would result in a new fibre being delivered. In that case, the approach is to run both services for a short while and initiate the porting when the new service is active. This will probably cause the broadband to also get ceased, but if not, you can issue a cancellation once the port has been completed. Numbers are supposed to be available for 30 days after a cease, but its a bit more complicated then as the number is no longer active.
In the case of my FiL, as we were ceasing both service and he was out of a minimum term contract, I gave a cancellation notice and then ported during that 30 day window. It worked well.
Porting a number out from bundled broadband & phone services is not possible as far as I know and if you are in a minimum term, it could cost you early termination charges and loose your broadband.

To confirm, mil has a new FTTP installation by Openreach (hadn't realised - it's over a year now), and a BB and phone contract with BT. The old copper line has gorn. Her phone is plugged in to the router, so will be VOIP. She still has her original phone number with area code.

A neighb has told her about Airband, who do have a good deal at the mo' - nearly half BT's end-of-contract amount. Following advice on here, we will confirm - in writing - that they can port the number should she go with them. And ditto with any other service she considers.

Thanks all.

iniltous

TBH if the idea is to move to an alternative network, and not take telephony from them ( in your case they don’t even offer it ) then all that’s required is timing.

You get the alternative network in and working , you then contact a VoIP provider and arrange for them to port the number , you get a ‘sorry to see you leave ‘ communication from the current phone and broadband provider, the day the number ports is the day the old broadband and phone cease ….you connect and enter the VoIP details into your new kit ( ATA or new phone with built in ATA ) that connects to the alternative network router , that allows the ported number to be accessed on the alternative network, the only drawback is paying for both networks for a period of time and the expense of the ATA equipment ….what you want is the least complicated shuffle of services 

noitsnotme

iniltous said:

TBH if the idea is to move to an alternative network, and not take telephony from them ( in your case they don’t even offer it ) then all that’s required is timing.

You get the alternative network in and working , you then contact a VoIP provider and arrange for them to port the number , you get a ‘sorry to see you leave ‘ communication from the current phone and broadband provider, the day the number ports is the day the old broadband and phone cease ….you connect and enter the VoIP details into your new kit ( ATA or new phone with built in ATA ) that connects to the alternative network router , that allows the ported number to be accessed on the alternative network, the only drawback is paying for both networks for a period of time and the expense of the ATA equipment ….what you want is the least complicated shuffle of services 

Can you have more than one FTTP service at the same time over the same fibre network?  I'm currently with Vodafone over Cityfibres infrastructure.  I eventually want to move the broadband service to Toob who are also over Cityfibre.  Can I overlap both services to achieve what you suggest?

littleboo

No you can't