Can I reduce VoIP/Digital Voice "landline" telephone call costs?

dogfonos

Been searching for an answer to my question for hours and can't quite seem to find it, so I'd be most grateful if someone could provide an answer. My question is about VoIP telephone call costs and alternative service provider options (if any).

I currently have FTTC broadband together with an existing landline 'phone package from a single service provider. Things are about to change: I've opted for a FTTP service, with a new provider, which will be installed in a few days time. The contract I've agreed with the new service provider is for full fibre BB + VoIP "landline" phone (unsure if the term "landline" is still valid with VoIP?).

My question is this: The VoIP "landline" phone line rental is free but call costs, should I make any calls, are steep. Am I tied to the new service provider for call costs for the duration of the contract or is it possible to have a different provider for the actual calls made (i.e. I pay a different provider for calls)?. Thanks for your time.

iniltous

Depends what you mean, if you are asking can you use alternative call carriers ( by dialing a code in front of the phone number you want  ) like you can with PSTN , the answer is No , it doesn’t work that way , you could have a second ( or more if you want  ) VoIP provider of your own choice , and use that instead of the VoIP connection with the broadband provider……depending on how your broadband provider delivers it’s telephony , via an integrated ATA phone port in the router case , or a separate ATA , you could have another VoIP provider via an ATA , with a handset connected in both , obviously you pick the handset to use depending on what provider you want to the call to go over , or move a single handset between the various ATA’s but obviously in that case the ATA without a phone connected can’t ‘ring’ on an incoming call , but it’s not as simple as it is now , just by signing up with an indirect call provider and then dialling a code in front of the phone number so the call is carried over the other providers infrastructure and not the ‘landline’ provider 

anniecave

I have full fibre broadband with a digital voice line (Sky) and I use an alternative call carrier (18185) by dialling a number before each call.  I was previously with Vodafone and it worked with this too. 

AnotherOldbloke

I am using Vonage 1000 min to landlines for £7.99 per month.

dogfonos

Many thanks for the info.

My original (i.e. current) landline number is going to be transferred to my new BB + VoIP "landline" phone provider. Am I right in thinking that having a second VoIP service provider would mean I'd have two "landline" phone numbers?  If so, that's not an option I'd want. Seems that there's no way of making use of the new service provider's free VoIP line rental (if that's the correct terminology?) and paying another VoIP service provider of my choice just for calls made on that line.

In that case, my simple options are to:

(1) add a calls package to the new VoIP "landline" phone service (several are available), or

(2) use my mobile (set to WiFi) for outgoing calls instead of a VoIP "landline". That's the free option.

dogfonos

anniecave said:

I have full fibre broadband with a digital voice line (Sky) and I use an alternative call carrier (18185) by dialling a number before each call.  I was previously with Vodafone and it worked with this too. 

That's interesting - I'll follow that up, thanks.

AnotherOldbloke said:

I am using Vonage 1000 min to landlines for £7.99 per month.

My new contract will be with Vodafone and they offer an unlimited anytime call package, to landlines and mobiles, for £10/month. Weekend and evening call packages also available for a little less.

AnotherOldbloke

Your £10 call package may be a better option for you as the £7.99 Vonage is for landline only.

There is an option of porting landline number over to Vonage.

AndyPK

As you have just signed up, i think the cheapest option is a SIM only deal with one of the smaller network providers. Do you have a good mobile signal and with what network? 

These can cost as little as £5/month. unlimited calls.  and have the advantage of mobile data too. 
talkhome is one, on the EE network

dogfonos

AnotherOldbloke said:

Your £10 call package may be a better option for you as the £7.99 Vonage is for landline only.

Yes, possibly. To my mind, the state of domestic UK telecommunications is currently in a bit of a flux.

Today, instead of adding a £10/month calls package to make anytime calls on the VoIP landline phone, I could purchase a cheap mobile phone (say under £100) and permanently leave it in place of the landline phone - i.e. a mobile that would be used only as a landline phone replacement. I'd take out a £1/month mobile rolling contract with Lebara and use the mobile to make calls (and receive calls, should I wish) using WiFi/Broadband Internet, so calls I make don't eat into Lebara's call time allowance, i.e. free calls.

At the end of a year, I'd be quids in - and still have a mobile 'phone to show for it! Tempting. It's anybody's guess how long this situation will last though.

dogfonos

AndyPK said:

As you have just signed up, i think the cheapest option is a SIM only deal with one of the smaller network providers. Do you have a good mobile signal and with what network? 

These can cost as little as £5/month. unlimited calls.  and have the advantage of mobile data too. 
talkhome is one, on the EE network

Only saw your post after my last response. Agree, it's a tempting option and if I only use WiFi/Internet for the calls, all calls would be free, currently.

Vitor

Without more detail, I suspect the OP is being offered a setup where a standard analogue phone plugs into the router’s phone port. It’s VoIP behind the scenes, but the ISP likely doesn't supply SIP credentials, so you're limited to using their service via that specific socket.

However, you can still use a completely separate VoIP provider, just not through the ISP’s router. By signing up with providers like Sipgate, Voipfone or Andrews & Arnold, you can use a softphone app (e.g. Zoiper) on a mobile or PC, or a dedicated VoIP handset or ATA connected to your home network.

One thing to watch: once a PSTN number is ported to a VoIP service with an ISP, many providers are reluctant, or outright refuse, to allow a port-out to another VoIP service. So if keeping your number and flexibility is important, consider porting it to an independent VoIP provider before the FTTP switch.

- use my mobile (set to WiFi) for outgoing calls instead of a VoIP "landline" -

That's an option but WiFi Calling can be problematic if there's a lot of other traffic on the router. If you can define quality-of-service on the router, set the phone's MAC address to be highest priority for all traffic.