Porting my landline to my mobile phone??

nappy501

At present I have broadband and VOIP with Zen Internet (their wonderful, I'm not leaving because of anything they have ). However, I really need to save money. So I am going to end my contract with them and just use my mobile phone for internet.

I would like to keep my landline number and I understand I can port the number. After this I get confused. Is 'virtual landline' the same as VOIP app? Any companies to recommend. The ones I have found start at £5 a month. If the calls are forwarded to my mobile, will I know it has come from my landline number? Will I get voicemail?

It would be really great if someone could point me in the right direction to find out more about this, so I understand what I am doing.

WelshPaul

Transfer your number to Andrews & Arnold. The ongoing monthly cost will be £1.80 plus call charges. Use the Acrobits Groundwire app.

nappy501

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81872474#Comment_81872474

Thank you for your response, I will go and look them up.

dnpark38

Just a warning when changing ISP and moving your phone number it might not happen.

I recently changed from ZEN to Sky BB and the number transfer did not happen, I've no idea who's fault it was. I had to accept a new number.

I guess I was just unlucky but something to bare in mind with a plan if a new number comes.

ZEN was £42 and Sky £25 month. Yes Zen very good with customer service being in England.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6654090/porting-my-landline-to-my-mobile-phone

Virtual Landline = VoIP

Many VoIP services have no standing charges if you dont want any extra features. Some will have charges if you want extra features like an additional numbers, hunt groups, extensions etc.

Call forwarding would come at a charge, you'd pay the cost of the call to your mobile but if you have a VoIP setup there isnt a need for forwarding as you just put the app on your mobile and answer it using data rather than than voice. This way you will know because it's the voip app that rings not the phone app. All VoIP providers I've known provide voicemail as standard at no fee.

A&A already mentioned are certainly cheap but have no experience of using them myself. Have used VoIPFone for years (lots of overseas family) and they charge £3 per month to have a geographic UK phone number associated with your account.

nappy501

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81872879#Comment_81872879

Thank you so much for the explanation. It's hard when I have no concept to start with.

nappy501

Now I am really confused. I have just had a telephone call to Andrews and Arnold, sales department. He told me that I cannot have VOIP if I only have a mobile phone, I have to have broadband to plug a phone into?????

nappy501

Panic over, I have just spoken to another company Virtual Landline who said I just need internet, this can be broadband or mobile data. No charge into an app, but a charge if forwarded to my mobile phone.

nappy501

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81872474#Comment_81872474

I've been to have a look. Andrews and Arnold sales department was a bit useless. I notice Acrobits have Acrobits groundwire and Acrobits softphone. May I ask why you recommended the Groundwire?

So if I have this correct, I join Andrews and Arnold and port my landline number to them. I download Acrobits Groundwire with its one off charge.

I then use Acrobits to access my landline by answering calls and making calls and listening to my answerphone/voicemail. I would have to have my mobile data on all the time.

If I want the call to come through to my mobile number there would be a charge from Andrews and Arnold.

Is my understanding correct?

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81873328#Comment_81873328

There may have been some confusion over what you want to achieve… you can get a piece of kit to plug a normal phone into that makes it into a voip phone, you can get dedicated voip phones and you can use applications for mobiles/computers. Maybe they thought you wanted your landline in the home and on your mobile to ring

QrizB

Maybe they thought you wanted your landline in the home and on your mobile to ring.

I've got a wired VoIP handset (a Polycom IP321) attached to my broadband router and run a softphone (Grandstream Wave) on my Android mobile. If my VoIP number is called, both ring.

Edit to add: I see you can buy a brand new one for a tenner, if you wanted a "fixed" VoIP phone with your new service.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285530282512