Home phone - but Plusnet pulling the plug

iniltous

Installation of new ‘kit’ depends on if she is currently on copper FTTC (that’s probably the case ) and if FTTP is available, if it is then a new FTTP ‘line’ needs to be installed ( so engineer visit etc ) ,if no FTTP available, switching to EE is just a change of router , the phone cord connects to the router rather than the socket on the wall ….you would need to check with the fall alarm provider if it works with Digital Voice , and TBH they should be doing something about it anyway as Jan 2027 is fast approaching.

Spikeygran

Theoretically if she is flagged as a vulnerable customer (which she should be) theres supposed to be help available.

Unfortunately I've read a couple of reports of people who haven't had phone since the swap as they couldn't physically access the router.

Yorkie1

I spoke with Zen internet today about broadband and digital voice.

Mum (nearly 84) doesn't have either openreach or city fibre in her street, so she will remain on FTTC irrespective of who she moves to. No engineer visit.

I am presently on FTTC but because I have city fibre in my street, I will have to go to FTTP - which suits me. I don't mind the engineer visit. They will also install the new router.

My Plusnet contract ends on 10 May. While I was on the phone with Zen (and confirming I wanted to move to them for broadband and digital voice), they did all the initial emails to Plusnet. I got an immediate email from PN too, which confirmed that if I ended the contract today (i.e. before the end of the contract date), there would be early termination fees (less than £4 on my dates). Zen have booked my engineer visit and landline number swap for 11 May, which I understand from them means that I will be out of contract by then.

If people have contracts which have an end date much later in the year, beware that Plusnet may well charge early termination fees unless they have written to you to say you can move without charge sooner. I believe that if you are moved by them to EE, there may well not be early termination fees though.

Spikeygran

No thats the thing. My contract is until November, but they want to make the move within 30 days (its less now as I've been trying to work out what I want to do). They seem to be giving me the choice of moving to ee now with voip or signing a fresh contract with them for bb only.

Theyve said no penalty for being moved to ee and imply that I wont pay any more at least until end of contract. Obviously I wasn't planning on making any move until November. We live in a remote area with patchy mobile signal, so was expecting to hang onto my landline until the end of the contract.

Obviously it will be a lot cheaper to drop the phone, but our mobiles are always looking for a signal and so need charging more frequently. When you are 70+ with a heart condition, having a phone with a flat battery is not reassuring.

iniltous

What difference does a few months make ? , presumably you either need a landline type phone service or you don’t , so why is November acceptable but April/May isn’t ?, if moving to EE doesn’t extend your minimum term past November and the price doesn’t change , then why does it matter if EE are sending the bill and not PN ?, if you were planning on getting rid telephony in November anyway , staying with Plusnet on a broadband only basis seems the logical move , if you wanted a different provider entirely in November, if EE have the same minimum term expiration date in November as Plusnet , then you can still change to that other provider in November.

brewerdave

@Spikeygran - we were in a similar position last year - our mobile phone signal is poor on all networks here - but we found that our mobile phones/SIMs were both "wifi calling" capable - they connect calls, both in and out, via the router.

The quality of the calls is far better than we used to get via the conventional home phone and outgoing calls are virtually all free.

The potential major issue was the loss of a home phone number that we had had for over 40 years - but when I analysed the calls on the home number over a previous number of months ,almost 100% inward were SPAM ,whilst the outgoing calls were rare and cost ££s . So we made the leap to full fibre and let the home phone number go !

I just made sure that all nearest and dearest had our mobile numbers ,along with necessary banks, doctors surgery etc . We haven't missed the home phone since it went June 2025.

SOGEAnamey

• Another alternative to VoIP providers (intergrated in ISP or separate or otherwise), is bluetooth cordless phones.
  
  You can find (ebay) older BT-advanced phonesets (e.g. 090631 090632) -or- Panasonic equivalents, which can connect by bluetooth to mobile phone; this can give you cordless-phone extensions to mobile phone, not actually needing any "VoIP" at all while giving you cordless phone effect. The mobile phone needs to have reliable bluetooth and reliable service, or WiFi-Calling (a different sort of VoIP).
  
  I note, as a point of reference you can, for example, get unlimited UK calls (and 5gb/mo data) for 3.99/month with talkhome SIM card in mobile phone, link via MoneySuperMarket, I can't yet post as a link. In any case, just a point of reference.

Spikeygran

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81982389#Comment_81982389

Its another 7 months of having a phone that works for days during a power cut, a reliable connection for a 999 call. When you get older, with significant health issues this becomes important, and I'm losing a lifeline months early.

I am not planning on getting rid of telephony. I was wondering if I could manage without, and yes it would be cheaper, but I really prefer a plugged in (permanently charging) handset. Dialling 999 on a landline phone is significantly easier for someone with arthritis etc and I'm more familar with the dect handsets,as been using them a lot longer than the mobile..

VOIP is dependant on power. They were supposed to provide reliable back up for those of us in remote areas, with patchy mobile coverage. Thus far they are only offering 1 and 8 hour back up but at a price. There is an adsl back up phone (still a temporary option - maybe a year or 2 ) which is being offered to a few with no bb.

When I signed up for another year the only caveat from plusnet was that I wouldn't be able to sign up for a phone at the end of the contract, so quite rightly expected it to run to the end.

There is an element of bullying with their solution. I am being given the option of transfer to ee with phone or sign for a new bb only contract NOW!! - not at the end of my existing contract. I certainly don't want to be transferred to ee, then have to change again (to a bb and voip of my own choice) in November.

Spikeygran

Full fibre isn't available here so not sure how good the voip will be. We are on a low 9 -11 Mgbs with adsl and the same offered with fibre to cabinet.

QrizB

Its another 7 months of having a phone that works for days during a power cut,

You might not have that now.

As I understand it, with FTTC you're dependent on batteries in the street cabinet to maintain your telephone service during a power cut.

I don't know how long street cabinet batteries last exactly, but it's unlikely to be "days".

(If you're still on old-school ADSL then you might still be powered from the exchange.)