Sky dropping landline option?

wiggers

A friend with, um, special needs, currently has a Sky and Landline package. They have told him that they will be discontinuing the landline service. Is this true?

He doesn't have a mobile nor any other means of accessing the internet so is reliant on the current combination.

He wants to keep Sky and a landline. What are his options please?

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6678800/sky-dropping-landline-option

All traditional landlines (PSTN) are being stopped and being replaced with Digital Voice (VOIP) by 1 Feb 2027 across the UK and not just with Sky

Sky continue to offer broadband internet and DV, I cant say for Sky in particular but most providers are giving routers with a telephone socket built in and so once the telephone is unplugged from the phoneline and plugged into the router it operates exactly the same (other than if there is a powercut)

oldernonethewiser

My Sky router has a telephone socket and apparently I do have a phone number but as I haven't used a landline in years I've never plugged anything into it.

wiggers

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82092580#Comment_82092580

Have you received any notifications regarding the phone part of the service?

iniltous

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6678800/sky-dropping-landline-option

Unless this person is on a very old legacy package where although Sky sent the telephone bill it’s was actually a resold BT telephone product, then this makes no sense, as far as I know Sky moved all their customers from BT telephony to Sky telephony many years ago , in fact those that didn’t want to do that were told to find a new supplier for broadband and phone .

Sky do have some customers connected to Sky MSAN equipment in the exchange with these the telephone is still connected to the wall socket , they have others where the phone is connected to the Sky router and presumably a program to move everyone to be connected via the router , this isn’t affected by the Jan 2027 PSTN/WLR removal because Sky are LLU /MPF , so Sky don’t have a hard deadline for moving customers to IP telephony via the Sky router .

I suspect that either that the person in question has misinterpreted what Sky have said , and all that’s needed is moving the phone cord to the router phone port from the wall telephone socket , if the router isn’t compatible Sky should send one that is , or and this would be very unusual, that they were in an exchange that Sky never ‘unbundled’ and this customer is on a very old legacy arrangement and is affected by the PSTN switch off, but that asks the question why this customer wasn’t affected years ago when Sky became a full LLU provider and started their own telephony network.

If that’s the case , then if Sky won’t supply telephony and the customer needs it , either pick a new provider that can , or possibly port the number to VoIP and access it that way .

wiggers

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82092568#Comment_82092568

Strange that my friend received a letter saying the landline service would be stopping, something to do with a tie-up with BT not being continued.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82092620#Comment_82092620

Yes, Sky hasnt renewed its contract with BT Openreach and is instead offering services via CityFibre but its a bit of a moot point as had they signed a new contract with Openreach the landline still would have been ending soon anyway. Irrespective of if its Openreach or CityFibre Sky continue to offer telephone just via VOIP rather than PSTN

wiggers

Thanks everyone, I'll need to find out exactly what the letter he received said.

iniltous

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82092622#Comment_82092622

absolute nonsense , Sky may prefer to use City Fibre in areas where both CF and Openreach FTTP are available, but as the Openreach FTTP network covers 5 times the area , Sky don’t cut themselves off from that massive Openreach reach , Openreach cover over 20 million addresses with FTTP , City Fibre just over 4 million .

oldernonethewiser

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82092615#Comment_82092615

I got info when I signed up and I could have included a call package if I wanted. I suspect I have a note of the actual number but as it is of no interest to me I've not bothered with anything to do with it.

FrugaiMacDugal

It's official, here's what Gov.UK says.