Forum Discussion

Stroye1's avatar
Stroye1
Tuning in
2 years ago

Virgin Media landline switch to digital voice phone and other options

With the increased use of mobile phone technology, the (old PSTN) landline phone dependency has to an increasing extent declined. However, there will be some like myself, that in addition to their mobile, may also want to keep their landline, for the time being anyway.

Virgin Media are keen to switch their phone customers over to the new Digital Voice and do away with (switch off) the old landline technology, implementing the switch sooner than some other major phone service providers.

I understand there are new rules coming in to place that will require landline phone service providers to make landline number porting increasingly easier (as it now has become with mobile numbers).

With this in mind, I would like to ask some questions. I've separated them into three parts. Perhaps Virgin Media would also like to contribute and answer.

As a virgin broadband and phone package customer and owner of my landline number, I just wondered what would happen if I now choose to have my phone number ported to a new digital voice (landline) phone service provider that has simpler, straight forward price structuring - separate broadband and phone options (not packaged or bundled together).

1. Will this mean that I am effectively ending my broadband and phone package service? Or..

2. Will Virgin Media port my number to my new preferred service provider and require that I switch to another package - in my case broadband only, because I don't have TV (not included) and don't require it?

3. I am currently out of contract without the benefit of any discounts or offers. As a result, my bill is now a lot higher. So if I prefer to switch to a new landline phone service provider, possibly also ending my broadband service, will Virgin Media hold my landline number for upto 30 days after leaving, allowing plenty of time for porting to a new provider?

Just wanted to explore my options now that this switch to digital voice is imminent. I hope the answers will be useful to anyone else wanting to keep their landline and number, and need to decide what is best for them.

digital voice
Landline phone
number porting
phone switchover
voip
  • Martin_N's avatar
    Martin_N
    Forum Team
    2 years ago

    Hi Stroye1,

    Thank you for your post. 

    With regards to your first questions. We still offer broadband and landline packages for customers to take out. 

    If you wish to have a number ported to another company, they would need to apply for that number. 

    You would need to port your number before the service disconnects as this can result in the number being allocated to another customer. 

    ^Martin

    • Stroye1's avatar
      Stroye1
      Tuning in
      2 years ago

       

      Thanks for your reply. 

      One Touch Switch (OTS)

      My second question was related to splitting your home number out from a broadband package (e.g. in order to put it on a VoIP line with another service provider.

      Here are my comments and partial summary of some of the information mainly sourced from ISPreview (but without making direct quotes from this source).

      It concerns the introduction of the OTS system ‘One Touch Switch‘ which has suffered significant delays. The date for implementation has already been revised, first delayed to 3rd April 2023, and isn’t now expected to be in place before 14th March 2024.

      Ofcom The UK telecoms regulator, have decided to adopt the new OTS process for customers of fixed line phone and broadband ISPs, making it easier to switch between providers on physically separate networks (e.g. Virgin Media full fibre to CityFibre). The primarily focus of OTS, is making it quicker and easier for consumers with any broadband provider to switch.

      Before this, customers could find themselves stuck in the middle paying for two services while the transfer takes place.

      Ofcom states that any “loss of service” that might occur during a switch must NOT be allowed to exceed 1 working day (“if technically possible“) and providers will be expected to compensate customers if things go wrong.

      The reason I mentioned 30 days in my 3rd question, is that in terms of number porting, after leaving a phone service provider, the regulator will also be making some “limited” changes, which includes giving customers the “right to port their number for one month after they have terminated their contract and a prohibition on charging customers to port their number.”

      Ofcom has at least managed to introduce a “Right to Port“, which requires phone operators to provide phone number porting to customers that request it, for at least 30 days after the termination of a contract, unless the customer expressly agrees otherwise.

      This should be a big help as at present it can be quite tedious to get your number back if it’s lost during a switch.

      Just to add: Your existing provider will be required to automatically terminate end-user contracts upon conclusion of the process of switching to the gaining (new) provider. The losing ISP will also be required to reactivate the phone number and all related services where a switching process fails, and until the port is successful.

      In view of delays, I also note that Ofcom has recently written to the Office of the Telecoms Adjudicator (OTA) as part of efforts to encourage adoption of changes ideally in time for the revised launch of the One Touch Switch migration. I understand that some service providers have already fully implemented these changes. Just wondered if Virgin Media has done so.

      I would like to thank ISPreview, full credit to them for their continued efforts to make such information available in an interesting, informative, clear and concise manner.

      I hope this information is useful.

      • Daniel_Et's avatar
        Daniel_Et
        Forum Team
        2 years ago

        Hi Stroye1, thank you for your response.

         

        If you need to cancel at any time just give us 30 days’ notice. More information on this can be found here. 

        Also, just to confirm, it is possible to have a broadband-only package. In order to discuss this, we'd suggest contacting the customer relations team on 0345 454 1111 (Option one, then four, then two), or 150 from a Virgin Media landline or Virgin Mobile.

        If you have any further queries, please don't hesitate to contact us.

        Regards,
        Daniel

  • Client62's avatar
    Client62
    Alessandro Volta
    2 years ago

    We have 3 VOIP numbers with Sipgate, this saves us about 90% of the cost of having those numbers with BT or VM and means we control the numbers and are not tied into any ISP bundle and are not tied to using the numbers at this building. We have Cisco VOIP kit.

    Read a VOIP providers guides on configuring the VOIP phones to understand what is involved i.e. what you will need to do to configure a SIP account on a new VOIP phone to create a working service.

    We started by registering one new VOIP service with Sipgate our choice of provider, once we had the first VOIP phone service configured & working we were in a position to request porting of a number from BT / VM etc.  I would buy a VOIP phone or ATA of a type that the VOIP provider mentions, at least this way you know the device has a decent chance of working.

    Only an active telephone number can be ported, that is a hard and fast rule.