Over 1 month ago I had my old copper cable replaced with the fibre version. Since then, my landline has not worked in spite of 3 engineer visits attempting to fix it. I have replaced my phone to ensure it will work with VOiP to no avail. So as VM don't seem to be able to get it working I decided to find a 3rd party VOiP provider. I now find that if I do that VM will cancel my broadband as well as the landline. So VM can't fix it, but will penalise me if I find a provider that will work. I would be grateful if anyone has any suggestions, short of cancelling the whole lot and paying a ludicrously massive exit fee.

Hi thekwaze, thank you for your post.We're sorry to hear about the situation you find yourself in 😔Just to confirm, have you been told categorically that there's nothing we can do to fix the landline issue or is it still being investigated?Please pop back to us at your earliest convenience.Regards,Daniel

The telephone number in an ISPs bundle trap strikes once again.Perhaps VM could just supply a new number to keep your VM bundle whole, as you port the cherished number elsewhere. This should not be difficult for VM, but they have to want to do it. I'm curious about the copper replaced with fibre comment. Which VM Hub do you have now ?Also if the copper line is damaged, why can VM not enable telephone on your VM Hub ?We have 3 Sipgate VOIP numbers, SIP / VOIP over a VM Hub does work fine.

Read section N .6 .4 in the T&Cs ref loss of serviceshttps://a.storyblok.com/f/253875/x/4220195753/terms-and-conditions-tv-fibre-phone-from-24-apr-2025.pdfIf VM cannot reinstate your landline service, VM should notify you and give you a 30 day window in which you can leave without penalty.From your description it sounds like you are experiencing an extended period of VM 'confusion'. This may go on indefinitely.Keep in mind you are entitled to compensation for the loss of landlinehttps://www.virginmedia.com/help/billing-and-payments/automatic-compensationIf you leave you will have to consider how/if you want to transfer your landline number. This may result in further VM confusion.You may well have to escalate this to the ombudsman for resolutionhttps://www.commsombudsman.org/our-process

The other important thing is VM does not use VOIP, it's still an "normal" phone line, but plugged into the Hub. If you have a VOIP phone it will not work unless it's paired with a VOIP supplier. I really can't see why VM will not let you remove the phone from your package? It's no longer a requirement as it was many years ago.

You must use your old phone which connects to the TEL 1 port of a hub 3, hub 4 or hub 5, and it's the hub which enables the VoIP functionality, despite what others might post, by converting analogue to digital. What you cannot do is use a VoIP phone.What reason did the techs give for failing to get your landline migrated? It's most unusual to have three failures, a tech had no problem doing this migration for me recently.

VOiP Dilemma | Virgin Media Community

19 Replies

Roger_Gooner
Alessandro Volta
21 hours ago
Log into your hub and check the telephony status. Here's my hub 5 status, yours should look similar.
Roger_Gooner
Alessandro Volta
21 hours ago
Log into your hub and chack the telephony status. Here's my hub 5, your hub 5X should look similar.
Roger_Gooner
Alessandro Volta
2 days ago
You must use your old phone which connects to the TEL 1 port of a hub 3, hub 4 or hub 5, and it's the hub which enables the VoIP functionality, despite what others might post, by converting analogue to digital. What you cannot do is use a VoIP phone.
What reason did the techs give for failing to get your landline migrated? It's most unusual to have three failures, a tech had no problem doing this migration for me recently.
- Adduxi
  Very Insightful Person
  20 hours ago
  Roger_Gooner wrote:
  What you cannot do is use a VoIP phone.
  Because VM don't use a "proper" VOIP system, it's still running on telephone exchanges at the backend.
  - Roger_Gooner
    Alessandro Volta
    19 hours ago
    No, VM is migrating to VoIP and so VoIP equipment at the backend must comprise centralised core infrastructure consisting of:
    • Session border controllers (for managing SIP signalling and RTP media streams in and out of the core)
    • Softswitches (the heart of a modern VoIP network for handling call setup, routing, and features like voicemail, call forwarding, etc.)
    • Media gateways (for interwork IP voice with legacy TDM/PSTN circuits (SS7) until PSTN fully retires)
    • Application servers (for providing customer-facing voice features — voicemail, IVR, conferencing, call management).
    
    This equipment is almost certainly deployed in all six of VM's tier III data centres with active VoIP nodes - handling SIP registration, call routing, media processing, and trunking - being at primary sites (probably London, Birmingham and Manchester) with geo-redundant pairs for resilience.
    VM is desperate to dump the telephone exchanges, not to keep them going.
- thekwaze
  On our wavelength
  2 days ago
  Yet another variation on solving the problem thanks. Tried that, didn't work. I suspect that VM have not carried out the behind the scenes malarkey to enable it to work. I have asked several times and have been assured that it has all been carried out...but I doubt it.
  - Matthew_ML
    Forum Team
    2 days ago
    DM has been sent :)
Adduxi
Very Insightful Person
2 days ago
The other important thing is VM does not use VOIP, it's still an "normal" phone line, but plugged into the Hub. If you have a VOIP phone it will not work unless it's paired with a VOIP supplier. I really can't see why VM will not let you remove the phone from your package? It's no longer a requirement as it was many years ago.
- thekwaze
  On our wavelength
  2 days ago
  All a bit confusing for an ageing pensioner as so many options and opinions differ. It would seem that what looks like simplicity having a broadband and landline that work is beyond mere rocket science. My original phone didn't work, so I bought a new one, that didn't work, so I bought one that was definitely VOiP capable and that doesn't work either. I haven't asked for my landline be removed from my package as I read that it is a futile excercise and would waste several more hours of what life I have left.
goslow
Alessandro Volta
2 days ago
Read section N .6 .4 in the T&Cs ref loss of services
https://a.storyblok.com/f/253875/x/4220195753/terms-and-conditions-tv-fibre-phone-from-24-apr-2025.pdf
If VM cannot reinstate your landline service, VM should notify you and give you a 30 day window in which you can leave without penalty.
From your description it sounds like you are experiencing an extended period of VM 'confusion'. This may go on indefinitely.
Keep in mind you are entitled to compensation for the loss of landline
https://www.virginmedia.com/help/billing-and-payments/automatic-compensation
If you leave you will have to consider how/if you want to transfer your landline number. This may result in further VM confusion.
You may well have to escalate this to the ombudsman for resolution
https://www.commsombudsman.org/our-process
Client62
Alessandro Volta
2 days ago
The telephone number in an ISPs bundle trap strikes once again.

Perhaps VM could just supply a new number to keep your VM bundle whole, as you port the cherished number elsewhere. This should not be difficult for VM, but they have to want to do it.

I'm curious about the copper replaced with fibre comment.
Which VM Hub do you have now ?

Also if the copper line is damaged, why can VM not enable telephone on your VM Hub ?

We have 3 Sipgate VOIP numbers, SIP / VOIP over a VM Hub does work fine.
- thekwaze
  On our wavelength
  2 days ago
  Hub 5 which they replaced last visit, to no avail. I told them on numerous visits over the last 6 months that I thought it could be the cable from the splitter outside my house to my pc, but they ignored that. Turns out that was the problem. That sorted the broadband but not the landline...
  - Matthew_ML
    Forum Team
    2 days ago
    Sorry to hear this as mentioned if you do change your mind and want us to look into this, please just reach out via the DM.
Daniel_Et
Forum Team
2 days ago
Hi thekwaze, thank you for your post.

We're sorry to hear about the situation you find yourself in 😔

Just to confirm, have you been told categorically that there's nothing we can do to fix the landline issue or is it still being investigated?

Please pop back to us at your earliest convenience.

Regards,
Daniel
- thekwaze
  On our wavelength
  2 days ago
  Thanks for the rapid response. No I haven't been told they can't fix it and the last technician told me a special case or something would be looked into to fix it. I am not contacting VM again as it is exhausting. I have wasted many, many hours on chatlines and phone calls to get this far over the last 8 months and seem to spend half my waking hours either contacting VM or staying in waiting for a technician. BTW I swapped to 1Gb last November and have had many other visits because that has never worked properly until a few weeks ago. Oddly no-one has ever mentioned any compensation for lack of broadband and now landline phone, but are quick to tell me what it will cost if I leave.
  Best regards, Dave
  - Matthew_ML
    Forum Team
    2 days ago
    Thank you for the update.
    
    Have you heard anything about this special visit at all?

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VOiP Dilemma

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