My mother is in the process of migrating from Plusnet to EE because she wants to keep her landline and number.
Someone (probably EE) has played a blinder and cocked up. They made an Openreach appointment for 21 Sep and then postponed it to 24 Sep -
mildly annoying but no more than that. She received an email on 3 Sep confirming the 24 Sep appointment, and then one on 17 Sep from
Openreach. Fine.
When the OR guy hadn't turned up an hour after the latest time of the appointment range, she rang EE who could find no evidence of the OR appointment and said that she would be treated as a new customer. Bad.
Very bad.
But it gets worse. On the following day (25 Sep) her internet stopped working and when she rang PN, they told her that her account had been terminated. There was also a "Sorry to see you are leaving us" email
from PN.
It seems that EE have sent the "terminate previous broadband connection" request to PN *before* they have provided the new FTTP/VOIP connection.
My mother is at her wits' end with it all and is despairing of it ever
being sorted out. PN has raised it with their Executive Complaints department and is asking some very searching questions of EE. When I
spoke to the EE complaints person today, he couldn't understand what had gone wrong.
A new OR appointment has been made for 19 Oct, but that is a long time
for my mother to be without a landline phone and internet (apart from
mobile internet on her phone - but not on her tablet or PC). And not all
her friends know her mobile number or would think to try it even if they
did know it. There are only so many people that one can contact to say
"If you need to phone me, use this mobile number temporarily until the
FTTP has been installed and the existing number has been ported across".
NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:
Would it be possible for the landline number be put on divert to the
mobile? Mind you, no idea which outfit could do this.
On 28/09/2026 20:34, Tweed wrote:
NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:
Would it be possible for the landline number be put on divert to the
mobile? Mind you, no idea which outfit could do this.
I did suggest that to PN in a private message to a support engineer on
the PN forum who has escalated the problem to PN's and EE's Executive Complaints department, but nothing has been said about it yet. I'll
chase it.
On 28/09/2026 21:44, NY wrote:
On 28/09/2026 20:34, Tweed wrote:
NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:
Would it be possible for the landline number be put on divert to the
mobile? Mind you, no idea which outfit could do this.
I did suggest that to PN in a private message to a support engineer on
the PN forum who has escalated the problem to PN's and EE's Executive
Complaints department, but nothing has been said about it yet. I'll
chase it.
Is she over 70 and therefore under OFCOM rules vulnerable.
Ring EE and remind them
On 28/09/2026 20:56, David Wade wrote:
On 28/09/2026 21:44, NY wrote:
On 28/09/2026 20:34, Tweed wrote:
NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:
Would it be possible for the landline number be put on divert to the
mobile? Mind you, no idea which outfit could do this.
I did suggest that to PN in a private message to a support engineer
on the PN forum who has escalated the problem to PN's and EE's
Executive Complaints department, but nothing has been said about it
yet. I'll chase it.
Is she over 70 and therefore under OFCOM rules vulnerable.
Ring EE and remind them
Yes, she is 90. PN certainly have her recorded as vulnerable. Hopefully
EE have "inherited" that status.
My mother is in the process of migrating from Plusnet to EE because she wants to keep her landline and number.
On 2026/9/28 20:12:39, NY wrote:
My mother is in the process of migrating from Plusnet to EE because she
wants to keep her landline and number.
[]
From the tale of woe, sounds like the migration was coincident with a
change from (say) FTTC to FTTP (you said an Openreach appointment was made/expected). Hope you get it sorted.
In the communications (only one so far) I've had from PN, no mention of
such a change (my broadband - and, so far, landline - come via copper,
at least TTP) going to happen - only a new "router" (as we call them in
UK - it's actually a MoDem, router, switch, and wifi base, in terms a
USian would understand, all in one unit).
On 2026/9/28 20:12:39, NY wrote:
My mother is in the process of migrating from Plusnet to EE because she
wants to keep her landline and number.
[]
From the tale of woe, sounds like the migration was coincident with a
change from (say) FTTC to FTTP (you said an Openreach appointment was made/expected). Hope you get it sorted.
In the communications (only one so far) I've had from PN, no mention of
such a change (my broadband - and, so far, landline - come via copper,
at least TTP) going to happen - only a new "router" (as we call them in
UK - it's actually a MoDem, router, switch, and wifi base, in terms a
USian would understand, all in one unit).
On 29/09/2026 00:59, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/9/28 20:12:39, NY wrote:
My mother is in the process of migrating from Plusnet to EE because she
wants to keep her landline and number.
[]
From the tale of woe, sounds like the migration was coincident with a
change from (say) FTTC to FTTP (you said an Openreach appointment was
made/expected). Hope you get it sorted.
In the communications (only one so far) I've had from PN, no mention of
such a change (my broadband - and, so far, landline - come via copper,
at least TTP) going to happen - only a new "router" (as we call them in
UK - it's actually a MoDem, router, switch, and wifi base, in terms a
USian would understand, all in one unit).
What you get depends on what is available and where you are. This is considered a new order, so if you are on a "stop sell" exchange and full fibre (FTTP) is available you will get full fibre. If not but FTTC is
then then FTTC.
Your phone will now plug into the "router" which is now also an ATA so Analogue Telephone Adaptor.
On 2026/9/29 7:48:51, David Wade wrote:
On 29/09/2026 00:59, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/9/28 20:12:39, NY wrote:
My mother is in the process of migrating from Plusnet to EE because she >>>> wants to keep her landline and number.
[]
From the tale of woe, sounds like the migration was coincident with a
change from (say) FTTC to FTTP (you said an Openreach appointment was
made/expected). Hope you get it sorted.
In the communications (only one so far) I've had from PN, no mention of
such a change (my broadband - and, so far, landline - come via copper,
at least TTP) going to happen - only a new "router" (as we call them in
UK - it's actually a MoDem, router, switch, and wifi base, in terms a
USian would understand, all in one unit).
What you get depends on what is available and where you are. This is
considered a new order, so if you are on a "stop sell" exchange and full
fibre (FTTP) is available you will get full fibre. If not but FTTC is
then then FTTC.
Hmm. I had some guys from Openreach round a few weeks (months?) ago
sniffing around to see what my arrangement was, so clearly FTTP is in
the near future; but nothing in the package from PlusNet suggested it
was going to happen at the same time - no mention of a definite engineer visit, only a new "router".>
Your phone will now plug into the "router" which is now also an ATA soYes, I realised that the EE router includes ATA hard/software. Seems
Analogue Telephone Adaptor.
silly: the PN one has the hardware, so you'd think they could just
upgrade the software, but no.
J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:[]
Yes, I realised that the EE router includes ATA hard/software. Seems
silly: the PN one has the hardware, so you'd think they could just
upgrade the software, but no.
ItrCOs purely a commercial decision not to offer phone service on Plusnet FTTP. They are using it as an opportunity to persuade customers to move
over to their reassuringly expensive EE brand. Might not be more expensive just now, but it surely will be.
On 2026/9/29 9:39:55, Tweed wrote:
J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:[]
At which point a certain proportion will jump ship - either to Zen or BTYes, I realised that the EE router includes ATA hard/software. Seems
silly: the PN one has the hardware, so you'd think they could just
upgrade the software, but no.
ItrCOs purely a commercial decision not to offer phone service on Plusnet
FTTP. They are using it as an opportunity to persuade customers to move
over to their reassuringly expensive EE brand. Might not be more expensive >> just now, but it surely will be.
who do VoIP (who else does both?) so no hassle, or to separate ICP and
VoIP providers.
My mother is in the process of migrating from Plusnet to EE because she wants to keep her landline and number.
But it gets worse. On the following day (25 Sep) her internet stopped working and when she rang PN, they told her that her account had been terminated. There was also a "Sorry to see you are leaving us" email
from PN.
It seems that EE have sent the "terminate previous broadband connection" request to PN *before* they have provided the new FTTP/VOIP connection.
J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:[]
On 2026/9/29 9:39:55, Tweed wrote:
ItrCOs purely a commercial decision not to offer phone service on Plusnet >>> FTTP. They are using it as an opportunity to persuade customers to moveAt which point a certain proportion will jump ship - either to Zen or BT
over to their reassuringly expensive EE brand. Might not be more expensive >>> just now, but it surely will be.
who do VoIP (who else does both?) so no hassle, or to separate ICP and
VoIP providers.
But most will still go to EE. Sold as a no hassle route, although the
reality can be different. Even those that jump ship will mostly end up on
an OpenReach circuit, a trading name of BT PLC.
PS IDNet will do phone as well, but they are niche for most people.
The good news is that the combined efforts of PN, EE and my fairly
forceful but friendly chat with the EE complaints department got them to arrange an Openreach engineer to come to install mum's fibre today. He
even managed to put the router where she really wanted it, rather than
where we thought he might put it because it was the easiest cable route.
So internet is working, and phone is working but the number will take a
few hours to be ported.
A great relief for everyone!
On 2026/9/29 15:26:42, Tweed wrote:
J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:[]
On 2026/9/29 9:39:55, Tweed wrote:
ItrCOs purely a commercial decision not to offer phone service on Plusnet >>>> FTTP. They are using it as an opportunity to persuade customers to move >>>> over to their reassuringly expensive EE brand. Might not be more expensive >>>> just now, but it surely will be.At which point a certain proportion will jump ship - either to Zen or BT >>> who do VoIP (who else does both?) so no hassle, or to separate ICP and
VoIP providers.
But most will still go to EE. Sold as a no hassle route, although the
reality can be different. Even those that jump ship will mostly end up on
an OpenReach circuit, a trading name of BT PLC.
It's getting to be like the (car, at least) insurance market: with EE, PlusNet, and BT all the same company (not to mention the Openreach part)
all part of the same organisation, I wonder if the CMA should be looking
into it (again?). (There are only about four or five car insurance
companies in the country, but trading under so many names you'd be
forgiven for thiking there are 30-40.)
PS IDNet will do phone as well, but they are niche for most people.
How are they on price? (Customer service? Coverage?)
When you say "phone is working", presumably you mean outgoing calls;
incoming calls yes but to some temporary number (if so were you given
it?), or not at all until the number is ported? (What happens if anyone
calls it before then?)
But does sound promising - hope it all turns out OK for you/her!
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