Swapping to Broadband VoIP from a UK Copper Home Phone Line

However the biggest caveat is that by requesting to port your old landline number you may also end up ceasing any services (phone and broadband) on that same line (cancellation). You might think that the ISP could just assign a different number to the old line but that’s not how this works (it’s a rubbish way of doing things, we agree). This is because the current process is geared toward porting a “service” rather than just a “number“.

Obviously the cancellation of your old service means you need to be particularly careful to ensure that you’re out of contract with the fixed line provider (otherwise expect early termination charges) and are prepared for the possibility of some internet downtime, at least until you can get connected to a new ISP or re-contract (may attract additional costs). As we say, this is a terribly archaic process but for now we’re stuck with it.

In some other cases your ATA may be located behind a router that has a strict firewall, which could end up hampering the VoIP connection. If this occurs then you should be able to use port forwarding on your router to fix the problem (ask your provider for details). Likewise some networks, such as public WiFi Hotspots, may block VoIP traffic but this can be overcome by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Closing Thoughts and Tips

Given all of the above you might just decide that it’s easier to setup VoIP with a different number and do the admin to update all your contacts, which is what many consumers end up doing. We don’t blame them. However for others the ability to retain an established phone number has both value and some personal identity, thus a little short-term hassle may be worth the result.

At this point we should highlight that providers can and do get into trouble with Ofcom if they try to obstruct or cause undue delay to a number port, so don’t be afraid to raise a complaint to the regulator if you hit a wall. Several ISPs have already faced sizeable fines for shunning the rules on number portability (applies to UK based providers).

Another issue to be aware of is that not all VoIP providers are suitable for making calls to UK Emergency Services (e.g. Localphone) and likewise if you swap to VoIP then the stability of your line is likely to depend upon access to a power supply (i.e. if there’s a power cut and your internet connection goes down then so does VoIP, unless you also have it on a mobile app [4G data] or some form of battery device / backup).

The potential for problems suggests it would be handy to pick a provider that is both a member of an Ofcom approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme (e.g. CISAS or Ombudsman Services) for handling complaints and of the Internet Telephony Services Providers Association (ITSPA). For example, Vonage is a member of both and Localphone is an ITSPA member, but sadly many others aren’t.

As part of our research we did hunt for other dedicated VoIP providers with a residential focus and came up largely empty (Vonage is one of the few). Instead most tend to be business focused, but there’s no reason why domestic users can’t use them too.

Examples of Popular VoIP Providers

RingCentral

Voipstudio

Voiptalk

Vonage

Voipfone

Yay

Port5060

Sipgate basic

Tel2

NOTE: We haven’t reviewed these, they’re options based on word of mouth.

The effectiveness of the porting process also seems to vary between different providers. For example, several of the VoIP providers that we engaged with say they found it fairly smooth to port a number away from Virgin Media, although the process could be a bit more tedious when trying to do the same with ISPs on Openreach’s network (BT, Sky, TalkTalk etc.).

Elsewhere internet provider AAISP (they run their own VoIP setup) said they can quickly port BT numbers on a BT line because they’re able to use a much more automated process, often even without killing your broadband. This effectively renumbers the existing line and then ports the original number to VoIP. We don’t how many others can do the same.

Suffice to say that your mileage may vary and it’s best to ask your intended provider about what plans you have before joining. In the future this process should become much easier as ISPs adopt IP services for voice and retire the old analogue phone lines, but that process will take years. In the meantime we hope that this guide offers some useful assistance for those looking to make the switch sooner rather than later.