Independent VoIP providers - any recommendations?

[Lucas Ayde]

I'm going to move my home phone number off of my BT Landline to an independent VoIP provider to make switching ISPs less of a crapshoot (and because it will need to go VoIP soon anyway).

Anyone got any recommendations based on their own experience? Looking first for reliability and flexibility/features more so than lowest price, though obviously a decent price would be appreciated.

[Mr Pointy]

Lucas Ayde said:

I'm going to move my home phone number off of my BT Landline to an independent VoIP provider to make switching ISPs less of a crapshoot (and because it will need to go VoIP soon anyway).

Anyone got any recommendations based on their own experience? Looking first for reliability and flexibility/features more so than lowest price, though obviously a decent price would be appreciated.

You need to check the implications of doing that as I believe moving the phone functionality will terminate your broadband line:

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/number-port...

You'll need to move the broadband as well.

[vladcjelli]

We’ve moved to FTTP, so no more phone line.

Been with A&A for a few weeks with no problems.

What sort of features are you hoping for?

[akirk]

We used voipfone for years with no issues

[S6PNJ]

Lucas Ayde said:

Anyone got any recommendations based on their own experience? Looking first for reliability and flexibility/features more so than lowest price, though obviously a decent price would be appreciated.

I've been with a 'local to me' company called Miso Comms for just over 5 years and in that time I don't think I've had any issues, at least none that I can think of. I kept my existing 'BT' number. I switched my father, who lives in a totally different part of the country to me, to Miso Comms about June time last year, again, no issues and again, he kept his existing 'BT' number. Not sure what you want from flexibility / features though? I use my VOIP through an ATA onto my DECT handset which has an answering machine but if I'm on the phone when someone else calls, it gets directed to the VOIP answering machine and I get the voice message as an mp3 attached to an email. PM me and I'll give you more details. https://www.miso-comms.net/index.php

[megaphone]

I find having a phone number associated with the ISP is a plus when changing providers and getting better deals. You can port your number to the new provider and it shows the existing ISP you are serious about leaving, in my experience it has made the existing ISP come back with a better deal.

[Lucas Ayde]

Mr Pointy said:

You need to check the implications of doing that as I believe moving the phone functionality will terminate your broadband line:

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/number-port...

You'll need to move the broadband as well.

It was in preparation for an anticipated moving of my Broadband to a different ISP anyway (i'm paying ripoff prices to BT as a long term customer compared to all 'new customer' fibre deals out there - especially BT's own) so I can do it at the same time I reckon. Thing is, seems like not all ISPs offer 'landline' phone with their broadband.

Vodafone do offer the 'landline' number as part of their package and I would have went with them but they just reduced their full fibre speeds from 500meg to 200meg (with the implication that you will only get 150 meg down) at my address. A bit of internet sleuthing reveals that they oversold their FTTH broadband packages and can't maintain 500meg service in a lot of areas. OK, nope.

Virgin do a better service at a 'proper' 250megs for a good price (half of what I pay for 75megs currently) but strangely, despite trying their best to force phone service onto me along with the cablemodem and TV in a former address, don't seem to offer phone with the fibre. So I'd need my own VoIP provider.

Additionally, seems to be a safer bet if moving between ISPs as once you have the number which you wish to keep on a service, it should work with any ISP with no need to future transfers (which could go wrong).

[S6PNJ]

Lucas Ayde said:

Additionally, seems to be a safer bet if moving between ISPs as once you have the number which you wish to keep on a service, it should work with any ISP with no need to future transfers (which could go wrong).

Indeed - I changed 'internet' service provider but my VOIP provider stayed the same - I can pick up my calls whether I'm at home, at a friends, at my parents home, or on holiday - in fact anywhere in the world I can get internet, so totally ISP agnostic.

[Mr Pointy]

Lucas Ayde said:

Mr Pointy said:

You need to check the implications of doing that as I believe moving the phone functionality will terminate your broadband line:

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/number-port...

You'll need to move the broadband as well.

It was in preparation for an anticipated moving of my Broadband to a different ISP anyway (i'm paying ripoff prices to BT as a long term customer compared to all 'new customer' fibre deals out there - especially BT's own) so I can do it at the same time I reckon. Thing is, seems like not all ISPs offer 'landline' phone with their broadband.

Vodafone do offer the 'landline' number as part of their package and I would have went with them but they just reduced their full fibre speeds from 500meg to 200meg (with the implication that you will only get 150 meg down) at my address. A bit of internet sleuthing reveals that they oversold their FTTH broadband packages and can't maintain 500meg service in a lot of areas. OK, nope.

Virgin do a better service at a 'proper' 250megs for a good price (half of what I pay for 75megs currently) but strangely, despite trying their best to force phone service onto me along with the cablemodem and TV in a former address, don't seem to offer phone with the fibre. So I'd need my own VoIP provider.

Additionally, seems to be a safer bet if moving between ISPs as once you have the number which you wish to keep on a service, it should work with any ISP with no need to future transfers (which could go wrong).

I think it's becoming quite hard to find anyone who will offer BB & a landline now. Andrews & Arnold will port you in (both BB & a Voip port) but no-one would call them cheap. Zen are offering Digital Voice using their own Fritzbox router.

Keeping your number doesn't seem to be straightforward & it will catch a lot of people out as the analogue landlines get withdrawn.

[Lucas Ayde]

Yes, its keeping the landline number that is the main thing. It's been around in this house for over 4 decades since I was a kid and for many older relatives that I'm not often in touch with, will be the one way of them contacting me.

If I stayed with BT, would get ported to their digital voice anyway but I just want to get it out onto a stable third party provider so I can 'own' it independently of who is providing the internet access. Features like softphone would be nice too, but not essential. Actual cost of telephone calls is almost irrelevant - I have a mobile with massive amounts of unused minutes every month for that.

So I want a stable VoIP provider with a sensible monthly charge. Basically a custodian for my old landline number.

[Mr Pointy]

Lucas Ayde said:

Yes, its keeping the landline number that is the main thing. It's been around in this house for over 4 decades since I was a kid and for many older relatives that I'm not often in touch with, will be the one way of them contacting me.

If I stayed with BT, would get ported to their digital voice anyway but I just want to get it out onto a stable third party provider so I can 'own' it independently of who is providing the internet access. Features like softphone would be nice too, but not essential. Actual cost of telephone calls is almost irrelevant - I have a mobile with massive amounts of unused minutes every month for that.

So I want a stable VoIP provider with a sensible monthly charge. Basically a custodian for my old landline number.

I don't think you can separate them at this point - it seems you have to either go onto DV with BT for 12/18 months (& an additional £6 a month) & then migrate at the end of the contract or migrate both BB & voice & set up VOIP at the same time with someone like A&A & migrate away at the end of that contract.

[Lucas Ayde]

Most likely adios BT then at the same time I port the number out. Need to research what my other options are for BB. If necessary I'll use my backup 4G router whilst I shop around/wait for deals.

[Paulsd]

We recently moved to Trooli who don’t do digital voice so ported the landline to voipfone - pretty seamless. Had a small issue logging in to the mobile app but the support guys were really helpful and got it sorted in about 3 mins.

I was wondering if we really needed the number but was a bit nostalgic about it for some reason so the £6 per month seemed worth it. We’ve actually had two non-scam phone calls since it got moved over which were important so am happy to have kept it.

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

Lucas Ayde said:

It was in preparation for an anticipated moving of my Broadband to a different ISP anyway (i'm paying ripoff prices to BT as a long term customer compared to all 'new customer' fibre deals out there - especially BT's own) so I can do it at the same time I reckon. Thing is, seems like not all ISPs offer 'landline' phone with their broadband.

Vodafone do offer the 'landline' number as part of their package and I would have went with them but they just reduced their full fibre speeds from 500meg to 200meg (with the implication that you will only get 150 meg down) at my address. A bit of internet sleuthing reveals that they oversold their FTTH broadband packages and can't maintain 500meg service in a lot of areas. OK, nope.

Virgin do a better service at a 'proper' 250megs for a good price (half of what I pay for 75megs currently) but strangely, despite trying their best to force phone service onto me along with the cablemodem and TV in a former address, don't seem to offer phone with the fibre. So I'd need my own VoIP provider.

Additionally, seems to be a safer bet if moving between ISPs as once you have the number which you wish to keep on a service, it should work with any ISP with no need to future transfers (which could go wrong).

If your not being offered phone by Virgin, then you will be in one of the new XGS FTTE areas, so full fibre to the router, they are the only areas we dont offer phone services.