Landline not working

[LeeG12]

Switched from EE fibre broadband and landline as per EE salesman.  Broadband working fine. Engineers did not check that my phone line was up and running. Kept same number but not been able to use since the switch. Dial tone okay but when ringing the number it either says ' number not recognized' or 'number unobtainable'.

Not able to manage the line via BT app, eg adding free caller block. When trying to do so  it says number not recognised. Engineer visit book , a week or so away. Nothing wrong with my equipment etc as it was fine before EE contract stopped. Is there anything I can do to save the engineer visit?  looks to me like BT have not switched or activated my landline.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@LeeG12 

Welcome to this user forum.

Dial 17070 on your phone, and see if the phone number read out, matches your phone number.

If its a different phone number, then try ringing that number from a mobile, and see if your phone rings.

Its quite possible that you have been given a new phone number, as its not always possible to port numbers to BT Retail, unless they were originally issued by them.

[LeeG12]

Hi, thanks 

Problem solved.

Discovered on my BT App that I have a new number!

This despite the EE salesperson confirming I would keep my number. Also my existing number was showing on the App but just noticed it is now a new number.

Another issue is the App shows I have two separate accounts which I don't quite understand?

[LeeG12]

Should add that no notification received from BT to inform me of any new number.

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@LeeG12 wrote:

Should add that no notification received from BT to inform me of any new number.

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Normally you would receive a new number, unless it was possible to port it over.

Which provider originally issued your phone number to you, as they would be the ones who owned that number?

[LeeG12]

It was EE. 

I rang to get a better Mobile/ broadband/ landline package  as one of them was up for renewal.

They offered me a BT broadband deal. Asked if I wanted to keep my number , which I did and confirmed I would. So looks like the EE person was wrong.

No correspondence from BT suggested my number would change and the BT App showed my previous number, initially.

Still unsure why I have been given two accounts also. 

[Keith_Beddoe]

If EE issued the number, then it would belong to EE.

The problem is that EE have their own equipment installed in the local BT exchange, which would have a totally different number range from the BT Retail exchange equipment, so porting numbers from one to another would present technical problems, unless BT Retail has managed to find a technical solution in the last eleven years since I retired.

Its possible that the EE person was not aware of these issues. How long ago was your BT service activated?

Numbers that are originally issued by BT Retail, as is the case with many people who have old phone numbers, can normally be ported out to another provider, but will always return to BT Retail, once that person leaves that new provider.

Hopefully your new number will not cause too many problems.

As for the accounts issue, all you can do is to call BT billing, and see if they can remove the one with the wrong number on it.

[LeeG12]

Thanks for everyone's replies, all make sense.

Frustrating how EE and BT under the same umbrella so things should be simpler but clearly not. EE sell me a BT product then contact me to say sorry you are leaving us.

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@LeeG12 wrote:

Thanks for everyone's replies, all make sense.

Frustrating how EE and BT under the same umbrella so things should be simpler but clearly not. EE sell me a BT product then contact me to say sorry you are leaving us.

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They used to be totally separate, its only recently that EE has become part of the BT Group. I seem to remember a long time ago, that EE took over another provider, but I may be wrong, as it was a long time ago now.

Around about the time that other operators were allowed to install their own equipment in the BT exchanges, there were initially a lot of companies interested, mainly because the could offer faster broadband than BT, ie ADSL2+ instead of just ADSL.

Not all of them survived, and once VDSL came along, there was no incentive to continue providing ADSL2+ service. In reality, most of that equipment in the exchanges is now redundant, and I would expect that much of it is simply providing telephony.

As for phone numbers, BT Retail have plans to de-commission the old legacy (1980s) exchange equipment by 2025, and replace this by a VOIP (Voice Over IP) system. That is happening already to some extent, with BT Digital Voice. VOIP  configuration and routing is all software based, so number porting between providers should be as easy as it is with mobile phone providers.