Can you port a number from a cancelled BT landline?

[maikeru]

Sorry if this question has been asked before, but I have read so much contradictory information.

My situation is that I had a BT landline set up when I moved into my current address long ago.  So my number is the one originally issued by BT and for which I am paying them for line rental and phone service.

I also have an ADSL internet service on this line which provided by another operator.

I now want to move to a third company to take over my line rental and provide an FTTC internet service.

Like many people I no longer use my landline, however because I have an elderly parent who sometimes uses it, I would like to retain access to my number.  So I want to transfer it to a cheap or free VOIP service to keep the number only for very occasional use.  (And I accept the consequences of VOIP not working in a power cut etc.)

The problem is that if I port my telephone number it will cancel my BT service, and with it lose access to my internet service.  But if I migrate my internet service that will also cancel my BT service, and with it my landline.

While the former option (switch phone service then order new internet) is straight forward, it is more important to maintain my internet service.  However I am willing to lose access to my phone number for a short period.

This feels like it would be a reasonably common situation, however no one seems to want to support it.  I guess the landline providers like BT do not want to make it too easy to leave them, the new line rental providers want you to also take their telephone services, and VOIP providers seem more interested in business customers then it to be worth their effort.

So my questions are, if I transfer my line to the new internet provide and my BT service is cancelled, would I still be able to port my cancelled BT telephone number afterwards?  And if so if there anything extra I need to know or do, or is the process the same?  Or would this risk me losing my telephone number completely?

If not, is there any better option than losing internet access for a few weeks?

Though I can also move my phone service to the new internet provider, so everything gets done in one operation, the minimum contract term means I would then have to pay them for a phone service for a year before being able to cancel.  And I am not sure whether porting the number from them would be complicated by it being a BT issued number?  Is that  my only realistic option?

Thank you for any advice or experience you can share.

[gg30340]

Have you considered if it is only your parents who use your landline phone that you buy them a cheap pay as you go mobile phone and program your mobile number in to its fast dial and ask them to use that in future.

This would free you up to choose an ISP that offers a no landline phone deal for your broadband albeit you still pay for a landline but it is included in the broadband price.

[maikeru]

They normally call on my mobile number, but being old and with health issues sometimes they sometimes use the "wrong" number.

So obviously which one they use is not something that can be guaranteed in an emergency, and there have unfortunately been too many of those in recent years.

[iniltous]

There is another forum , where someone actually ported their landline number to a VoIP provider without losing the broadband connection as a consequence, obviously this is the gaining providers responsibility , the order type is in effect a renumber and port but it does seem incredibly difficult to arrange .

The losing provider isn’t the instigator of the move, so if the gaining VoIP provider says you will lose broadband by porting the associated phone number , but can reorder broadband ( either with no number or with a different number ) then that’s between them and you…..there are changes coming to the number  port process where the number range holder will keep open the possibility of porting for 30 days after the number is ‘ceased’, this should make it easier , you would simply renumber the landline , the old number , which currently would cease and not be ‘portable’ , would then be available for the next 30 days and the VoIP provider could import the number  , you would be liable for the renumber charge .

In the current system , where porting the number results in the linked broadband being ceased, whatever provider you chose to re-provide broadband could use an ‘expedite’ order to restore service much quicker than the usual lead time, but OR charge more for this fast track service and the provider may expect you to pay more if you want to use this facility 

[Bob1001]

@maikeru   If you are only worried about your parent using it you could try an entirely different solution, get an Amazon Echo device (a basic one the dot is about £40 ) set it up and all that would be needed is to say "Alexa call ####" and they would not need to know the number as you could change it at will. Also if for some reason there is an emergency but they can still talk they don't have to fiddle about with a phone. I believe Google devices will also do this but I have the Amazon version.

Even BT sell them, various colours, slightly dearer but I am not allowed to post non BT links

BT Shop

[rbz5416]

From what you've posted it sounds like you may be paying line rental twice. Once to BT for the phone & again to the ISP, although the ISP is probably bundling that in the cost. So moving to an ISP that can provide a PAYG phone service is likely to be cheaper than the two packages you currently have.

It's also not clear, at least to me, whether the parent is living with you & needs to use the landline to make calls or is living separately & needs to call the number you're referencing? I'm assuming the latter but just for clarity.

[maikeru]

Thank you for all that, iniltous, it was very helpful.  If a change is required to support reclaiming a number from a disconnected line then it sounds like it will not be possible, or I would be very lucky if I can do it.  Which makes it too much of a risk to attempt.

Doing a quick search, the change to the process will not come into forced until December which is too long to wait.  I guess that means I can ask the VOIP provider if they can do port with renumbering that you described, but if not I will just have to accept having to take out line rental with the new internet provider for a year.

[maikeru]

Hi rbz5416, although I am not paying for line rental twice though I have been paying a premium for not having my line rental with my internet provider. Because I need a fixed IP address it limited my options for changing internet provider, but I probably should have moved my phone service a while ago. Further prices increases and a desire for a fibre package for streaming has finally prompting me to change everything.

Anyway, sorry for not making it clearer my parents live around 160 miles away. That is why I am concerned about ensuring nothing interferes with being contactable in an emergency, as there have been previous instances where it mattered.

[maikeru]

Hi Bob1001, a couple years after my dad was in hospital we tried an emergency alarm service, but he would never use it. Something like an Alexa would probably be a good idea for him in general, but unfortunately I cannot see him ever using it.

[Bob1001]

@maikeruIn similar circumstances I use 2 echo shows, there are many similar ones by different manufacturers, this allows both way hands free voice and video and if set to allow "Drop in" you can connect and look that all is well without "calling" the number.

Calling is very simple "Once set up" all he has to do is to say "Alexa call Fred (or whatever you want" you can even have it to call doctor or anything useful HOWEVER you can't use it for 999 calls etc.