Delayed digital voice landline Activation and compensation

[Jimbo786]

So my BT full fibre 300 was installed and activated on Mon 12/10/20. All is working great.

My BT digital voice landline is still to be migrated from Virgin Media and should have been activated on Mon 12/10/20.

I just got off the phone to BT who said there is an issue with lots of customers in the same boat in my area but got the impression that I could get a landline quicker if I didn't port my number across which the operator offered. I refused to take a new number or re-order.

BT couldn't give any further details why this is happening, how long it would take to resolve but said they will call me back when it's resolved but couldn't say how long it would take to resolve or whether others in my boat had their issue resolved!

- So in the meantime I am paying BT for a landline service I do not have
- I am paying virgin media for a landline because my landline hasn't ported.
BT could not give me an answer whether automatic compensation will be applied at the end of the month as shown in the below link but said when things are resolved compensation can be discussed. Great!
https://www.bt.com/help/account-and-billing/automatic-compensation#:~:text=Automatic%20Compensation%... 

It's imperative I keep my number and I shouldn't be forking out for a landline service I am not receiving!

Any mods here who can advise what's happening and answer my queries above?

Thanks in advance

[imjolly]

Was you number originally a BT number at your current address or a virgin number?

[Jimbo786]

Yes it was a BT number (under Sky ADSL) originally 7 years ago then transferred to Virgin Media and now coming back to BT.

Don't tell me no capacity left in the cabinet or something like that?
Shouldn't i be told this upon order before they installed the FTTP?

Ironically i still have a copper phone line coming in to the house!

[Keith_Beddoe]

There is no such thing a BT Number under Sky, as Sky have their own number ranges and equipment.

You need to find out who actually owns your number, as that is where it will end up once you leave Virgin Media. Numbers always return back to the number range owner. If that is not BT, then you are likely to have problems.

See https://community.bt.com/t5/Landline/Porting-LL-number-form-Virgin-to-BT-3-weeks-and-not-yet-solved/...

If you have a quick look at the OFCOM website :-

http://static.ofcom.org.uk/static/numbering/index.htm#geog1

and download the spreadsheet that contains your local  number range (note the numbers exclude the leading zero). The line in the spreadsheet will show to whom the range is allocated.

[Jimbo786]

So from looking at that spreadsheet my landline number was originally a Sky number.

Not sure how that makes a difference?

I still haven't left Virgin Media. That's the problem. I have a dial tone and can receive calls.

BT/Virgin haven't fully transferred me over. BT have yet to explain why.

[CJT80]

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@Jimbo786wrote:

So from looking at that spreadsheet my landline number was originally a Sky number.

Not sure how that makes a difference?

I still haven't left Virgin Media. That's the problem. I have a dial tone and can receive calls.

BT/Virgin haven't fully transferred me over. BT have yet to explain why.

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@Jimbo786 

Re read @Keith_Beddoe's sentance here: You need to find out who actually owns your number, as that is where it will end up once you leave Virgin Media. Numbers always return back to the number range owner. If that is not BT, then you are likely to have problems.

So if it's a SKY number the likelyhood is it's delayed as it's trying to return to SKY. 

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@Jimbo786 wrote:

So from looking at that spreadsheet my landline number was originally a Sky number.

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Then the number belongs to Sky, and will return to them once VM cease your phone service.

As far as I am aware, it will not be possible to transfer the number to BT, so you would have to accept a new number.

[Jimbo786]

So why is it so hard to inform me as a customer that my number would not be transferable if that is the case after an order is made?

Even after making the order no one contacted me why the transfer is being delayed. I had to chase this. Ridiculous.

Lastly are you then saying that BT are only ever in a position to take a number on if it only originated from BT or do they have to wait for it to go to Sky and then take it on from Sky?

As a customer all of this is not for me to chase surely.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Jimbo786 

This is only a customer to customer help forum, everyone posting here are just customers, and do not work for BT Retail. The only BT employees are the moderators.

Number porting is not 100% guaranteed, as numbers are owned by specific providers.

Porting to BT normally works without a problem if you start off with BT, then port your number to another provider. The problem occurs if you then try and move your number again, to another provider, as the number will revert back to BT.

I suspect that also happens with Sky. If you ported your Sky number to Virgin Media, and the try and port it to BT, the number will return to Sky as the number range holder.

Another complication is that BT exchanges are very old, and each has their own unique number range which is fixed. These exchanges date back to the 1980s, when British Telecom were the only phone provider, so number portability was not even considered. This should not affect Digital Voice, as it does not come from the exchange.

This fixed mapping of numbers places quite a few restrictions, one of the reasons why BT Digital Voice is being promoted, as that is not exchange dependant, and is purely a network routing issue, so in theory, should mean more number portability, although I expect there are still going to be geographical restrictions.

In your case, I wish you luck in persuading Sky to release your number to BT Retail, once its ceased by Virgin Media.