Digital Voice Number Retention on Home Move

[Eranou]

Good morning

I’m hoping for some advice for an issue with a home move and existing digital voice number retention. 

I moved back to BT for broadband and telephone around a month ago, retaining our current telephone number with the new digital voice service. The number has been used with this property for approximately 85 years, being the second number in our village after the police station and consequently is important to me. 

We are moving to anorher village in a different exchange area on the 1st July and i had hoped to keep the number, as i understood this could be done since digital voice numbers are not attached to the exchange any more. But everyone i’ve spoken to is telling me orherwise, even though the service at the new property is also digital voice!

I have spoken to the home move team, sales team and a manager. I’m hoping that someone on the forums may be able to offer some advice, as i have seen in another post a user in the north east of England who experienced the same issue and someone from BT retentions was able to help them by porting the number and re-attaching the number afterwards. 

Many thanks in advance

Richard

[jac_95]

Hi Eranou,

Thanks for the post and welcome to the Community.

This is an automated response as I can see you have a question about BT’s Digital Voice service. Rather than waiting for a response from the Community, you may find an answer to your question by using the search bar on the Community homepage. We also have a thread that contains a wealth of info related to BT’s Digital Voice, click this link to take a look, Digital Voice FAQs.

To learn more about the nationwide change to this Internet based voice service visit landlinesgo.digital

If you have already looked for the answer to your question and have not found anything that can help, then please ignore this message. One of our Community members will be along shortly to help you further.

[Eranou]

Please could a moderator contact me regarding this issue, i have been given so much conflicting information by BT agents that i would just like to check properly before accepting that a new number must be allocated.

Thank you.

[Devon_Dave]

You could port the number across to a VOIP supplier. I use Sipgate. The number could then be used anywhere in the UK.  With any broadband supplier

[Eranou]

Thanks Dave

I had considered voip, but my understanding was that digital voice was not attached to any exchange, so could easily be moved to any other area. My old number has already been moved to digital voice over a month ago. 

[licquorice]

From a technical perspective that is true, however, I wonder if BT are trying to keep the DV number to be still associated with the geographic area it belonged to as an analogue number for other reasons.

[Eranou]

Yes, i agree, it does sound very much like this is the case. They seem very reluctant to allow cross area moves for some reason. If the computer says no, that appears to be the end of the matter!  Such a shame when you have been using the same number dor ao many years, i guess it’s more sentimental than a necessity that i would like to keep the number.