Ongoing Issue Porting a Number from TalkTalk to BT Digital Voice – Need Help

[Stanbury24]

Hi, I’m hoping someone from BT can assist or escalate this.

I’ve been trying for several weeks to port a landline number from TalkTalk to my BT Digital Voice service, and despite repeated attempts and confirmations from BT’s internal teams, the port has still not been actioned.

Here’s a summary of the situation:

The number in question originally belonged to BT but was later moved to TalkTalk.

The TalkTalk account is still active and the current account holder fully authorises the port.

I contacted BT initially and was told the number couldn’t be ported while still active. However, Ofcom regulations clearly state this isn’t the case — a number can be ported as long as the current holder authorises it.

I escalated this to BT’s Network Provisioning Support Centre (NPSC) and received confirmation that the MNUM records were outdated and needed correction.

A BT representative from NPSC (Madhura S) later confirmed that the MNUM records have now been corrected, the prefix is correct, and Openreach’s systems are fully updated.

I was advised to now “place a new port order,” but I’ve hit a wall trying to do that.

BT customer care doesn’t accept email contact.

The porting team doesn’t place orders directly.

There is no working online form to submit a port request.

I’ve received no further responses despite follow-ups.

The losing provider (TalkTalk) has already placed a note on the account confirming the port is authorised and should not be blocked or cancelled.

I’m now stuck — everything is ready for the port to happen, but there appears to be no clear way to submit the actual order in writing.

I would prefer to avoid calling, as I need a written record of what’s happening due to previous miscommunications.

Can anyone from BT help get this port request raised or escalate this to someone who can handle it properly?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[iniltous]

Are you wanting to ‘renumber’ your existing BTDV phone number to this TT number ? , if that’s the case this isn’t a traditional number port , that is where a customer is moving providers and wants to bring the number with them onto a new  service , what you want is a renumber to a specific number that BT are not in control of , no wonder this isn’t working out .
Solution potentially is to order a BT second line , with that order noting that you want to keep the number you have currently with TT , in effect your existing BT service is irrelevant, this has an added benefit of ceasing your TT service  , you would then cease your existing (original ) BT service including the BTDV number you don’t want , and start to use the new ‘line’ with the imported TT number via BTDV  , or probably a better option , engage a traditional VoIP supplier to port your number away from TT , you then access this via the regular VoIP method , an ATA that they or you provide or a telephone instrument that has an in built ATA , that you connect to the BT router , you then have two numbers, the current one with BT via the SH2 and the one you want via an ATA and VoIP supplier….you could then , if you see fit , reduce your BT service to broadband only , the only difference is you don’t use the SH2 phone socket .

At the moment you want to subvert what the porting process was designed for and are compounding that complication by wanting this to be done via letter .

[Stanbury24]

So the full picture is this..

My family and I moved in with my mother inlaw.

When we moved i spoke to BT about bringing my part-fibre service with me and connecting it to a 2nd line, to run alongside my mother inlaws talktalk service (the landline number in question)..

I had two visits from openreach and various calls with BT.

At no point during the entire process did either company mention that it's not possible to have two seperate isps servicing the same property.

When openreach made the connection , they removed my mother inlaws service from the property , amd connected my broadband service.

Leaving her service in limbo.

She's 70 years old and has had the number for 40 years , whilst it seems trivial to me ,.it holds huge sentimental value to her.

If we go down the traditional route of her setting up a new contract with BT , then there is no 100% guarantee that she will be able to retain that number.

Because I've now become the NAd key holder , she doesn't have the power to do that , as it just gets cancelled at BTs end..

Now I think ypu can appreciate that this has become extremely stressful to deal with through no fault of our own , but incompetence from BT and openreach when initially placing the order.

I was explicitly clear what I wanted .

There should have been no room for confusion or crossing of wires.

Although it's not normally done this way , it should still be possible. 

We've done everything our end to make it feasible.

We just need someone , who can appreciate the complexity of the problem at hand.

And also be knowledgeable to help find a solution.

Thankyou for your response.

[Stanbury24]

Bottome line is Ofcom regulations do not require the number to be in your name — only that the request is authorised by the current holder
Of which my MIL has notified TT and they've placed a note on her account.

[iniltous]

It is possible to have two services in one property , but obviously that to be needs stressed at the point of order,  preferably getting the provider to confirm repeatedly that they understand that it’s a brand new install alongside an existing service , and not replacing it , obviously we can’t know what you said to BT and what BT said to you .

I’d suggest your BT service took over  your MIL’s TT service, even if that wasn’t what you wanted , and if that’s what the order Openreach received said , then OR were simply doing what the job required , and if that’s the case then that TT service for good , and so has TT claim to the number if it were not a TT number originally and was ported from BT at some point in the past.

Openreach cannot cease anyone’s working service without an explicit order from the CP , if they disconnected the TT service in error , to get your  BT service in ( that’s assuming your order  didn’t inadvertently replace your MIL service with TT , with your BT service ) , this is easily checked , call TT and ask if the MILs account is still open , if it is , report the TT service faulty to TT and get them to micromanage the ‘repair’ , which would be Openreach restoring the active TT service it disconnected alongside your BT service , obviously thats only going to be possible if TT say they do have an active account with the appropriate number for your MIL (I don’t think they do ) 

Your take on what a NAD is and your interpretation of number port rules are not necessarily accurate, and irrelevant anyway , and TBH something of a distraction.

If your MILs TT service is ceased (I think it is )  the number gets returned to BT as the range holder by Talk Talk , as it was originally a BT number before TT had it ported to them , it goes into quarantine for a period and then can be reallocated to new BT business if BT want to do that or it can remain as a ‘spare’ number …you can ask for your BTDV number to be renumbered to that returned BT number after the quarantine period has expired , but there is no compulsion for BT to consider it , especially as you have no connection to it ,as far as BT are concerned , irrespective of it being a relatives old number.

FWIW using a term like portability if the number is back with BT will only lead to further confusion.

You state BT and Openreach are at fault , thats only true if you stressed at the point of ordering that you wanted a second separate line alongside the TT one , and if you were not charged a full installation fee for that second line  personally I’d have had the alarm bells ringing as if there were no charge it was always going to be a takeover of the existing service because in most cases that’s what is required and second lines don’t get installed for free as there may be considerable work to get a second service, especially if it’s an underground service area .

Approaching a VoIP provider with the wanted number is by far and a way the simplest solution to try , if a VoIP provider can get the number , great , it’s not difficult to access that number via your broadband once it ‘belongs’ to a third party VoIP provider , if the VoIP provider says can’t be done , that’s pretty much the end to it , after cessation a ceased number is held available to port for 30 days , if those 30 days have expired then a VoIP provider may have no success either 

[Stanbury24]

Her service is still active .

Just not connected to the property.

She's still being charged monthly , still has access to the account ,with the number tied to that TT service.

I was very clear about what I required.

They even came and dug up the pavement to connect a 2nd line

Bt state that because the property is one single address , you can't have x2 broadband connections .. that's not my interpretation,.as you put it, but BTs interpretation.

I asked for a seperate broadband connection,.under a seperate account holder , in the same address as an active service.

They had every opportunity to tell me this wasn't feasible.

Instead they went ahead and created a monumental problem

I don't want a voip service,.just a simple Porting of numbers.

I'm not planning at being at the property for more than 12 months ,.adding extra services is just more of a headache tbh.

[tonysmini018]

Is the new service full fibre?

[Stanbury24]

Fttc copper to the house.

[iniltous]

TBH , I can’t really see why this is such an issue , your MIL has a ‘contract’ with TT , and Openreach are contractually obliged to provide service to TT for their customer, there isn’t any wriggle room here , faulty lines , however the fault was created, have to be ‘repaired’ even in odd circumstances like this where the fault presumably on the TT service was a deliberate act by Openreach in providing the BT service on the TT ‘pair’ instead of providing a second pair for the BT service .
Talk Talk should be on OR’s case to provide (actually restore) the service OR are contractually obliged to deliver….the weird things is why are you so involved and posting here ,this has nothing to do with BT , even if BT were to be the second service into the property, they weren’t responsible for OR apparently disconnecting TT’s service …secondly what was all the porting nonsense if this is simply a case that for reasons not yet known , instead of providing a second line for the BT service while maintaining the TT service, something presumably accepted by all parties can’t dispute, TT are talking cash for a service , OR don’t have a choice to not restore it , plus at around £10 a day compensation they will be paying TT it’s not even cost effective to ignore their responsibility, your MIL is also entitled to compensation, and if TT are a member of the Ofcom automatic compensation scheme the compensation is significant .

Given that the TT service is still active from TT point of view all that’s really required is for your MIL to insist that TT provide what she pays for , the onus is then on TT to insist that OR supply what TT are paying Openreach for , this really requires your MIL to insist TT get OR to deal with this , it’s not your job or even your MIL’s job to chase OR , that’s what TT should be doing .

FWIW , BT have no visibility of what Openreach are asked to provide by other CP’s (Communication Providers ) this issue has nothing to do with BT , they have no ‘say’ in the relationship between OR and TT , if BT say you can’t have two services  , they are wrong , but more to  the point , who is asking even for their opinion ?

[Stanbury24]

BT are wrong by stating that we cannot have x2 isps providing seperate connections simultaneously into one postal address ? 

Can you provide any evidence to back that up? 

I'm not savvy in that area , so would like to present that to them.

That way this issue could be resolved.

She could have her service alongside ours..

She wanted to leave talktalk , but she cannot set up a new account in this property because that Nad key is tied to me (that's what they told me)

Talktalk (I'm assuming you're not knowledgeable in dealing with them)

Are an absolute nightmare to deal with .

I took it upon myself to help because my MiL is old and vulnerable. And her partner whom she lost a few years back , would normally deal with all this.

They won't just reconnect her service and state that it would require a fresh order.

But then cut you off , or pass you on.

BT caused the issue , by initially passing on info that was not correct.

Just wanted a little advice.