SoGEA

peasblossom · Mar 17, 2025, 00:04:34

As FFTP is, according to Openreach, not coming round here till between now and Dec 2026 (I'm assuming later than sooner since we've been waiting that long thus far) I'm considering SoGEA.

If anyone made the switch, what's your experience? I'd want to go for the mobile redirection service, if possible.

peasblossom · Mar 17, 2025, 18:11:36

I ask in part because I tried ringing a landline number on my mobile and got cut off. Fine with my landline. (So landline to landline, not mobile to landline.) I'm a bit uneasy about switching now, though it'll have to be done at some point this year.

Arctophile · Mar 18, 2025, 10:14:37

I switched to SoGEA and telephone redirection earlier this year. The broadband transfer to SoGEA was seamless.

My telephone was still working on the morning after it was supposed to be redirected.
A quick phone call to IDNet (on my telephone line that was not supposed to be working) and the transfer to redirection happened about an hour later.

The first bills included time based charges for redirected calls. I pointed out to IDNet that 25 hours per month of transferred calls were supposed to be included in the service, I received an apology and the charges were removed.

The redirection to my VOIP line now works fine.

I shall shortly be porting my telephone number across to my VOIP provider and cancelling the redirection.

Simon · Mar 18, 2025, 10:53:55

Quote from: Arctophile on Mar 18, 2025, 10:14:37I shall shortly be porting my telephone number across to my VOIP provider and cancelling the redirection.

Sorry to hijack PB's thread, but can I ask which VoIP provider you're going to? I'm trying to decide for myself at the moment.

robinc · Mar 19, 2025, 07:06:51

Switched to SoGEA last year. It took a couple of weeks for speeds to step back up- didn't drop much but the connection profile does get re-set. No VOIP so cannot comment. Cannot see the point as mobile does Wifi calling just fine.

peasblossom · Mar 19, 2025, 10:55:41

Quote from: robinc on Mar 19, 2025, 07:06:51Switched to SoGEA last year. It took a couple of weeks for speeds to step back up- didn't drop much but the connection profile does get re-set. No VOIP so cannot comment. Cannot see the point as mobile does Wifi calling just fine.

Yeah, but I'd quite like to keep my landline phone number. ymmv, obviously.

Postal · Mar 23, 2025, 09:19:06

Quote from: peasblossom on Mar 19, 2025, 10:55:41Yeah, but I'd quite like to keep my landline phone number. ymmv, obviously.

You could always transfer your landline number to a VoIP provider, put their app on your mobile then receive calls to the landline number on your mobile.

Caveat: If your landline number is part of a package for phone and internet with your ISP, transferring the landline to a VoIP provider will cause the cancellation of your whole internet/phone package which may also involve early cancellation charges. You may be able to strike a deal with you ISP to change your package to internet only but you need to do the groundwork before any changes.

peasblossom · Mar 24, 2025, 01:10:54

I discussed that idea with IDNet a while back and it's not an option, since my broadband and phone are tied with one another. Note this is me thinking long term.

Postal · Mar 24, 2025, 09:10:14

Quote from: peasblossom on Mar 24, 2025, 01:10:54I discussed that idea with IDNet a while back and it's not an option, since my broadband and phone are tied with one another. Note this is me thinking long term.

Depends where you are in terms of contract length (which should not be a significant item if you are looking at long term plans). If IDNet would want to insist that you roll on with the same contract terms at the end of your current deal rather than allowing you to continue on an internet only deal then that would be a pointer that it would be time to find another provider.

peasblossom · Oct 01, 2025, 13:22:57

I've decided to go with SoGEA now but haven't got a clear answer as to when the 10 days starts. Is it 10 days before the date they give you or 10 days after? I'm hoping to switch my phone line to A+A so the timing is not unimportant.

nowster · Oct 01, 2025, 14:40:10

iDNet are suggesting that they'll be getting rid of PSTN service come December. Time to dust off one of my old Cisco/Sipura ATAs, I suppose.

Simon · Oct 01, 2025, 20:27:30

I've not heard anything official for my area yet.

zappaDPJ · Oct 01, 2025, 22:45:29

Quote from: Simon on Oct 01, 2025, 20:27:30I've not heard anything official for my area yet.

I believe that's the date OpenReach terminates its service contracts with providers. It's also the date given on iDNet's WLR Switch Off page (under 'When?')

QuoteThe final switch off will be in December 2025 with no orders for new WLR based services (PSTN, ISDN, FTTC, GFast) being accepted at any exchange after September 2023.

https://www.idnet.com/wlr-switchoff.php

Simon · Oct 01, 2025, 23:39:13

I suppose I'll have to migrate to UBOSS.

peasblossom · Oct 01, 2025, 23:46:20

iirc, when I rang IDNet this week, they said that from December BT could announce that your old copper reliant line was closing, giving you 30 days to move it over. They (IDNet - edit: although now I'm uncertain. It may have been A+A.) advised that it was better to do this sooner than later. That was certainly the gist of the conversation, whoever the advice was from.

nowster · Oct 02, 2025, 01:53:28

Quote from: Simon on Oct 01, 2025, 23:39:13I suppose I'll have to migrate to UBOSS.

I'll probably be moving us to A&A's VoIP offering, but first testing out the equipment with an existing SIPGate number I have in the same area code.

Incidentally, I found out that when an OpenReach engineer had replaced the master socket a little over a year ago, they'd only connected the blue/white and white/blue wires of the extension wiring. This meant that only the phone connected to the master socket (and the DECT handsets) would ring, and no other hard wired extension. (There's a separate wire, orange/white, for "bell" signalling on extension wiring.) Not good during power cuts.

It was only because of the potential for having to make the change to VoIP that I investigated what was behind the faceplate, and fixed it.

nowster · Oct 02, 2025, 01:57:08

And it looks like the WLR switchoff has been put back to the end of Jan 2027. IDNet haven't updated their info.

https://business.bt.com/insights/uk-pstn-switch-off/
https://www.wavenet.co.uk/blog/wlr-switch-off-delay-2027

Simon · Oct 02, 2025, 13:09:33

Quote from: nowster on Oct 02, 2025, 01:53:28I'll probably be moving us to A&A's VoIP offering, but first testing out the equipment with an existing SIPGate number I have in the same area code.

This is something I've been a little uncertain about. Can you have a different VoIP provider to your Broadband ISP? I seem to recall reading somewhere that if you take your number to another provider, the broadband has to go with it?

And how easy is it to switch VoIP providers? I'm thinking UBOSS is a one month contract, so if it doesn't perform as I'm hoping, I could switch?

nowster · Oct 02, 2025, 14:01:36

The data circuit is no longer tied to your phone number once you've gone to SoGEA or FTTP.

Also, at Dad's the copper pair phone line is physically separate (and billed separately) to the FTTP feed. It's up for contract renewal in December too.

Simon · Oct 02, 2025, 15:24:51

Thanks for that. Still think I'll hold out until I have to switch. Silly really, because the cost of UBOSS would be cheaper than that of my current PSTN line. It's just the functionality that concerns me.

peasblossom · Oct 02, 2025, 18:13:39

I emailed A+A about it and they got back to me so now I know exactly when I need to order Voip from them.

I'm less bothered about functionality than keeping my number, but I get the sense from what everyone's said that IDNet are a bit more specific/particular about what tech they want you to use than A+A are. My current landline phone is a dect, albeit a bit old. But the other reason for going with them is that it's even cheaper than UBOSS, at least for anyone who barely uses their landline, like me.

nowster · Oct 02, 2025, 22:57:58

Quote from: peasblossom on Oct 02, 2025, 18:13:39I emailed A+A about it and they got back to me so now I know exactly when I need to order Voip from them.

I'm less bothered about functionality than keeping my number, but I get the sense from what everyone's said that IDNet are a bit more specific/particular about what tech they want you to use than A+A are. My current landline phone is a dect, albeit a bit old. But the other reason for going with them is that it's even cheaper than UBOSS, at least for anyone who barely uses their landline, like me.

Similar! The situation for Dad is two hard-wired phones and a clutch of DECT handsets. I'll be bringing a ten year old Cisco/Sipura ATA out of the junk box initially, with potentially a new Grandstream HT801v2 to be ordered if it doesn't work well.

I have the necessary bits and bobs to connect the existing extension cabling to the ATA (old master socket, some RJ11 plugs and phone cable).

The other reason for holding on to the copper landline so far is that big storms knock out the electric supply. Last winter both Darragh and Eowyn left us for several days with no leccy. The current UPS only lasts about three hours.

I now have the kit to run the router (USB C @5V), Wifi AP (USB C @5V) and ONT (12V barrel jack using a USB PD converter cable) off USB C power bricks which, although a manual system, should last much longer.