Upgraded to VoIP with FTTC connection, No voicemail or Call Divert?

[jonny_dixon]

Hi all I’m pretty annoyed that Vodafone have upgraded me to Fiber 2, from Super-fast 2 last week, they failed to inform me that you cannot get call forwarding or voicemail on VoIP. Pretty big thing to not inform me about, our landline is our business phone so now if we are not home the phone just rings out, no option to forward calls or even set up a voicemail. It's 2023 how is this an upgrade?

So tonight i've sent 2 hour 30 mins on the phone between technical support, cancelations and the return departments asking them to put me on my previous plan, here's what they said.

• We are working on call forwarding and voicemail, sometime before 2025.
• We can't put you back on your old plan as the copper wire's don't work anymore (they do as i am on FTTC)
• If we cancel the upgrade it won't put you back on your old plan it will just cancel this number. 

So I’m now left with a home phone with no call forwarding or voicemail in 2023, no option to go back to my old plan that should still work as my house is connected to the cabinet via copper wire and as far as im aware won't be changing for a long while as we are pretty remote.  

• Does anyone know if there is any 3rd party company’s that offer call forwarding or voicemail on my Vodafone line?
• There was mention of a house phone that could facilitate voicemail, has anyone heard of this?
• Does anyone know of any other providers who are still offering a phone line through copper wire?
• Is it just Vodafone who isn’t offering these services for VoIP?
• Where do i stand with complaining, there is nothing in the terms about this service no longer being offered.

[Jayach]

A lot of queries there, I won't try to answer them yet, but why were you transferred from FTTC on Superfast 2 to .FTTC on Fibre 2?

I ask as I'm on Superfast2 2, and would not like to lose my PSTN phone connection

[jonny_dixon]

I was out of contract and they called me up to renewew it with a lower price, i was told my phone would be the same just all done over the internet, and Superfast 2 is no longer its called Fiber 1/2 now.

[Jayach]

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@jonny_dixon wrote:

Superfast 2 is no longer its called Fiber 1/2 now.

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I know it has changed it's name when you sign up, but that's not what my plan says. 

[Jayach]

Ofcom/Openreach are pressuring the ISPs to move everyone to digital voice, and so once you have been moved I can understand why Vodafone won't want to move you back. (possibly they can't as the service used no longer includes the landline)

As I understand it, they just pay for the line and add the phone service on top, that way it is cheaper for them, hence probably why they can offer you a better price.

@jonny_dixon wrote:

• Does anyone know if there is any 3rd party company’s that offer call forwarding or voicemail on my Vodafone line?
• Yes, any VoIP provider can do that
• There was mention of a house phone that could facilitate voicemail, has anyone heard of this?
• Any DECT Phone with Answering Machine can do that.
• Does anyone know of any other providers who are still offering a phone line through copper wire?
• Now are the only one I know, there may be others.
• Is it just Vodafone who isn’t offering these services for VoIP?
• BT offer a comprehensive list of options for their phone service. Don't know about the others.
• Where do i stand with complaining, there is nothing in the terms about this service no longer being offered.
• It is definitely stated that it is not provided on Full Fibre, but as far as it can see no mention of not being provided on digital voice over FTTC, although as it is the same VoIP service as FTTP, it stands to reason.

[MarkWeinreb]

@jonny_dixon In addition to what @Jayach said, you don’t have to use a DECT phone to get voicemail (answerphone). I have a corded Panasonic phone which has an answerphone built in. When Vodafone switched me to digital voice on Dec 28, I just unplugged the phone from the master socket and plugged it into the router using the supplied adapter.

[Jayach]

@MarkWeinreb is right, it doesn't have to be DECT.

Mine is, because I like the convenience of having the handsets where I want them, without wiring.

[jonny_dixon]

Going to have to cancel my broadband and phone line and move to another servicem how can vodafone offer a upgrade with no call divert or voicemail it's 2023. 

[Jayach]

Shame you feel you have to cancel over the landline provision.

Yes, it is 2023, and many people just want fast/cheap broadband, the landline is secondary or totally not important at all.

Do research what you will get with the new supplier, and do let us know what you decide and how it goes.

Good luck.

[jonny_dixon]

People also need call divert and voicemail for when they leave the house, we are supposed to be going forward's not backward's!