Copper pair

Single contact for bills

We are one supplier providing the whole service. This can be helpful as accounts departments in large companies are fond of cutting off random single phone lines if they do not know what they are for. Being on the broadband bill avoids the problem. It also helps put the bill in the right budget.

Whilst the copper pair is provided for broadband only use, it is normally listed separately on the bill. The copper pair is billed from the date it is provided even if the broadband is not yet provided, and billed to the date it is ceased (or migrated) even if the broadband has already ceased. The copper pair has no minimum term. We do not generally offer copper pairs without an associated broadband service.

Single contact for faults

This also provides one point of contact for any fault with the services. This is useful as normally faults have to be classified as voice or broadband at the start and reported to the voice provider or us accordingly. Having one point of contact means we have to sort it either way.

Keeping your number

Many people see using a copper pair for actual telephony as somewhat antiquated and would like to move the copper pair to us for broadband but move their number to Voice over IP. Normally moving a number to VoIP kills the phone line and broadband, but we can do this without a break in service. This only works where the number is originally a BT number, not ported from another provider.

When ordering broadband, or if you have broadband from us you can order a phone line take over, you are offered the option to take over the line and port the number. The process then works like this...

• We set up the number on our VoIP system right away, this will allow you to make calls via VoIP using your number. You can still make and receive calls on the phone line.
• Once the phone line moves to us (which normally takes 2 weeks) you will no longer be able to make calls on the line, but can do so by VoIP. Incoming calls will come in on the phone line still. At this point any incoming call features you had on the line, like Caller Display will be lost.
• Finally, once the number port is complete (can take a further 2 weeks) the incoming calls start to come in via VoIP instead of the phone line.

A good way to manage this is to get something like the Gigaset DECT phone base and handset as this can work on VoIP but still connect to the phone line to allow incoming calls on the line until the process is complete. You should remember to program it to send any 999 calls to VoIP though, and ensure you have set the 999 address details on our control pages.