Plusnet to axe another major service with thousands of customers affected

10 April 2024 , 13:46

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Plusnet will no longer be offering home phone services from December 2025 (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Plusnet is shutting down its landline services for good in a move that will affect thousands of households.

The telecoms company, which is part of the BT Group, will no longer offer home phone services to customers once analogue services are switched off. This means customers of Plusnet will no longer have - or be able to have - a landline phone and will need to move to another provider to have one.

Currently, telecom providers including BT, Virgin Media, TalkTalk are in the process of switching off the copper-based phone lines across the UK. The deadline for the nationwide switch off is December 2025 and this is not a Government scheme but one proposed by the telecoms industry itself.

In the place, landlines will be run digitally and calls will be made using a broadband-powered alternative known as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). This service is used to power WhatsApp, FaceTime, and Facebook Messenger audio calls and will work by connecting to the back of your broadband router and BT Group said existing Plusnet customers can continue to use their existing home phone service until the switch off.

After this, those who want to keep a home phone service will be able to access exclusive deals and will be able to transition over to the digital service, whilst those who don't will be offered exclusive access to EE mobile deals. Customers will be able to transfer their landline number to the new service. Currently, new Plusnet customers can only sign up for broadband-only tariffs.

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The BT Group has not officially confirmed how many people will be affected by the move however said the number would be in the "thousands." Last year, Plusnet announced it was shutting down its mobile service to allow EE to become the BT Group's main mobile brand.

As of May 2023, customers were unable to open new mobile deals with Plusnet and customers with current deals have been allowed to switch penalty free - even if they are in mid-contract. Customers affected have also been offered exclusive mobile deals with EE. Plusnet has not confirmed when its mobile services will end but told the Mirror that it wanted the transition to be as "seamless" as possible.

Ruby Flanagan