Can You Keep Your Landline When Switching to Rise Fibre?
If you’re switching to Rise Fibre, you may be wondering what happens to your existing landline number. The good news is that changing your broadband doesn’t necessarily mean giving up a phone number you may have had for 20, 30 or even 40 years.
The usual solution is to move, or port, your existing number to a VoIP home phone service. VoIP simply means your calls are carried over your internet connection rather than the old telephone network. Importantly, this also means your phone number doesn’t have to stay tied to your old broadband provider.
In this guide, we’ll explain whether Rise Fibre offers a home phone service, how to keep your existing landline number, when to arrange the transfer, and the mistakes that can cause a number to be lost. We’ll also explain how Plexatalk can provide your home phone service alongside a Rise Fibre broadband connection.
Moving to Rise Fibre? Explore Plexatalk VoIP for Home and keep your existing landline number.
Does Rise Fibre Offer a Landline or Home Phone Service?
Rise Fibre is primarily a full-fibre broadband provider. Unlike older broadband services, full fibre doesn’t rely on the traditional copper telephone line coming into your home. Instead, the connection is delivered using fibre-optic cable, so a traditional landline isn’t needed for the broadband itself.
That doesn’t mean you have to give up having a home phone.
If you’re one of the TalkTalk customers being transferred directly to Rise Fibre and you already have a landline service, TalkTalk currently says that you’ll keep your existing phone number as part of the move.
For customers choosing Rise Fibre separately, however, it’s important to check exactly what services are included with the package available at your address. Rise Fibre’s main broadband offering is centred on full fibre, and the services available can vary depending on your home and network.
The important thing to remember is that your broadband and home phone no longer have to come from the same company. You can use Rise Fibre for your internet connection while an independent VoIP provider supplies your home phone service.
That’s where services such as Plexatalk come in: your existing landline number can be moved to a VoIP service and used over your new fibre broadband connection.
Can You Keep Your Existing Landline Number With Rise Fibre?
Yes. In most cases, an eligible existing landline number can be transferred to a VoIP provider, so you can move to Rise Fibre without having to give up the home phone number you’ve used for years.
This is known as number porting. Your existing telephone number is transferred from your current phone provider to a VoIP provider such as Plexatalk. Once everything is set up, your home phone calls work over your new internet connection rather than the old telephone line.
The important part is getting the timing right.
We recommend arranging your move to Rise Fibre first. Once Rise Fibre has given you a confirmed installation or go-live date, you can sign up for Plexatalk and give us that date. We can then arrange the transfer of your existing phone number around your move.
That means you can keep the same number your friends, family and other contacts already know, rather than having to tell everyone you’ve changed it.
Important: Don’t cancel your existing landline yourself before your number has been successfully transferred.
Cancelling too early can cause the number to be ceased, which may make it difficult or sometimes impossible to recover. Arrange your Rise Fibre installation first, then let Plexatalk handle the number porting process.
Moving From TalkTalk to Rise Fibre? What Happens to Your Landline?
If you’ve been told that your TalkTalk account is moving to Rise Fibre, you may be wondering what happens to your landline and the phone number you’ve had for years.
For customers being transferred from TalkTalk to Rise Fibre, the current advice is reassuring: if you have a landline service, TalkTalk says you’ll keep your existing phone number. You shouldn’t need to cancel anything or make changes simply because your account is being transferred.
However, if you’re making a separate change to your broadband or want to move your TalkTalk landline number to an independent VoIP service, it’s worth getting the timing right.
Before cancelling or changing your existing telephone service, find out exactly what is happening with your Rise Fibre connection and your current phone service. If you’re arranging a new Rise Fibre installation, we recommend waiting until you have a confirmed installation or go-live date.
Once you have that date, you can sign up with Plexatalk and tell us when your Rise Fibre service is due to go live. We can then arrange to move your existing TalkTalk number to Plexatalk, where your home phone will work over your internet connection.
Don’t cancel your TalkTalk landline yourself before the number has been successfully transferred. Doing so could cause the number to be ceased and make it much harder to recover.
With the move handled in the right order, you can have Rise Fibre for your broadband and Plexatalk for your home phone, while keeping the landline number people already know.
Important: Don’t Lose Your Number When Moving to Rise Fibre
If keeping your existing landline number is important to you, the order in which you move your services matters.
The biggest mistake is cancelling your existing broadband or telephone service too early. Don’t assume that simply ordering Rise Fibre will automatically protect your old phone number. If the existing phone service is cancelled and the number is ceased before a transfer has been arranged, it can become much more difficult to get that number back.
We recommend arranging your move to Rise Fibre first and waiting until you have a confirmed installation or go-live date.
Once you know when your Rise Fibre connection will be activated, sign up with Plexatalk and give us the date. We can then arrange the number port at the appropriate time and guide you through what happens next.
Until then, keep your existing landline service active and don’t cancel it yourself. This is particularly important if your current broadband and home phone are supplied together as part of the same package.
A simple way to remember the order is:
Arrange Rise Fibre → Get your go-live date → Sign up with Plexatalk → Give us the date → We arrange the number transfer.
Following those steps gives you the best chance of moving smoothly to full-fibre broadband while keeping the home phone number you already know.
Why Use an Independent VoIP Provider With Rise Fibre?
Moving to Rise Fibre can be a good opportunity to separate your home phone from your broadband provider.
The simplest way to think about it is:
Rise Fibre provides your broadband. Plexatalk provides your home phone service.
For TalkTalk customers in particular, this can make sense if you’ve had the same landline number for many years and would rather not have it tied to whichever company happens to provide your broadband.
By moving an eligible number to Plexatalk, your number stays with your VoIP service. If you decide to change broadband provider again in the future, you won’t necessarily need to move your phone number at the same time. As long as you have a suitable internet connection, your Plexatalk service can continue separately.
You can keep the familiar number that friends and family already use, while gaining more flexibility over how you receive calls. Depending on your setup, VoIP can also let you use your home number on different compatible devices and provide useful calling features that weren’t always available with a traditional landline.
For customers moving away from TalkTalk, it’s a chance to make this broadband change the last time your home phone number needs to move with your internet provider.
Your broadband can change in the future. Your home phone number doesn’t have to change with it.
Can You Still Use Your Existing Home Phones With Rise Fibre?
In many cases, yes. Moving to Rise Fibre and a VoIP home phone service doesn’t necessarily mean replacing the telephones you already have.
If you have a traditional corded phone or a cordless DECT phone with a base station, you can usually connect it to VoIP using a small device called an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter).
The adapter simply sits between your existing telephone and your broadband router. It allows an ordinary home phone to make and receive calls using your Plexatalk VoIP service instead of the old telephone line.
Plexatalk can supply a pre-configured Grandstream HT802 adapter for £50. We set it up for you, so when it arrives you don’t need to understand SIP accounts or complicated VoIP settings. Connect the adapter to your router, plug your existing phone or DECT base station into it, and you’re ready to use your Plexatalk home phone service.
You can also use a dedicated VoIP phone, or we can provide details for using a compatible VoIP app on a smartphone if that suits you better.
For many customers moving from TalkTalk to Rise Fibre, though, the simplest option is also the most familiar: keep your existing phone, keep your existing number, and let the adapter take care of the technical bit.
What Happens During a Power Cut or Rise Fibre Outage?
There is one important difference between a traditional landline and a VoIP home phone that you should be aware of.
VoIP uses your internet connection to make and receive calls. Your Rise Fibre broadband therefore needs to be working, and your router and VoIP equipment need electricity.
If there is a power cut, your router and Plexatalk adapter may switch off, so calls through your home phone won’t work until power is restored. Similarly, if your Rise Fibre broadband connection goes down, your home VoIP service may be temporarily unavailable through that connection.
There are, however, ways to make your home phone setup more resilient.
Plexatalk can forward calls to a mobile, so you can still receive calls away from your home phone. A compatible VoIP app can also be used on a smartphone and, where configured correctly, can work over mobile data if your home broadband is unavailable.
Another option is a small UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). This provides temporary battery power to equipment such as your broadband router and Plexatalk adapter during a power cut.
If reliable access to a phone is particularly important in your household, speak to us about the best setup for your needs.
Step-by-Step: Switch to Rise Fibre and Keep Your Landline Number
If you want to move to Rise Fibre but keep your existing home phone number, getting things in the right order is important. Here’s the process we recommend.
Step 1: Arrange your Rise Fibre broadband
Start by arranging your move to Rise Fibre. Wait until you have confirmation of your installation or broadband go-live date, as Plexatalk will need to know when your new connection is expected to be working.
Step 2: Keep your existing broadband and phone service active
Don’t cancel your existing landline yourself. Your number needs to remain active while the transfer is being arranged. Cancelling too early could result in the number being ceased.
Step 3: Sign up for Plexatalk
Choose the Plexatalk home VoIP package that suits you and tell us that you want to keep your existing landline number.
Step 4: Give Plexatalk your Rise Fibre date
Tell us when your Rise Fibre service is due to go live. We can use this information when arranging your number port and advise you on the timing of the transfer.
Step 5: Decide how you’ll use your home phone
If you want to keep your existing telephone or DECT cordless phones, Plexatalk can supply a pre-configured Grandstream HT802 VoIP adapter for £50. Alternatively, you can use compatible VoIP equipment or a smartphone app.
Step 6: Get your Rise Fibre broadband working
On installation day, make sure your new Rise Fibre connection and router are up and running. Your Plexatalk home phone service needs an internet connection to work.
Step 7: Transfer your number to Plexatalk
Plexatalk will arrange the agreed number port from your existing telephone provider. Keep your old service active until the port has completed and follow any instructions we give you during the switch.
Step 8: Carry on using your existing number
Once the port is complete and your equipment is connected, you can make and receive calls through Plexatalk over your Rise Fibre broadband.
Your broadband has changed, but to the people calling you, your home phone number can stay exactly the same.
Rise Fibre Landline FAQs
Does Rise Fibre include a landline?
Rise Fibre is focused on full-fibre broadband, which doesn’t require a traditional copper telephone line. The exact services available can depend on your package and how you’re moving to Rise Fibre. If you need a home phone, you can also use an independent VoIP service such as Plexatalk alongside your Rise Fibre broadband.
Can I keep my phone number when moving to Rise Fibre?
Yes, in most cases an eligible landline number can be transferred to a VoIP provider through a process called number porting. With Plexatalk, you can keep your existing number and use it for calls over your Rise Fibre internet connection.
What happens to my TalkTalk landline when moving to Rise Fibre?
If TalkTalk has told you that your service is being transferred to Rise Fibre, don’t cancel or change anything without first checking what is happening to your phone service. TalkTalk currently says customers being transferred who have a landline service will keep their existing phone number.
Can I transfer my TalkTalk number to Plexatalk?
In most cases, an eligible TalkTalk landline number can be ported to Plexatalk. If you’re also moving to Rise Fibre, arrange your broadband first. Once you have your Rise Fibre installation or go-live date, sign up with Plexatalk and give us the details so we can arrange the number transfer.
Can I use my existing telephone with Rise Fibre?
Usually, yes. A traditional corded phone or DECT cordless base station can normally be connected to Plexatalk using an Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA). Plexatalk offers a pre-configured Grandstream HT802 adapter for £50, allowing you to continue using your familiar home phone over VoIP.
When should I port my landline number?
We recommend arranging Rise Fibre first and waiting until you have a confirmed installation or go-live date. Then sign up with Plexatalk and give us that date so the number port can be arranged appropriately. Don’t cancel your existing landline yourself before the transfer is complete.
Will porting my number cancel my old broadband?
It can affect existing services where your broadband and telephone are linked, so this needs to be handled carefully. Don’t assume you can port or cancel one service without affecting another. Tell Plexatalk about your broadband move and existing provider so the number transfer can be planned correctly.
Can I keep my number if I leave Rise Fibre later?
Yes. One advantage of keeping your home phone with an independent VoIP provider such as Plexatalk is that it isn’t tied to Rise Fibre. If you change broadband provider again, your Plexatalk phone service can usually continue over the new internet connection without needing to move your number again.
The UK Landline Switch-Off and Rise Fibre
The way home phone services work in the UK is changing. Traditional telephone services delivered over the old copper network are being replaced by newer digital services, with more calls now being carried over an internet connection using VoIP.
That’s particularly relevant when moving to a full-fibre provider such as Rise Fibre. Full fibre brings the internet connection directly into your home using fibre-optic cable, rather than relying on the old copper telephone line. As a result, broadband and home phone services no longer need to be supplied together in the way many of us have been used to.
For customers who still want a home phone, VoIP provides a practical replacement. Your familiar telephone number can be transferred to an internet-based phone service and used over your broadband connection.
Using an independent provider such as Plexatalk also means your phone number can be kept separate from your broadband provider. If you decide to move away from Rise Fibre in the future, you can change your broadband without necessarily having to move your home phone number again.
Keep Your Landline Number When Moving to Rise Fibre
Switching to Rise Fibre doesn’t mean you have to lose a landline number you’ve had for years.
The key is to get the timing right: arrange your Rise Fibre broadband first, keep your existing phone service and number active, and then arrange the number port with Plexatalk once you have your Rise Fibre installation or go-live date.
With Plexatalk, your home phone service can be kept separate from your broadband provider. You can keep your familiar number, continue using your existing phone with an adapter if needed, and take your number with you even if you change broadband providers again in the future.
Moving to Rise Fibre? Explore Plexatalk VoIP for Home and keep your existing landline number.