SOFT CEASE GUIDANCE - Register your interest at the bottom of this page.
This 'soft cease' option has been the output of protracted negotiations with Openreach. In our opinion, it does not go far enough to meet the needs of our customers. However, it is now clear this is as far as they are prepared to go, so we have launched this to our customers as the best that can be done in the circumstances.
- This option is only available if your business has less than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than £45m.
ANALOGUE MULTILINE, ISDN2, ISDN30DASS and ISDN30e
This “soft cease” option has been the output of protracted negotiations with Openreach. Openreach has capped the number of services that can be hibernated to 20% of our base, therefore availability is on a First Come First Served basis.
The impact of doing this:
- No inbound our outbound calls will be possible during the disconnection period
- Any existing diverts or voicemail messages will be lost
- Any over the top services solely reliant on the service will cease to operate
- Callers to the number will receive an out of service tone
Conditions Apply
- If you have any outstanding debt we will expect this to be cleared in 6 x monthly payments to equal the total debt at point of disconnection (eg £300 debt = 6 x payments by DD of £50)
- We will pause all contracts and stop charging line rental or bundle rental and any other services for the period of disconnection (up to 91 days) or reconnection – whichever is sooner
- Billing will recommence following the 91 days’ disconnection period.
- The line will remain out of service until you instruct us to reconnect it
- At the point of reconnection a £55 one off reconnection charge will be due.
- At the point of reconnection your existing contract will be extended by the number of months you have been disconnected for.
- Any other over the top service that ceases to operate will be entirely at your risk.
SINGLE ANALOGUE LINES ONLY
The impact of doing this
- No inbound or outbound calls will be possible during the disconnection period
- Any existing diverts or voicemail messages will be lost.
- Redcare and other over the top services solely reliant on the line will cease to operate.
- Callers to the number will receive an out of service tone
- The permanent loss of any broadband service (from any supplier) connected over the line. If it is required to be added in the future it will be a new provide and subject to charges as such.
- The scheme excludes charges to re-apply select services (e.g. Smart Divert), so those costs will be passed through to you.
- There is no guarantee that the original line will still be available when you want to reconnect.
- Copper connections in street cabinet may have been reused.
- There is no guarantee that your original number will be available when you want to reconnect.
- If you have FTTC on your line, there is no guarantee that there will be available FTTC capacity when you want to reconnect.
- Failure to restart the line by the 30th September 2020 will result in early termination fees associated with the line being charged
Conditions apply
- Only applies to lines hibernated by 30th June 2020
- If you have any outstanding debt we will expect this to be cleared in 6 x monthly payments to equal the total debt at point of disconnection (eg £300 debt = 6 x payments by DD of £50)
- We will pause all contracts and stop charging line rental or bundle rental and any other services for the period of disconnection up to 30 Sept 2020 or reconnection – whichever is sooner
- At the point of reconnection, a £55 one off reconnection charge will be due.
- At the point of reconnection, your existing contract will be extended by the number of months you have been disconnected for.
- We will make reasonable endeavours to reconnect your service as quickly as possible and retain numbers and copper pairs previously used by you. As this is an Openreach service we may in some circumstances not be able to do this and you must accept this is a risk of proceeding.
- Any other over the top service that ceases to operate will be entirely at your risk.