New landline installation

[Anonymous User]

I am hoping to sign up to Now Broadband, which includes a free landline and calls. I already have a landline, but the sign-up process says we need a new one and an engineer needs to visit. Can anyone please advise what this involves? Do they need to lift floorboards/dig up the driveway etc? Our current landline is with Virgin. Thanks.

[schnapps]

Hi @Anonymous User 

I think i read somewhere if the old Virgin telephone socket had VM stamped on it, then you would need a new BT landline fitted with a new BT Master telephone socket.

I might be wrong (never used or seen Virgin Media in action) but again i think i read somewhere if the socket had VM / BT on the casing then it could be used over BT.

Saying what is involved by the BT Openreach Engineer is tricky and each property has different obstacles to overcome.

With my BT / NOW landline there is a telephone street pole directly outside my home about 10m away, where the small cable comes across from the pole at high level to the end wall of the face roof gutter, then clipped down the end wall over the side extension of the house into the corner of my Living Room.

My installation involved a small single hole through a external double skin brick cavity wall which was simple and clean.

Though each property will be different.

[Anonymous User]

If you do switch to Now, you will need to cancel the Virgin yourself, it won't happen automatically, unlike switching between Openreach provided  suppliers.

However before you make up your mind, take a look at this MSE post, you may be able to get an improved deal with Virgin.

Virgin Media offers automatic discounts to customers waiting on hold and seeking a price cut - but w...

Never take the first deal they offer. Use the price you will pay Now as a haggling point, plus see what they are charging new customers. If you can't get them down to the price you want, say you need to think about it/talk to the partner, and then call back again later, they may drop it some more.