Changing ADSL providers - how long? Factoring in another issue...

If I move from plus.net to, say, BT Business broadband, how much
downtime can I expect during the migration?

To further complicate matters, I currently have two telephone lines:
one with NTL and one with BT. Plus.net is obviously on the BT line.
However, I want to drop the NTL line but port the NTL telephone number
over to the BT line. BT tell me this can happen overnight, but "ADSL
would then have to be activated on the new line, taking around 5
days". Is this really the case? Does anyone know if there's a way to
optimise the migration of ADSL and the porting of the 'phone number?

TIA

ps
The hyperobservant of you may have noticed I recently posted asking
questions about moving from plus.net to virgin media cable broadband.
Let's just say that Virgin Media sets new standards in customer
services

"Ade" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> If I move from plus.net to, say, BT Business broadband, how much
> downtime can I expect during the migration?
>
> To further complicate matters, I currently have two telephone lines:
> one with NTL and one with BT. Plus.net is obviously on the BT line.
> However, I want to drop the NTL line but port the NTL telephone number
> over to the BT line. BT tell me this can happen overnight, but "ADSL
> would then have to be activated on the new line, taking around 5
> days". Is this really the case? Does anyone know if there's a way to
> optimise the migration of ADSL and the porting of the 'phone number?
>
> TIA
>
> ps
> The hyperobservant of you may have noticed I recently posted asking
> questions about moving from plus.net to virgin media cable broadband.
> Let's just say that Virgin Media sets new standards in customer
> services
>

Be aware that virgin media will hold you to a 12 month contract.
MAC based migrations take 3-10 days depending on the ISP, I suspect BT
business would be quick about it. Im not sure if resi->business migrations
would cause problems.
Number porting is no simple procedure so over night seems an extreme over
complication - A new ADSL provide takes 17 days - theyre either saying its 5
days instead of 17 or 17+5 = 22 days

On 22 Mar, 23:50, "Capri-Sun" <h...@haha.hoho> wrote:

> Be aware that virgin media will hold you to a 12 month contract.
I'm long outside the 12 month telephone contract and cancelled the
broadband before they managed to get it up and running so within the 1
month cooling-off period, so I don't expect any (insurmountable)
problems there.

> MAC based migrations take 3-10 days depending on the ISP, I suspect BT
> business would be quick about it. Im not sure if resi->business migrations
> would cause problems.
> Number porting is no simple procedure so over night seems an extreme over
> complication - A new ADSL provide takes 17 days - theyre either saying its 5
> days instead of 17 or 17+5 = 22 days -
>
Erp :-s
Thanks for the info. I kind of thought that seeing as the line itself
and the exchange to which it's connected would all be the same, it
would be just a change in a database record somewhere, but it shows
what little I know.
Does this mean that I couldn't be without ADSL for less than 17 days?
Would I need to fully port the number before commencing with changing
ISP?
If I just changed the number and not the ISP, I'd still have to wait
17 days?