The traditional home phone network, known as the PSTN, has carried landline calls across the UK for decades. It is now being retired, and by January 2027 home phones will work over a digital connection instead. Openreach, which runs most of the network, has said the date is fixed. The move is being led by the telecoms industry rather than set out in law, but the government supports it, and every major provider is moving its customers across.
For most people the change is small. You keep your phone, your number and your call plan, and the main difference is where the phone plugs in. A few groups need to take more care, especially anyone with a telecare alarm or who depends on a landline during a power cut.
What is changing
Until now, landline calls have travelled over a separate analogue service on the copper line. After the switch, calls are carried as internet data, either over full fibre or over the existing copper line converted to digital use. You don’t need full fibre for this. Many homes will keep their copper line and simply have their phone service converted.
Providers give the digital service their own names. BT and EE call it Digital Voice, and other providers offer a digital home phone with their broadband. See how it works with your provider on our pages for BT Digital Voice, Vodafone Home Phone and Virgin Media Home Phone.
How the switch works
Your provider should contact you about four weeks before your phone is moved across. On the day, you plug your phone into the back of your broadband router instead of the wall socket. Some older phones need a small adaptor, which providers usually supply.
You shouldn’t be charged simply for moving to a digital line, and calls are billed much as before. You keep your number in almost every case. The main exceptions are moving home or changing provider at the same time, so if you plan to do either, ask about your number first. Our switching guide explains how number transfers work when you change provider.
If you don’t have broadband
Nobody is required to buy broadband because of the switch. If you only have a landline, your provider will keep it working without a broadband package. Openreach is keeping a dedicated landline only service running on the copper network until 2030, and providers have said landline only customers won’t pay more simply because of the change. If you’d like a cheaper home phone deal and receive certain benefits, our guide to social tariffs lists the discounted phone only options.
Power cuts
This is the biggest practical difference. An analogue phone draws power from the line itself, so it keeps working when the electricity goes off. A digital phone relies on your router, so it stops working in a power cut unless the router has a backup power supply.
Ofcom requires providers to make sure people who rely on their landline can still reach the emergency services for at least an hour during a power cut. If that applies to you, for example because you have no mobile signal at home or a medical condition that means you depend on the landline, tell your provider. It must offer a free solution, usually a battery backup unit or a phone that switches to the mobile network.
A few precautions help everyone:
- Keep a charged mobile phone in the house. It can call 999 even without credit.
- Remember that most cordless phone bases need mains power, so a battery backup may not keep a cordless phone working.
- Agree a plan with a neighbour or relative if you live alone and rely on the phone.
Telecare alarms and other devices
Telecare alarms, such as pendant alarms and fall detectors, often use the phone line to call for help. In late 2023, after reports of alarms failing, providers agreed not to move telecare users to digital lines until a working, compatible solution is in place. Tell your phone provider if anyone in your home uses telecare, and contact the telecare supplier, often your local council or a private company, to confirm the equipment will work on a digital line.
Other devices that use the phone line can be affected too, including burglar alarms with a monitoring link, some older card payment machines, lift emergency phones and fax machines. Check each one with its supplier before your switch date, as some may need upgrading.
Phones and equipment
Most modern cordless phones work on a digital line once plugged into the router or adaptor. Some very old phones, and those that need power from the line, may need replacing. Familiar features such as voicemail usually carry on as before.
If your router sits away from where you like to keep the phone, a cordless phone set with a base by the router is often the simplest fix. Some providers also offer digital phones that connect over Wi-Fi.
Watch out for scams
Criminals have used the switch as an excuse for cold calls and emails. A genuine provider won’t ask for your bank details over the phone to keep your line working, or pressure you to pay on the spot. If in doubt, hang up and call your provider on the number from your bill. You can report a scam call by texting the word “call” and the number to 7726.
Progress so far
Ofcom’s figures show the number of homes still on the old phone network fell from 5.2 million in July 2024 to 3.2 million a year later. In March 2026, Openreach said about 2.8 million lines across all providers still needed to move. If you haven’t heard from your provider yet, you will before the old network closes.
Choosing broadband with a home phone
If you’re choosing a new broadband deal, a home phone is now an optional extra rather than a requirement. Most full fibre and Virgin Media packages are sold as broadband only, with calls added if you want them. Our guide to full fibre vs fibre explains the connection types, and our deals pages compare packages with and without a phone service.
FAQs
When is the landline switch off?
The old analogue phone network is due to close in January 2027. Providers are moving customers to digital phone services in stages before then.
Do I have to pay to switch to a digital landline?
No. You shouldn’t be charged just for moving to a digital phone service, and call charges stay broadly the same.
Will I keep my phone number?
Almost always, yes. The exceptions are mainly when you move home or change provider during the switch.
Do I need broadband to keep my landline?
No. Landline only customers can keep a phone service without buying broadband.
Will my phone work in a power cut?
Not without a backup power supply. If you rely on your landline, tell your provider, which must offer a free way to reach the emergency services for at least an hour during a power cut.
What happens to my telecare alarm?
Providers have agreed not to switch telecare users until a working solution is in place. Tell your phone provider about the alarm and check compatibility with your telecare supplier.
Can I keep my old phone?
Most phones keep working once plugged into the router or an adaptor. Some very old models may need replacing.