The UK's old copper telephone network is being switched off. Openreach will retire the analogue phone network and the wholesale line rental that runs on it on 31 January 2027, and says the date won't move again. Phone calls are moving to digital lines that run over broadband.
What it means for you
For most people with broadband, very little changes. Your provider will contact you and move your landline to a digital service. You usually plug your existing phone into your router, or into a small adapter that connects to it. Most numbers and handsets carry over. For customers who already take broadband and a landline together, switching should be free.
The one big difference: power cuts
A digital phone needs power. It won't work in a power cut unless you have a back-up, such as a battery unit. Providers must offer free back-up to customers who depend on their landline, such as people with no mobile signal at home. If that's you, tell your provider.
Telecare and alarms
If you or someone you look after has a telecare alarm (a pendant or pull cord that calls for help), tell your provider and your telecare supplier. Under the government's PSTN Charter, signed by BT, Virgin Media O2, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone, Zen, Utility Warehouse and others, providers have agreed not to move a telecare user until a working, compatible solution is in place.
The same applies to some burglar alarms, lift phones and payment terminals. Check with the supplier.
What happens after 31 January 2027
Openreach says there will be no "big bang". About 1.2 million lines were still to move in September 2026. Home phone lines that haven't moved by the deadline won't simply be cut off. Where possible they'll be put on a temporary basic phone service while the move is completed. Openreach says some of those lines may keep their broadband where it's technically possible, but that isn't guaranteed.
Business ISDN lines get no such safety net. They will be ceased from 1 February 2027.
Who should act now
- People with telecare or health alarms
- Anyone aged 75 or over, or anyone who relies on a landline
- Homes with landline only and no broadband
- Homes with no mobile signal
Contact your provider and ask when you'll be moved and what back-up you'll get.
Watch out for scams
Your provider will never need your bank details to switch your landline to digital. Be wary of anyone who calls about the switchover and asks for payment or personal details.