This is general information about the UK move from analogue to digital landlines. Industry dates and arrangements can change, so check with your provider or Ofcom for the latest.
What's changing?
For decades, UK landlines have run on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), an analogue network carried over copper wires. That network is old, increasingly hard to maintain, and is being retired.
Landline calls are moving to digital phone lines, often called VoIP or digital voice, which carry calls over a broadband connection. In most homes that means your phone plugs into your broadband router instead of the wall socket.
The operator of the national phone network has said it plans to retire the PSTN by 31 January 2027, and the industry is working towards that date. Older ISDN business lines are being withdrawn too.
Who's affected?
Almost everyone with a traditional landline, at home or at work, will need to move to a digital option. If you already make calls over broadband, you may have moved already. If you're not sure, ask your current provider.
Things to check
Some equipment uses the phone line in ways you might not think about. Check these with the company that supplies or maintains them, and tell us about them when you switch:
- Burglar and fire alarms that dial out over the phone line
- Telecare and health devices, such as personal alarms, pendants and health monitors
- Older card payment machines that connect via the phone line
- Lift emergency phones and help points
- Fax machines, franking machines and door entry systems
- On-site business phone systems using analogue or ISDN lines
Power cuts and vulnerable customers
Digital landlines need mains electricity, so they won't work in a power cut unless there's a battery back-up. Your mobile phone is usually a practical alternative for calling 999 in a power cut. If you rely on your landline to call 999, for example because you have no mobile phone, no reliable mobile signal at home, or you use a telecare alarm, please tell us, and your telecare or alarm supplier, before you switch. We'll give you a free solution, such as a suitable battery back-up for the equipment we install, so you can still call 999 for at least one hour in a power cut.
Can I keep my number?
In most cases, yes. Moving to digital doesn't mean a new number. See Can I keep my phone number?
Useful independent information
For impartial guidance on the move to digital landlines, see Ofcom's consumer advice and the UK Government's information on the transition from analogue to digital landlines.