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THE DIGITAL LANDLINE SWITCHOVER

The home phone
is moving online.

The old telephone network is being switched off.

Ofcom says the traditional network is old and becoming less reliable. Digital landlines carry calls over broadband instead. For most people little changes, but anyone with a care alarm, or no reliable mobile, needs to tell their provider first.

Questions this page answers

A plain corded home telephone on a wooden hall table beside a small white broadband router by a window
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

31 Jan 2027 BT's old network retires

  • Plug into the router
  • Tell them about alarms
  • Plan for power cuts
  • Same number, new wiring

THE SHORT ANSWER

Same calls,
new connection.

Most people will notice little difference.
A few situations need a conversation with your provider first.

AT HOME

Phone into the router

Ofcom says digital landlines work over broadband, so you plug the phone into your router instead of the wall socket. You can keep your number.

Check your situation

CARE ALARMS

Tell them first

Care alarms and telecare devices might not work properly on a digital line. Tell your provider and device supplier before the change; it can be paused until a safe solution is in place.

Why it matters

POWER CUTS

Needs mains power

Digital landlines will not work in a power cut without a battery back-up. If you rely on your landline, your provider must offer a free back-up lasting at least an hour.

Plan ahead

A QUICK HOUSEHOLD CHECK

What applies
in your home?

Pick the situation closest to yours to see what Ofcom says you should do. The bar shows how important it is to contact your provider before the switch.

Household check

Choose a situation
Phone plus a working mobileUsually simple

For most customers the change should be straightforward. Answer your provider when they contact you, as you might risk losing service if you don't.

A security alarm on the lineTell them first

Tell your provider before the change if a security alarm or other connected device uses the telephone line.

Need extra helpAsk for support

If you are elderly, disabled, have a health condition or need information in another format, your provider must assess your needs and offer extra help.

No mobile or no signalFree back-up

Your provider must offer, free, a back-up such as a battery unit so you can call emergency services in a power cut. It must last at least one hour.

A care alarm or pendantTell them first

Tell both your landline provider and your alarm supplier before the change. They can check the device works, and pause the switch if needed.

Source: Ofcom, Your landline is going digital: what you need to know.

Based on Ofcom's consumer guidance, last updated 26 August 2026. General information, not legal advice.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Why the care
is needed.

One figure for who relies on the old lines,
one for the minimum protection in a power cut.

2 million+

People in the UK using telecare

The government says upwards of 2 million people use telecare, such as personal alarm pendants, and most of these devices have historically relied on the analogue landline network.

TELECARE · GOV.UK

1 hour

Minimum battery back-up for those at risk

Ofcom's guidance says providers must have a solution that lets at-risk customers reach emergency services for at least one hour in a power cut. Some back-ups last up to seven hours.

POWER CUTS · OFCOM

Ofcom notes that, even with no signal on your usual mobile network, a 999 call will automatically connect through another network if one is available.

FOUR STEPS BEFORE THE SWITCH

A little planning
goes a long way.

These steps follow Ofcom's advice for households.

  • Talk to your provider

    Ask whether and when you are affected, and reply if they contact you about the change.

  • List what uses the line

    Care alarms, health pendants, security alarms and other connected devices: tell your provider before the switch, and check new devices are compatible before you buy.

  • Plan for a power cut

    A mobile phone is the practical alternative for most people. If you have none, or no signal at home, ask for the free back-up.

  • Know how to complain

    Contact your provider first, then make a formal complaint. If it is not resolved within six weeks, or you get a deadlock letter, you can go to an alternative dispute resolution scheme.

A mobile phone with a dark screen lying on a kitchen table lit by a single candle during a power cut
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

WHY IT IS HAPPENING

An old network,
a new lifeline.

A plain personal alarm pendant on a cord resting on a bedside table next to a glass of water
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

The government says communication providers announced in 2017 that they would retire the analogue network and move calls to voice over internet protocol, which carries voice as data over broadband. The upgrade is broadly expected to finish in 2027.

Under a charter with government, large providers have committed not to move telecare users until a compatible, working solution is confirmed, and to aim for battery back-ups beyond Ofcom's one-hour minimum. Other networks, including Virgin Media O2 and KCOM, have not yet set switch-off dates.

Questions

Questions people ask

Will I keep my phone number?

Ofcom says you can keep your number and should continue to make and receive calls in much the same way. The phone plugs into your broadband router instead of the wall socket.

What is the power cut risk with a digital landline?

A digital landline will not work in a power cut unless it has a battery back-up, because it needs mains electricity, so you may not be able to call 999 from it. Ofcom's guidance also notes that cordless phones are very unlikely to work in a power cut. If you rely on your landline, for example because you have no mobile or no signal at home, your provider must offer a free solution, such as a battery back-up, that lets you reach emergency services for at least one hour; some back-ups last up to seven hours. For most people a mobile phone is the practical alternative, and Ofcom notes that a 999 call will automatically connect through another network if your usual one has no signal and another is available. Care alarms might not work properly on a digital line, so tell your provider and your alarm supplier before the switch.

What if I have a care alarm?

Tell your landline provider and your alarm supplier before the change. Ofcom says your device might not work properly on a digital line, and the switch can be paused until a safe solution is in place.

When is the landline switch-off?

Ofcom says BT plans to retire its old landline network by 31 January 2027. Other networks plan to retire theirs too, but dates have not yet been set.

Do I have to pay for new equipment?

Some customers need a new router, adaptor or handset, which your provider should explain and arrange. A battery back-up must be offered free to people who depend on their landline.

Sources

Where the facts come from

  1. Ofcom: Your landline is going digital, what you need to know
  2. Ofcom: Protecting access to emergency organisations when there is a power cut at the customer's premises (2018 guidance, PDF)
  3. GOV.UK: Telecare National Action Plan, protecting telecare users through the digital phone switchover
  4. GOV.UK: Public Switched Telephone Network charter (providers' commitments)

What changed

  • : Expanded the power cut FAQ into what the power cut risk is with a digital landline (free back-up for those who rely on the landline, cordless phones, 999 from mobiles, care alarms; Ofcom guidance already cited) and retitled the switch-off date FAQ.

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