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If your UK landline is being moved off the old telephone network, contact the provider named on your bill now. Confirm the migration date, tell them you want to keep your existing number, check how your handset and any alarm or care device will connect, and arrange power-cut backup if the line is safety-critical.
The change is from the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital voice, usually delivered through a broadband router. You normally do not have to give up having a home phone, but the precise deadline, equipment and installation process depend on your provider and location.
What to do first
- Call the provider on your bill. Ask whether your account is affected, the target migration date, whether your current phone number can remain, how the phone will connect, and whether a new router, adaptor or engineer visit is required.
- State that you want to keep your number. If you are changing provider, start the switch with the new provider and request number retention.
- Review the contract and bundle. Check monthly and one-off charges, the contract end date, early-termination fees, and whether landline, broadband and television are tied together.
- List every device using the line. Include telecare pendants, medical alarms, security systems, door-entry equipment, payment terminals, lifts and fax machines.
- Plan for a power cut. Digital phones need mains electricity. Tell the provider if you rely on the landline, have no working mobile or have unreliable mobile coverage.
- Do not buy equipment yet. Wait for the provider to confirm whether your handset, router and connected devices are compatible.
What the PSTN switch-off changes
The PSTN carries traditional analogue landline calls. It is being retired in favour of digital voice, also called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Digital Voice or All-IP telephony. A digital landline normally plugs into a broadband router rather than the old wall socket.
Government guidance says PSTN-dependent services are due to be upgraded by January 2027. For BT/Openreach customers, Ofcom gives 31 January 2027 as the retirement date. Other network operators, including Virgin Media O2 and KCOM, have announced plans but had not published a single equivalent date in the available guidance. Your provider may migrate your account earlier, so use the date it gives you rather than relying on a national headline.
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The network retirement does not automatically cancel home-phone service. Providers can move the voice service to a digital connection, and many customers continue to use a familiar handset. Some households need a replacement handset, adaptor, router or engineer appointment. Where broadband is unavailable, some providers offer an interim dedicated service for eligible customers.
Contact the provider before ignoring a migration message
Use the telephone number or account channel shown on your bill or official correspondence. Ask for written confirmation of:
- the affected service and planned migration date;
- whether the existing number will be retained;
- the socket or router port where the phone must connect;
- any supplied router, adaptor, battery unit or replacement handset;
- whether an engineer visit is included and whether a charge applies;
- what happens to broadband, television and other bundled services;
- the arrangements for telecare, alarms and emergency calling; and
- the support number to use if the new service fails.
Do not simply ignore letters, emails or calls about migration. Ofcom warns that failing to respond can put service continuity at risk. If you cannot use the proposed digital arrangement because of disability, medical dependence, lack of broadband or poor mobile coverage, explain that before an installation is scheduled.
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Use One Touch Switch for a provider change
Ofcom’s One Touch Switch process is provider-led. Contact the provider you want to join and provide your address, current provider, the services you want and whether you want to keep the number. The new provider obtains information about the current service, including relevant charges, and tells you about equipment or an engineer visit.
Once the replacement service is working, the old provider should cease the old service automatically. Switching rules say the loss of service must not exceed one working day. Keep the old equipment connected until the new provider confirms that the port and broadband service are complete.
If you already cancelled the old line
You can still ask the new provider to retain the number if you make the request within one month of cancelling the old service. Ask for written confirmation that the number is being held and check whether the old provider has placed any restriction on its release.
If you want an overlap
One Touch Switch does not apply when you arrange an overlap yourself rather than using the new provider’s switching process. You must arrange cancellation separately, observe the old provider’s notice period and check any fees. A temporary overlap can reduce downtime but may mean paying for both services.
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Cooling-off and cancellation
You can cancel a switch within 14 calendar days. Used service and installation costs may still be payable, and the old service is not automatically reinstated. Ask the new provider exactly what will happen before cancelling an order.
Check the price and the effect on bundled services
Before accepting a migration or new contract, compare the total cost rather than just the advertised monthly line rental. Confirm:
- the recurring monthly price after any introductory period;
- activation, delivery or engineer charges;
- the contract length and early-termination charge;
- whether broadband is mandatory for the digital phone;
- whether the landline is part of a broadband or television bundle; and
- what happens to discounts if you remove the phone component.
Porting only a number can affect a bundle. A landline and broadband may share one contract or billing account, so ask the current provider whether transferring the number will change broadband, television, email addresses, discounts or the contract end date. Do not assume that moving the number leaves every other service untouched.
Broadband, routers and handset compatibility
Most digital landlines require a working broadband connection and mains-powered router. The provider may supply a router or a small adaptor. Many standard corded or cordless handsets can be reused, but older phones may not support the provider’s digital interface. Wait for a compatibility decision before buying a replacement.
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If you have no broadband, ask whether the provider has an interim dedicated voice service for your address and circumstances. Availability is provider-specific; do not assume that an analogue replacement will be offered everywhere.
Protect telecare, alarms and other safety equipment
Tell both the communications provider and the device supplier about every system that uses the line. This includes medical pendants, fall alarms, monitored burglar alarms, door-entry systems, lift emergency phones, payment terminals and other machine-to-machine equipment.
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Ask the device supplier to test the exact digital connection, not merely confirm that the telephone number can be ported. Obtain a clear statement that the device can place an alarm call, receive an acknowledgement and continue operating after a router restart or brief outage.
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Plan for power cuts and emergency calls
An old line-powered analogue phone could sometimes make calls during a household power failure. A digital landline normally cannot: the router, adaptor and cordless base station all need mains electricity.
If you rely on the landline for emergency contact, do not have a working mobile phone, or cannot obtain a reliable mobile signal, tell the provider before migration. Ofcom says the provider must offer a free backup solution lasting at least one hour in those circumstances. Ask what form the backup takes, which equipment it powers, how it is tested and what happens when its battery reaches the end of its life.
A backup unit is not a guarantee of unlimited service. Keep the emergency device connected as instructed, avoid unplugging the router during an outage, and follow the provider’s battery-test procedure. If your household’s risk changes, notify the provider rather than waiting for the next planned contact.
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Decide whether you still want a home phone
You are not required to keep a landline if your household does not need one. Possible arrangements include:
- Digital landline with broadband: keeps a home number and conventional handsets, but depends on the router and mains power.
- Broadband-only service: removes the home-phone charge; check that no alarm, care device or business service depends on the number.
- Mobile-only calling: avoids a fixed line but depends on indoor coverage, battery charge and availability during local network outages.
- Online calling: can work through apps or computers, but may be unsuitable for emergency, accessibility or monitored-device needs.
Make the decision after checking medical, security and accessibility requirements. A cheaper broadband-only package is not a safe choice if it disconnects a care alarm or leaves a household without a dependable emergency route.
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Compare replacement services on the points that matter
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Can the existing number be retained? | Essential for callers, businesses, relatives and services that still use the number. |
| What are the recurring and one-off costs? | Include activation, equipment, engineer, delivery and early-termination charges. |
| Is broadband required? | Determines whether a broadband package, router and mains power are necessary. |
| What happens in a power cut? | Check the backup duration, eligibility and which devices remain powered. |
| Are telecare and alarms supported? | Require a device-specific compatibility check and a successful test. |
| Is equipment supplied? | Clarifies whether you need a router, adaptor, handset or rewiring. |
| Will an engineer visit? | Establishes appointment requirements, access needs and possible charges. |
| What happens to bundled broadband or television? | Prevents an unexpected price increase or loss of another service. |
Migration-day checklist
- Keep the old phone and any alarm connected until the provider says the change is complete.
- Photograph or record router, adaptor and cable connections before unplugging anything.
- Connect the handset exactly as the provider’s instructions show; an old wall socket may no longer carry voice service.
- Make a test call to an ordinary number and, where appropriate, test incoming calls from a mobile.
- Run the approved test for telecare, security and door-entry equipment with the device supplier or monitoring centre.
- Check broadband, television and any linked services after the voice change.
- Store the provider’s fault number and backup-power instructions somewhere accessible.
What to do when something goes wrong
The number does not work after switching
Do not cancel or return the old equipment immediately. Check whether the provider has completed the port, restart the supplied router once, and report the fault as a number-porting or digital-voice failure. Ask whether incoming calls are reaching a temporary number.
The handset has no dial tone
Verify that the handset is plugged into the router’s designated phone port or supplied adaptor, not an inactive wall socket. Test a different compatible handset if available. If the router has no power or broadband light, report the underlying broadband fault.
An alarm or pendant fails
Contact the device supplier and communications provider immediately and describe the failed test. Request that migration or service changes be paused until the supplier confirms a functioning replacement. Use the device maker’s emergency procedure while the fault is investigated.
The phone fails during a power cut
Check that the backup unit is connected and charged, then follow the provider’s outage instructions. If you are eligible but were not offered a free one-hour backup, tell the provider that you rely on the line and lack a working mobile or reliable mobile coverage.
How widespread the change is
Ofcom reported 17.2 million residential landline connections in July 2025. Of these, 3.2 million (19%) were residential PSTN connections, 9.8 million (57%) were residential VoIP connections and 4.2 million (24%) were residential emulated-PSTN connections. These figures describe the UK market at that date; they do not predict an individual household’s outage risk or show that one provider is more reliable than another.
Ofcom, as reported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in 2025, recorded a 45% increase in reported PSTN incidents during 2024. The department also reported more than 2,600 major PSTN incidents in 2024/25. In the year to July 2025, just over one million households stopped having a landline and moved to broadband-only service. Those trends explain the migration, but your provider’s notice and your equipment checks determine what you personally need to do.
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