The UK landline switch-off is one of the biggest changes to home phone services in decades. This guide explains the move from traditional analogue telephone lines to digital services, who needs to prepare and what households and organisations should check before the old network closes.
CHANGE AT A GLANCE
BT Openreach plans to retire its traditional telephone network by 31st January 2027. This is not a confirmed switch-off date for every UK network. Other providers have separate plans and timetables.
WHEN
31st January 2027
BT Openreach’s deadline. Other network operators have not confirmed this same date.
WHAT REPLACES IT
Digital phone services
Usually connected through a broadband router or digital equipment.
WHERE
Openreach network
Other landline networks have separate migration plans.
WHO IT AFFECTS
Homes and businesses
Anyone still using services or equipment connected to the old network.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Contact your phone provider if you still use a traditional landline. Tell them about any telecare, alarm or other equipment connected to the line, and explain if you rely on it because you have no mobile phone or poor mobile signal at home.
Last updated: 8th November 2026.
What the UK landline switch-off means
BEFORE
Traditional landline
Calls travel over the old copper telephone network, known as the PSTN.
AFTER
Digital landline
Calls travel digitally, usually through a broadband router or another digital connection.
What stays the same
You can still have a home phone and, in most cases, keep your existing number. It is the technology carrying the call that changes.
The change is happening because the old network is ageing and becoming harder to maintain. The new technology is designed to carry calls digitally.
When is the analogue landline switch-off?
CONFIRMED DATE
31st January 2027
BT Openreach’s traditional PSTN network.
SEPARATE TIMETABLES
Other networks
Virgin Media O2 and KCOM have their own plans. The Openreach date is not a universal UK deadline.
Not sure which network you use? Ask your phone provider which network carries your service and when your line needs to move.
Who is affected by the UK landline switch-off?
You may need to take action if you still use the old network at home, at work or through connected equipment.
Households
Homes with a landline
Phone-only services and landlines bundled with broadband.
Individuals
People who rely on a home phone
For everyday calls or to contact emergency services.
Organisations
Businesses and services
Organisations using traditional phone lines or ISDN.
Equipment
Connected systems
Alarms, lift phones, payment terminals and door-entry systems.
If your provider has already confirmed that your landline is digital, you do not need to repeat the migration. Check if you are unsure.
What will replace traditional landlines?
Some customers connect their existing phone to a socket on the broadband router.
Your provider may supply an adaptor, router or replacement handset.
Ask about a phone-only digital service. Full-fibre broadband is not always needed.
Equipment and costs depend on your provider. Check what is included before agreeing to a new package, especially if you only want a landline.
Will you keep your existing phone number and handset?
In most cases, you should be able to keep your existing landline number when you move to a digital service. Openreach also says many existing handsets will continue to work, although some older phones may need an adaptor or may not be compatible.
Your provider should explain whether your handset can be used, where to plug it in and whether you need a new router or other equipment. Do not buy a replacement phone or sign up to a broadband package just because you have heard about the switch-off. Check what your provider will supply and what your existing equipment can do first.
Telecare, personal alarms and other connected equipment
Some devices use your phone line to send alerts or call for help. They may stop working unless they are checked before the change.
Some equipment may need testing, an adaptor, new settings or replacement. A working telephone does not prove that an alarm will work.
Important if you use telecare or a personal alarm
Tell your phone provider and your telecare or alarm supplier before any change. Ask both to confirm that your exact equipment and monitoring service will work on the proposed connection, and arrange a proper test. If a safe, working solution is not ready, tell your provider. Ofcom says the provider can pause the migration while the issue is resolved. Do not assume that an ordinary phone working means your alarm will work too.
The Government’s Public Switched Telephone Network Charter includes commitments from communications providers and wholesalers to protect telecare users. Signatories have committed not to move known telecare users until a compatible, working solution has been confirmed. If your alarm is provided by a council, housing association or care provider, contact them too. Make sure they know about the proposed phone-line change and who is responsible for testing the alarm.
Digital landlines, power cuts and emergency calls
Why power matters
Digital phones usually need electricity for the router and phone equipment. A power cut could stop your landline working.
Free backup if you qualify
If you rely on your landline for emergency calls and have no working mobile or reliable signal, your provider must offer a free backup lasting at least one hour.
- You do not have a mobile phone or have poor indoor signal.
- You are disabled, older, have a health condition or need accessible information.
- You need help with installation or using the new service.
Ofcom says providers must assess customers’ needs and arrange appropriate support.
What if you do not have broadband or full-fibre coverage?
You should not assume that you will lose your landline because you do not have full-fibre broadband. A digital phone service can be provided in different ways, and full fibre is not the only possible connection.
If you have a phone-only landline, tell your provider that you do not have broadband and ask what phone-only digital option is available. Government guidance says some providers may offer an interim dedicated landline service while a longer-term digital solution is arranged. This interim service is intended to keep customers connected until a digital option becomes available or until 2030, if that comes sooner. Availability and terms depend on the provider, so ask what applies to your line.
If you live in a rural area, have limited broadband options or live in a block of flats where installation is difficult, raise this with your provider early. Ask what service can be supplied at your address and whether any installation work is needed.
What happens if you do not switch by 31st January 2027?
Openreach says customers who have not moved from the old network by the deadline may be transferred to Emergency Voice Access (EVAc). This is a temporary, limited emergency voice service intended as a last-resort measure. It is not a normal replacement for a full digital landline and may not support features you currently use.
Openreach has also confirmed that it will preserve eligible linked broadband services where technically possible when customers are moved to EVAc. This safeguard does not remove the need to move to a suitable digital phone service. Do not rely on EVAc as your planned long-term phone service.
If you have not heard from your provider, contact them now. Ask whether your service still uses the PSTN, what you need to do and when your migration will take place.
What businesses and organisations need to check
The switch-off affects more than ordinary phone calls. Businesses and public services should identify any systems that use traditional phone lines or ISDN connections and check whether they need upgrading before the relevant network is withdrawn.
Potentially affected equipment includes card payment terminals, alarm and monitoring systems, lift emergency phones, door-entry systems, fax machines, intercoms and some broadband services. A business may have equipment connected to a phone line without realising that it relies on the old network.
Make an inventory of connected equipment, contact each supplier and ask whether it is compatible with the digital service being installed. Arrange testing before the old connection is withdrawn. Organisations providing care, supported housing or telecare should plan this with their telecoms provider, equipment supplier and relevant service users.
What to do now: a landline switch-off checklist
1
Check your line
Ask if your service still uses the Openreach PSTN network.
2
Speak to your provider
Find out when you will move and what equipment you need.
3
Protect connected devices
Tell your telecare, alarm and equipment suppliers. Arrange testing.
4
Plan for emergencies
Check power-cut backup and tell your provider if you need extra support.
Businesses and building managers: check alarms, lift phones, payment terminals and door-entry systems too.
This article reflects information published by Ofcom, Openreach and the UK Government as at 2nd November 2026. Network migration plans and individual customer arrangements can differ, so check directly with your phone provider and any equipment supplier about your own service.