The landline switch-off: what changes and what to do before January 2027

Traditional UK phone lines close by 31 January 2027. Here is what Digital Voice means for your home phone, alarms and telecare, and what to check now.

The old copper phone network in the UK, known in the industry as the PSTN (public switched telephone network), is being switched off. Openreach’s deadline is 31 January 2027. After that, home phone calls go over your broadband connection instead. Most providers call the new service Digital Voice.

For most people this is a small change. For some, especially anyone with a telecare alarm or poor mobile signal, it needs planning.

What actually changes

Today, a traditional landline works even if you have no broadband. After the switch, your phone plugs into your router (or into an adapter), and calls travel over the internet connection.

Three things follow from that:

• You need a working broadband service for the home phone to work.
• In a power cut, the phone stops unless the router has battery backup. Old copper lines carried their own power, so this is the biggest practical change.
• Some older equipment that dials out over the phone line may stop working, or may work unreliably.

Your phone number stays the same, and in most cases you keep the same handset.

Who needs to act, and who does not

You probably need to do nothing special if you have a mobile with decent signal at home, you use your landline only for ordinary calls, and nothing else in the house connects to the phone socket.

You should talk to your provider now if any of these apply:

• Someone in the home uses a telecare or personal alarm (the pendant or wristband that calls for help).
• You have a burglar alarm, fire alarm or CCTV that reports to a monitoring centre.
• You rely on the landline because mobile signal is poor where you live.
• You have door entry systems, lift phones or card payment terminals connected to a phone line.

Openreach lists all of these as equipment that may be affected, and recommends checking with the device supplier before you switch.

Your checklist

1. Find out when your line is due to move. Your provider will contact you, but you can ask now.
2. List everything plugged into a phone socket. Walk round the house. Look behind the sofa and in the hallway, not just at the phone.
3. Call your alarm or telecare provider. Ask whether the equipment is “digital ready” and whether it needs replacing. Many telecare providers now supply units with a built-in mobile SIM.
4. Ask your broadband provider about battery backup if you need the landline to work in a power cut. Several providers offer a free battery unit to customers who depend on their landline, including telecare users and people with no mobile signal.
5. Keep a charged mobile phone in the house as a second way to call 999.

What if you do nothing?

Openreach warns that if you leave it too late, you risk losing service. Lines still on the old network near the end may be moved to a temporary, basic voice-only service called Emergency Voice Access. It is a safety net, not something to plan around.

Is this a good time to switch broadband?

Often, yes. If your provider is moving you anyway, it is worth checking whether full fibre is available at your address. Full fibre is more reliable than older copper-based broadband, which matters more once your phone depends on it. Our guide to full fibre vs “fibre” broadband explains the difference, and how to switch with One Touch Switch covers the process.

The one thing to do today: if anyone in your home uses a telecare alarm, call the alarm provider this week and ask whether it will work on Digital Voice. Do not wait for the letter.