You may have heard that landlines are changing, and that the UK’s telephone network is going digital.
Home phone providers, including BT, are broadening the rollout of digital landlines across the UK in the coming months. If you have a landline you want to keep using, these changes will affect you. Here are some key FAQs to help you stay informed and prepared for the transition:
What is happening to UK landlines?
An industry-wide shift from analogue to digital will see many home phone operators in the UK provide services over a broadband connection, similar to work taking place in other countries around the world.
Why is this shift taking place?
This once-in-a-generation upgrade to future-proof the UK’s landlines is essential and will replace technology that has been around since the Victorian era. Many of the parts required to maintain them aren’t produced anymore. This is partly linked to the rise of fibre broadband, which is now widely available across the UK.
What is Digital Voice?
Digital voice services are the future of landlines – they work using broadband connections rather than copper phone lines.
Digital Voice is the name BT, the UK's biggest landline provider, uses for its digital voice service. You may also hear digital voice services referred to as 'VoIP', 'IP voice' and other branded versions such as 'Sky Voice' or 'TalkTalk Voice'.
When will everyone have to move to digital landlines?
By January 2027, the old analogue network will be switched off, replaced by new digital landlines that work using broadband. In preparation for this change, home phone providers have been gradually switching customers over to the new technology and they are now set to increase this rollout ahead of the deadline.
Older customers and customers who need additional support will be moved regionally, as this allows for greater focus and engagement from landline providers, local authorities, charities, and community groups in the area.
For BT customers specifically, the rollout schedule for its digital landline switchover is:
- From Spring 2025: East of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Yorkshire & Humber
- From Summer 2025: East Midlands, London, Northeast England, Scotland
- From Autumn 2025: Northwest England, Southwest England, Southeast England, West Midlands
What type of help will be available for customers who need extra support?
Customers who need additional support will receive assistance that’s tailored to their needs. This includes a free battery backup unit on request, or a hybrid landline phone, which has a built-in battery and can automatically switch to mobile networks in the event of a power cut, ensuring uninterrupted service.
Additionally, an engineer will conduct a home visit to complete the switch, offering hands-on assistance and providing peace of mind throughout the process.
What does the switch mean for people who use telecare devices or pendant alarms?
Different landline providers will have different policies. BT, for instance, has strict policies in place to protect customers who require additional support, particularly telecare users, when BT have been notified about customers’ needs. BT will only upgrade telecare users to Digital Voice – the name BT uses for its digital voice service – where they are sure their equipment is compatible.
Some people may be apprehensive about the changes, particularly if they’re dependent on landline services for telecare devices or pendant alarms. That’s why it’s critically important that anyone who uses a telecare device or pendant alarm lets their provider know so they can ensure they have the necessary support available when the time comes to switch.
As part of a Government-backed industry charter, home phone providers must offer an engineer visit to customers with additional needs, including older customers or individuals who rely on telecare. During the visit, the engineer will test whether their devices continue to function after the switchover.
To ensure no one is left behind, BT is working closely with charities such as Age UK, Carers UK, Independent Age, RNIB, RNID, Scope, and Dementia UK. These partnerships help raise awareness and provide essential support to those who need extra assistance.
What should I do next?
If you have a landline you’d like to keep using, you will be affected by these changes. So, as part of its Connected Together initiative, BT has a few simple steps to support everyone through the switch process.
- Inform and educate: Ensure you understand the switchover, why it's happening, and how to prepare – and make sure any friends and family who may be affected understand it too. You will receive at least four weeks' notice of the change.
- It’s easy – and comes with added benefits: Switching is simple – just connect your home phone to your router instead of the socket on your wall. Follow our step-by-step guidance or request expert assistance, if required. Pricing and plans remain unchanged, with added benefits like the blocking of nuisance spam calls.
- Notify your phone company about your circumstances: If you use a telecare device, pendant alarm or burglar alarm, please let your phone company know and check with the equipment provider to see whether it needs to be upgraded ahead of the switch.
- What about customers who don’t have broadband? BT will offer a dedicated landline service, allowing you to use your landline in the same way you do today.
Get the support you need
Find more details about BT's Connected Together initiative, and resources about Digital Voice.
