BT and the wider UK telecoms industry are replacing the old copper analogue phone network with digital calls carried over broadband. If you check which devices use your line, talk to your provider and plan for power cuts, the move to digital calls should go smoothly.
What you need before starting
Have a recent bill or account login for your phone and broadband provider. It shows the name on the account and which services you currently pay for. Find your landline handset and the router your provider supplied, and work out which wall socket each one is plugged into. Walk round your home and note anything else that is connected to a phone socket or depends on the phone line.
The current signal for this topic points to 2027 as the year the analogue network shuts down. National timetables have moved before, and switchover dates differ between areas and providers. Get your own date from your provider; don’t rely on a general headline. If you or someone in your home relies on a telecare alarm or has no mobile phone, write that down. You will need to tell the provider.
List every device that uses your phone line
The obvious item is the home phone, but analogue lines often carry other services. Common examples are:
- personal alarm or telecare pendants, often used by older or disabled people
- burglar alarms that dial out to a monitoring centre
- fax machines and some older card payment terminals
- lift emergency phones and door entry systems in shared buildings
- some satellite TV boxes, smart meters or monitoring equipment that once used the line
For each item, record the make and model if you can see it, and who supplied it. Some of these will carry on working on a digital line, some need an adapter or a settings change, and some need replacing. You can only find out by asking the supplier, so the list is the base for the next steps.
Contact your provider and confirm your switchover date
Phone or log in to the company that supplies your landline. Ask three things: when your line is due to move to digital, what equipment they will provide, and whether an engineer visit is needed. In many homes the switch happens remotely and the customer only has to move the phone plug. Ask the provider to confirm this for your property, and don’t assume it.
Tell them if anyone in the home uses telecare, has no mobile signal, has no mobile phone, or depends on the landline for health or safety reasons. UK providers have agreed extra protections for these customers. Recording the information on your account means they should handle your switch with more care. Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke to and what was agreed.
Check your router and broadband connection
Digital landline calls run through your broadband router. If you have no broadband, ask the provider what option they offer for customers who want a phone line only. Some providers offer a landline-only digital service, so the end of analogue does not always mean you have to buy a full broadband package.
If you already have broadband, look at the back of your router for a socket marked “phone” or “tel”. If there is one, your handset will probably plug in there. If there isn’t, your provider may send an adapter or a new router. Put the router somewhere it can stay switched on all the time, because calls depend on it. Don’t plug it into a socket that gets turned off at night.
Plan for power cuts
This is the biggest practical difference between the two systems. An old analogue phone usually kept working in a power cut because the copper line supplied its own power. A digital line needs the router and the handset to have mains power. If the electricity goes off, the landline goes off with it.
Make a backup plan for emergency calls. If you have a mobile phone with reliable signal at home, keep it charged. If you don’t, or if someone in the home depends on the landline, ask your provider about a battery backup unit. These keep the router and phone running for a limited time during a power cut, and providers may supply one at no cost to customers who need it. Ask how long the backup lasts and how you will know when it needs recharging or replacing.
Move your handset and connected devices
When your date arrives, follow the provider’s instructions. Usually this means unplugging the handset from the wall socket and plugging it into the router’s phone port or the supplied adapter. Cordless phones work the same way: the base station plugs into the router.
For telecare alarms, security systems and other devices on your list, contact each supplier before the switchover. Some devices can be moved to the router. Others need a model that sends alerts over a mobile network rather than the phone line. Don’t leave this until the last day, because suppliers may need time to send replacement equipment or book a visit.
Test everything after the switch
Once the line is digital, make a test call out and ask someone to ring you back, so you know incoming and outgoing calls both work. Check that your number has stayed the same. Normally it should.
If you use a telecare alarm, ask the monitoring centre to help you test it. Press the pendant and check that the alert gets through and that you can speak to the operator. Test burglar alarms in the same way with their monitoring company. If anything fails, contact the provider straight away and keep a note of the fault.
Mistakes people actually make
The most common mistake is to think only about the handset and forget the alarm, pendant or terminal that also uses the line. Telecare is the most serious case, because a failed alarm may not be noticed until it is needed.
Another is ignoring power cuts until one happens. People also move the router to a different room without checking that the phone still reaches it, or plug the router into a timer or extension lead that gets switched off.
Some people respond to unsolicited calls or messages claiming their line will be cut off unless they pay a fee or hand over bank details. Approach any such contact with caution. If in doubt, end the call and ring your provider on the number printed on your bill.
Finally, many people wait for the provider to get in touch rather than asking for their date. That leaves little time to sort out replacement equipment.
When this approach is the wrong choice
This guide assumes you want to keep a home phone number. If you already use a mobile for all your calls, you may decide you don’t need a landline at all. In that case, cancelling the service may be simpler than moving it to digital. Check any minimum contract term first.
If you live somewhere with weak or patchy broadband and no mobile signal, the standard self-service route may not be enough. Ask your provider directly what arrangements they make for properties like yours.
If you run a business with alarms, lifts, payment terminals or several lines, a home-style checklist will miss things. Get a site review from your telecoms supplier or a specialist installer.
Frequently asked questions
Will my landline phone number change when it goes digital?
In most cases your number stays the same when the line moves from analogue to digital. The switch changes the technology carrying the call, not the number. Ask your provider to confirm this when they give you your switchover date, especially if you are also changing provider, moving house or changing your broadband package around the same time.
Can I keep my old landline handset after the switchover?
Many standard corded and cordless handsets keep working after the switch. You plug them into the phone port on your broadband router or into an adapter supplied by your provider, not into the wall socket. Very old or specialist phones may not work properly. If yours doesn’t, your provider can tell you which alternatives are compatible with their digital service.
Will my phone work in a power cut after the analogue switch-off?
No, not on its own. Digital landline calls depend on your router and handset having mains power, so the phone stops working when the electricity goes off. Keep a charged mobile phone as a backup. If you depend on the landline, ask your provider about a battery backup unit that keeps calls running for a limited time.
What happens to telecare alarms when analogue landlines end?
Some telecare alarms keep working when connected through a digital line, but others need replacing with models that use mobile networks. Tell your phone provider that you use telecare and contact the alarm supplier well before your switchover date. After the switch, run a test alert with the monitoring centre so you know help can still be reached.
Sources and further reading
- Ofcom: the UK communications regulator’s consumer guidance on the move from analogue to digital landlines, including protections for vulnerable customers
- BT and Openreach: published information for customers on the digital landline switchover and the end of the analogue network
- Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: government material on the industry’s agreed protections for telecare users and the switchover timetable
- Citizens Advice: consumer advice on landline changes, avoiding scams and dealing with providers
Surfaced from the google:GB signal “analogue landline switch-off”. AI-assisted draft, editorially reviewed.
