Landline phones to be switched over in less than 100 days - everything you need to know - The Independent

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The countdown is on for the “big switch off”, as BT plans to retire its old landline network in less than 100 days.

Customers will be moved from an analogue to a digital or IP system as telephone providers upgrade the landline network, known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The current system relies on copper-wire cables, while the new one will be an internet-based network.

While the switchover is happening now, landline operators expect the job to be completed by 31 January 2027.

Nobody will have to lose their landline service or change their telephone number, the Digital Connectivity Forum (DCF) has reassured customers, and in most cases the existing handset will be compatible.

The digital landline will work over a broadband connection so customers will need to plug their phone into their broadband router instead of the wall socket. Some customers might need new equipment which could include a router, adaptor or handset - which can be arranged by providers.

Ofcom has advised landline users to speak to their providers to find out if they are affected by the switchover, especially if they have a care alarm, health pendant, security alarm or other connected device that uses the telephone line.

Anyone with a disability or any other needs that might require extra help with the installation, or people who don’t own a mobile phone or may not have enough mobile signal at home to call emergency services, are also encouraged to get in touch with their providers.

BT plans to retire its old landline network by the end of January in what it has called the “big switch off”. Any consumers using the BT Openreach network should have been moved to a digital landline by this date, or to another phone service that lets them keep using a landline in the same way as today.

Other companies with their own networks, including Virgin Media O2 and KCOM, also plan to retire their old landline networks, but dates for switching those have not yet been set.

The change aligns with the government’s ambition for everyone in the UK to have access to full fibre or gigabit-capable broadband. Providers also hopes to offer customers a more reliable phone service through the change, although the government has been warned to ensure that scrapping the copper-wire network doesn’t make remote communities more vulnerable in a storm or other emergency.

The traditional landline network does not rely on mains electricity, unlike digital services, and continues to work during a power cut.

Labour MP Torcuil Crichton, who represents the Western Isles constituency of Na h-Eileanan an Iar, said last week: "Resilience is inbuilt in the islands, but we have major problems with connectivity because of this move from analogue to digital phone lines."

He added: "When the power goes out, people don't have the phone, they don't have the internet, and often they don't have a mobile signal either".

For customers that depend on landlines, their provider must make sure they are able to contact the emergency services during a power cut, according to Ofcom. Those without a working mobile phone or a reliable mobile signal must be offered a free, back-up solution by their provider, such as a battery back-up unit for their home. This back-up must last for at least one hour in a power cut.

Some providers have back-ups that last up to seven hours.

For most people, mobile phones offer a practical alternative in a power cut as even without signal, calling 999 will automatically connect through another mobile network if one is available.