What is the digital landline switchover and what do I need to do?

The old analogue phone network is being retired. What changes, who needs to act, and the protections available to households that depend on a landline.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 25 min
Read: 4 min
Safety: caution

Short answer

Landline calls are moving from the old copper network to the broadband connection. For most people the provider does it for them and the only change is that the handset plugs into the router instead of the wall. The exception is households with a care alarm, a monitored alarm or no mobile signal — they should contact their provider early and ask about a battery backup unit.

This is not a sales exercise; the analogue network is genuinely being switched off, and the deadline has already moved more than once. Providers are migrating customers in batches, so you may be moved months before or after a neighbour.

Safety

A digital line does not work in a power cut unless a battery backup unit is fitted. If anyone in the house relies on a telecare pendant, a monitored alarm or a phone for medical reasons, tell your provider before the switch so they can arrange backup equipment and a priority register entry.

Step by step

Understand what is actually changing.Calls travel over your broadband connection instead of the copper phone circuit. The number stays the same, the handset usually stays the same, and calls sound the same or better.
Expect the handset to move from the wall to the router.After migration the phone plugs into a socket on the back of the router. Extension sockets around the house stop carrying a dial tone unless you use a cordless base station or a DECT handset.
Work out whether anyone in the house depends on the line.Telecare pendants, monitored burglar and fire alarms, some medical devices, lift alarms in flats, and anyone with no usable mobile signal at home. These are the households the switchover actually affects.
Tell your provider if any of that applies.Providers keep a register of customers who need extra protection. Being on it triggers a battery backup unit for the router, engineer-assisted migration, and checks that the alarm equipment will still work.
Contact the alarm or telecare supplier separately.Some older units dial out over the analogue line and simply stop working. Ask the supplier directly whether your model is compatible with a digital line and what they charge to replace it.
Ask for a battery backup unit if you need one.It keeps the router and phone alive for a limited period in a power cut — typically about an hour. Providers supply them free to customers identified as dependent on the line.
Keep a mobile as the backup if you have signal.The most robust arrangement for most households is a charged mobile phone plus knowing where it is. Emergency calls from a mobile can use any network's signal, not just your own.
Do not pay anyone who calls about the switchover.The migration is free and your provider will write to you. Cold calls demanding payment, urgent action or bank details to 'complete your switchover' are a scam. Hang up and ring your provider on their published number.

Tips

If you rarely use the landline, the switchover is a reasonable moment to ask whether you still want to pay for one at all.
Cordless handsets with a base station work fine — the base plugs into the router and the handsets roam as before.
Ask for the migration date in writing so you can be at home if an engineer is needed.

Common mistakes

Assuming a care alarm will just keep working — Many older units dial out over the analogue circuit and go silent when it is withdrawn, without any obvious sign that they have stopped working.
Treating the letter from the provider as junk — It usually carries the migration date and the number to call if anyone in the house is dependent on the line. That is the moment to speak up, not afterwards.

If it doesn't work

No dial tone after the switch

Cause: The handset is still plugged into the wall socket — Fix: Move it to the telephone socket on the back of the router. It is usually a smaller socket, sometimes marked with a handset symbol.

Extension sockets in other rooms are dead

Cause: The house wiring is no longer carrying the line — Fix: Use a cordless base station at the router with handsets in the other rooms, which is cheaper than rewiring.

Phone dies whenever the power goes off

Cause: No battery backup on the router — Fix: Normal for a digital line. Request a backup unit if anyone in the house depends on the phone, and keep a charged mobile in any case.

Questions people ask

Do I have to have broadband to keep a landline?

You need the broadband line, but not necessarily a broadband service you use. Providers offer voice-only products that use the same connection, so a household that does not want internet can still keep a phone.

Will my number change?

No. Numbers carry across the migration. If a provider tells you otherwise, ask them to confirm it in writing before you agree to anything.

What if I have no mobile signal at home?

Say so to your provider — it is one of the specific circumstances that qualifies you for extra protection, including a battery backup unit and a more careful migration.