UK transition from analogue to digital landlines
What the retirement of analogue phone lines, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), means for you.
Overview
Communications providers in the UK are replacing the technology they use to provide fixed telephone networks (landlines). For most customers, the upgrade is expected to be complete by January 2027.
Details
In November 2017, the telecoms industry announced its intention to retire analogue telephone networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), which provides many analogue telephone services.. The Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), which is also used to deliver telephone services, is also being switched off. Most customers are expected to have made the switch by the end of January 2027. The industry will upgrade landline services to new digital technology using an internet connection, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Digital Voice or All-IP telephony.
For most consumers and businesses, this change will be straightforward. Nobody will have to lose their landline service because of this change, as there will still be the option for a ‘landline only’ service should a customer not wish to purchase a general internet connection. Communications providers will continue to be bound by the same regulatory obligations as they are today.
The upgrade of the UK’s telephone lines is not a government programme and does not result from a government decision or policy, and therefore specific questions about how the upgrade programme might affect you should be directed to your service provider.
Why the old network is being replaced
Analogue networks have been in operation for decades and have reached the end of their serviceable life. The telecoms industry is finding it difficult to source the parts required to maintain or repair connections as suppliers are no longer manufacturing them. Ofcom, the telecommunications regulator, reported that 2023 saw 20% more service incidents on the PSTN compared to 2022, resulting in a 60% increase in the number of service hours lost to customers.
New digital phone lines will allow communications providers (such as BT, Virgin Media O2, Sky and Vodafone) to offer consumers and businesses clearer and better quality phone calls, as well as new features such as anonymous caller rejection or three-way calling. VoIP is also more resistant to severe weather as the cables used are waterproof, and less prone to damage during a storm or other severe weather events.
What the change means in practice, and how you can prepare
The exact migration process will depend on your communications provider and the equipment they use. If you already have an internet connection, the change may be as simple as plugging your phone into your broadband router rather than the socket on the wall.
Communications providers will contact their customers ahead of the migration taking place, so you do not need to take any action until your provider contacts you directly. You should look out for communications material from them and be careful not to confuse this with marketing material.
Not all analogue phone services will be switched off by 2027. Depending on your communications provider, you may not be required to move to digital voice services by then. If you are not sure whether you will be impacted, contact your provider to ask about when they will require all customers to use digital landlines.
If you have specific requirements (for example, if you are a vulnerable consumer or you have other devices connected to your telephone line such as alarm systems, telecare devices or fax machines), you might need to take additional actions or purchase replacement devices or adaptors. If you believe this to be the case, or if you have general questions about the migration, you should contact your communication provider or equipment manufacturer.
Vulnerable customers
Ofcom has published a guide on treating vulnerable customers fairly and expectations on telecoms providers to ensure they support vulnerable or at-risk customers throughout the upgrade process to digital phone lines. Ofcom states that communications providers should take steps to identify at-risk customers and engage in effective communications to ensure all eligible customers are protected throughout the upgrade process.
If you believe you or one of your relatives is a vulnerable consumer or depends on a landline, you should notify your communications provider so that they can advise on how the migration could affect you.
It is the responsibility of the communications provider to ensure those who depend on a landline are provided a resilient solution that will allow customers to make calls to the emergency services in the event of a power outage and the government is working with Ofcom to ensure this is the case.
In December 2023, The UK’s leading communications providers (such as Sky, BT, VMO2 and TalkTalk) agreed to a Charter of commitments for protecting telecare users and other vulnerable customers. The Charter’s commitments can be found here.
January 2024 saw the formation of the Telecare Action Board (TAB), which has brought together around 30 organisations from government, the telecoms and telecare sectors, industry bodies, local authorities and regulatory stakeholders to identify and protect telecare users and those with additional needs before they switch to digital.
A second Charter for Network Operators was also signed in March 2024 which can be found here. Through this Charter, companies such as Openreach, CityFibre and CommunityFibre, agreed to a set of commitments that will ensure telecare customers have compatible solutions in place following the upgrade.
To identify and protect vulnerable customers and those with additional needs, Local Authorities and telecare providers are being asked to disclose which phone lines have telecare devices on them through data sharing agreements with communications providers. It’s imperative that each organisation acts as soon as possible to ensure customers receive the right support at the right time.
Devices connected to your phone line
If you have other devices connected to your phone line, such as alarm systems, telecare devices or fax machines, you should take steps to ensure they will continue to function correctly following the migration to a digital phone line. You might need to upgrade your device to make sure it is compatible, check if it needs to have its own battery and network back-up, or purchase an adaptor to ensure it continues to function correctly.
If you are buying a new alarm or device, you should check with the provider of that equipment that it is compatible with digital phone lines and will continue to run.
If you are unsure about how a device in your home or business might be affected, we recommend you contact the equipment supplier or device manufacturer to find out whether it will remain functional on a digital phone line. If you are buying a new alarm or device, you should check it is compatible with VoIP services or can be connected to appropriate mobile services e.g. 4G.
Power cuts
The resilience of our digital infrastructure networks is becoming increasingly important for keeping people connected. In recognition of this, Ofcom is proposing to update its resilience guidance for communications providers, which sets out the measures Ofcom expects them to take to keep their networks running. This proposal is set out in the following consultation.
The analogue landline carries a low voltage power connection directly from the telephone exchange, which is sufficient to power some basic corded handsets without needing to plug them into the wall. This means that in the event of a local power cut, these corded handsets will continue to function as long as the telephone exchange still has power.
Digital landlines cannot carry a power connection, which means handsets and routers must be powered from your home power supply, and they will not function in a power cut unless you have a backup power system such as a battery or generator. Telecare devices connected to a digital landline network may not work during a power cut.
Communications providers are required by Ofcom to take all necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted access to emergency organisations for their customers, including in the event of a power cut.
In 2018, Ofcom issued guidance on how communications providers can fulfil this regulatory obligation in light of the migration to digital landlines. The guidance was issued following a consultation with the general public, communications providers and Ofgem, looking at data on the average length of power outages in the UK.
The guidance states that communications providers should have at least one solution available that enables access to emergency organisations for a minimum of one hour in the event of a power outage in the premises, and that this solution should be offered free of charge to those who are at risk as they depend on their landline.
For most customers, telecoms companies recommend using a mobile phone as a backup in case of a power cut. If you don’t have a mobile or live somewhere where there’s no signal, your landline provider should offer you a solution such as a battery back-up unit. This will mean that you can still make emergency calls during a power cut.
In the UK, national roaming is enabled in order to make emergency calls. This means you can use any mobile phone network to contact the emergency services, even if you are not a customer. You may see the message ‘Emergency calls only’ displayed on your handset if this is the case.
If you don’t have or want broadband
The Telephony Universal Service Obligation in the 2003 Communications Act means all consumers in the UK will still have access to a landline service should they choose to do so.
If you don’t use broadband some providers will offer their customers an interim, dedicated landline service designed to keep them connected while moving them off the analogue PSTN network. This interim solution allows those customers to use their current landline in the same way as they do today until a digital solution becomes available or 2030, if that comes sooner.
Businesses and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
The upgrade to digital landlines will affect all customers, including businesses and CNI organisations. Businesses should consider how they can move to digital alternatives smoothly to avoid undue disruption in 2027.
Landlines may also be used for alternative devices such as lift alarms, burglar alarms or card payment systems. Communications providers will not know which devices are connected to their network, and therefore it is important for business customers to review which devices they are using and determine whether they need replacing or upgrading, or whether adaptors might be required.
If you are a business customer and you have concerns about the transition to digital phone lines, we recommend you contact your communications provider.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is also working with other government departments to ensure CNI sectors are prepared for the digital upgrades across a range of sectors.
What the government is doing
Although the migration to digital is an industry led initiative, the government is working together with the telecoms industry to ensure all sectors of the economy are protected and prepared. This includes regularly engaging with communications providers, tracking preparedness across all affected sectors, and working closely with Ofcom.
Further information
If you have questions about how the migration might affect you, the government recommends you get in touch with your telephone provider for further information.
Ofcom, the independent regulator for telecoms, has also issued guidance on how to prepare for the migration. See Moving landline phones to digital technology: what you need to know.
The Digital Connectivity Forum – the government advisory body for the digital connectivity sector – hosts a website that provides comprehensive information for a variety of audiences on the move to digital landlines: https://www.connectivityuk.org/.
Openreach has also published factsheets for businesses who use phone lines to deliver services to help them understand how the move to VoIP services will affect them.
Communications provider websites
Openreach has further information for businesses and wider industry who use phone lines to deliver services to help them understand how the move to VoIP services will affect them.
Updates to this page
Last updated 28 February 2024 + show all updates
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Vodafone added to list of communication provider websites.
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Updated Ofcom link in 'Vulnerable customers' section.
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First published.