Digital Voice Switchover Support
Your landline is changing. Here's what to do. By January 2027, the UK's copper telephone network will be switched off and every home landline will move to Digital Voice. The switch is free, but your provider needs to know about your circumstances before it happens.
If you rely on your home phone, use a telecare or medical alarm, have a disability or health condition, or connect other equipment through your landline, now is the time to act. This checklist helps you work out exactly what to tell your provider. It generates a ready to send message or call notes so you can contact them with confidence, without having to figure it out alone.
Complete the Digital Voice checklist
Frequently asked questions
Digital Voice is a newer type of home phone service that works through a broadband connection instead of the old analogue landline network. Providers may also call it a digital landline, VoIP or Digital Voice. For many people, the change may simply mean plugging the phone into the broadband router or using an adapter supplied by the provider.
The checklist asks about the things most likely to matter before a landline changes to Digital Voice, including mobile signal, power cuts, telecare alarms, house alarms, extension sockets, cordless phones and whether help is needed with setup. At the end, it creates an email template and phone call notes you can use when contacting your landline or broadband provider.
The aim is to help you ask the right questions before the line changes, rather than trying to work out what has gone wrong afterwards.
In most cases, yes. If your current provider is moving your existing landline service to Digital Voice, your phone number should normally stay the same. If you are also changing provider, moving home or changing your package, ask your provider to confirm this before the switch takes place.
In most cases, yes. Whether you use a corded phone or a cordless handset, the main change is usually how the phone connects. Instead of plugging into the old wall socket or extension socket, the phone may need to plug into your broadband router or an adapter supplied by your provider.
BT says over 99% of home phones are compatible with its Digital Voice service, but some older handsets may need replacing. Ask your provider whether your current phone will work, whether an adapter is needed, and what they will provide before the switch takes place.
Your provider should contact you before moving your landline to a digital service and explain what you need to do. If you use telecare equipment, an alarm system or another device connected to the phone line, tell your provider before the switch. These devices may need to be tested, reconfigured or replaced before the landline changes.
If you are worried, use the checklist above to create a written message asking your provider to confirm what checks will be made before migration.
Not always. With Digital Voice, the main phone usually connects through the broadband router or an adapter. If you have phones plugged into extension sockets in different rooms, ask your provider what will happen to them after the switch. You may need a different setup, such as a cordless phone system, internal wiring changes or an engineer visit.
Contact your telecare provider and your landline provider before the switch takes place. Telecare alarms, pendant alarms and other care devices may not work correctly on a digital phone line unless they have been checked and confirmed as compatible.
The checklist above can create a separate message for your telecare provider, asking whether the equipment will work with Digital Voice and whether it needs testing, reconfiguration or replacement.
Contact your alarm company before the landline is switched. Some alarm systems use the phone line to call an alarm centre, keyholder or emergency contact. If yours does, it may stop working after the move to Digital Voice unless it is tested, updated or replaced.
Ask the alarm company whether the system is compatible with a digital phone line. If possible, ask them to confirm this in writing before your landline provider makes any change.
Contact your telecare provider immediately and tell your landline or broadband provider as well. If there is any immediate risk to health or safety, use another phone to call 999 or ask a neighbour, carer or family member to help.
Do not wait to see if the problem resolves itself. A telecare device should be treated as safety equipment, not just a normal phone accessory.
Yes. If you are worried about setting up the equipment yourself, speak to your telecoms provider before the switch. Ofcom says providers must identify, protect and support vulnerable customers during the move to digital landlines.
GOV.UK says extra support is being provided for telecare users, including free engineering visits where needed. Ask your provider what support is available and whether an engineer visit can be arranged before your line changes.
The move from an existing landline to Digital Voice should not involve a separate charge just to upgrade the phone line. Be cautious if someone contacts you unexpectedly and asks for payment, bank details, passwords or remote access to your computer.
Stop and think before sharing personal information. Do not feel rushed into making a decision. If you are unsure, hang up and contact your provider using the number printed on your bill or shown on their official website. If you think you have been scammed, report it to your communications provider and to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.