UK Landline Switch-Off 2027: Deadline, Digital Voice and What to Do

• Anyone whose landline runs on the Openreach network. That includes BT and many other providers. The name on your bill is not necessarily the name of the network operator, so ask your provider.
• Phone-only households too. Openreach includes phone-only services among those using the traditional network, so you can be affected even without broadband.
• Not everyone has the same date. Virgin Media O2 and KCOM have their own networks and their own plans. Ofcom says their dates have not yet been set.
• Many people have already moved. If your provider has already switched you to a digital line, you only need to check that your connected equipment still works.

• How it works: your digital landline runs over a broadband connection. You plug your phone into your broadband router instead of directly into the wall socket.
• Your number: Ofcom says you can keep your phone number and should make and receive calls in much the same way.
• Equipment: some customers might need new equipment, which could include a router, adaptor or handset. Your provider should explain what is needed and arrange it.
• For most people, Ofcom says the change should be straightforward, and many customers have already been moved.

• Digital landlines need mains electricity. Ofcom says they will not work in a power cut unless there is a battery back-up.
• Free back-up if you rely on your landline. If you have no working mobile or reliable signal, Ofcom says your provider must offer a back-up solution for free, such as a battery back-up unit. It must last at least one hour, and some providers offer up to seven hours.
• Important for telecare users: A battery backup provided for emergency phone calls does not automatically guarantee that your care alarm or personal pendant will continue working during a power cut. Ask your telecare supplier to confirm that the alarm unit, router connection and any battery or mobile backup will all work together during a power failure.
• Mobile as a back-up. For most people a charged mobile is the practical alternative. Ofcom says calls to 999 connect through another mobile network if yours has no signal.
• Tell your provider before the change if you rely on your landline and don’t have a mobile or reliable signal.

Openreach says customers who have not moved away from the old network by the deadline may be placed on Emergency Voice and Access Continuity (EVAc) through their provider, where eligible.

EVAc is a temporary, limited last-resort service designed to preserve basic voice calls. It may not support features such as caller display, call forwarding or voicemail. Some services may be lost altogether.

In its September 2026 update, Openreach confirmed that eligible broadband connections will also be preserved where technically possible when lines move to EVAc. This is not guaranteed for every connection.

Do not treat EVAc as a permanent replacement or an extension of the deadline. Contact your provider now and arrange the appropriate digital service.

For most customers, changing to a digital phone line does not mean their broadband will be switched off. However, some broadband services still have a technical dependency on the old telephone network.

On 24 September 2026, Openreach announced it is developing the ability to preserve eligible broadband lines, where technically possible, when some remaining customers are moved to its temporary EVAc service. Reports on the announcement describe this as covering legacy ADSL, FTTC and G.fast lines. Openreach has made clear it may not work for every line, and it does not extend the January 2027 deadline.

What to do: ask your broadband provider whether your connection has any dependency on the old phone network, whether your broadband will keep working after migration, and whether any replacement equipment or service is needed.

Openreach: The Big Switch Off

• Tell your provider and device supplier before the change if you or someone in your household has a care alarm, health pendant or personal alarm. They can check whether it will work and arrange what is needed.
• Telecare safeguard: under the March 2026 PSTN Network Operator’s Charter, Openreach, KCOM and other signatories say they won’t migrate a known telecare customer until a compatible, working telecare solution is confirmed.
• Extra help: Ofcom says your provider must assess your needs and support you properly if you are elderly, disabled, have a health condition, have limited mobility or need information in another format.
• Family and carers: if you help someone else, check their alarm and landline for them. They may not know a change is coming.

In its September 2026 update, Openreach estimated that more than a million lines were still running on the old copper-based phone network, including connections serving approximately 350,000 business premises. Published estimates of the total have varied between reports, so treat the headline figure as approximate. Remaining connections include both residential and business services.

Openreach has warned that leaving migration until the deadline could create last-minute difficulties, including harder access to engineering support. Review your connected equipment, broadband dependencies and communication systems now, and arrange any upgrades with your suppliers.

• List every device on your line: alarms, CCTV, card machines, door entry, lift phones and any fax.
• Ask each supplier in writing whether it works on a digital line.
• Book any engineer visit early.
• See Openreach’s guidance for businesses in the official sources below.

• Virgin Media O2 and KCOM dates. Ofcom says these have not been set.
• How long EVAc lasts. Openreach says only that it is temporary and for a limited time.
• Which broadband lines will be preserved. Openreach says this applies where technically possible, so it varies line by line.
• Your provider’s own timetable. Each provider schedules its customers differently, so only your provider can give you a date.

We update this page as Ofcom, Openreach and GOV.UK publish new information.