PSTN Landline Switch-off

The UK landline network is being permanently switched off. By January 2027, every traditional analogue landline must move to a digital home phone or other landline replacement.

By January 2027, the Public Switched Telephone Network, known as the PSTN, will be retired. Every traditional analogue landline in the country must move to a digital alternative.

This is not optional.
It is not a small update.
It is the biggest change to home phone services in decades.

If you have a home landline, you need to understand what is happening, what changes inside your property, how power cuts affect your digital home phone, what happens to telecare devices, and how scam protection fits into this new digital system.

This is the definitive UK guide to the digital landline switchover, landline replacement and the PSTN switch off. You can also compare the best digital landline providers in the UK.

This nationwide digital voice migration is one of the largest infrastructure shifts in UK telecoms history, and every household planning to replace copper landline services needs a clear transition plan. For how digital voice works in practice and what a residential VoIP service involves, see our service guides.

For older or vulnerable residents, particularly those with telecare alarms or no mobile phone, it can be confusing and potentially risky if they’re not prepared in time.

See the page attachment for a helpful checklist to prepare in time for the change.