Information

How to get ready for the switchover to digital landlines

What is happening to home phones?

The way landlines work in the UK is changing. This upgrade will replace technology that has been around for over a century and will make sure the UK’s landlines continue to work for many years into the future.

At the moment, your phone works through the socket in your wall. It will move to working through your broadband connection instead. This is happening everywhere in the UK, and the old network will be switched off completely by January 2027.

BT calls its new service Digital Voice. Other companies use other names, but they all describe the same kind of service.

If you have a landline you want to keep using, this change affects you.

What if I don’t have broadband?

If your provider is BT, you do not need to get broadband because of this change. BT have options for people without a broadband connection, so you will not be left without a working phone. Contact your provider to find out what is available to you.

If you use a different provider, contact them to understand and discuss what options may be available to you. You can find their contact details on your phone bill.

Do I have to switch?

If you want to keep a home phone, yes. The old network is being switched off everywhere in the UK, not just for some customers.

Your phone and equipment  

What is staying the same?  

• Your phone number won’t change
• You will still make and answer calls in the same way
• The price of your phone plan stays the same
• Your current handset will usually still work. According to BT, 99% of phones are compatible.

The main change is where your phone plugs in. Instead of the socket in the wall, it will plug into your broadband router.  

My phone and my router are not near each other. What should I do?

Contact your provider to let them know. Moving your phone to a new place in your home can be unsettling, especially if you rely on it being somewhere familiar. You do not have to plug it in wherever the broadband router happens to be.

If you’re with BT you can request free engineer support to ensure your switchover goes as smoothly as possible. They can help fit an extension or adaptor so your phone can stay where you are used to finding it. If it is not possible to keep your phone in the same place, they will talk you through other options.  

I have a big button phone, or another phone designed to be easier to use. Will it still work?

Yes, specialist phones still work. Some features that come with the new service may not be available on an older specialist phone, but the phone itself, and any special features it already has, will keep working.

What will happen to my phone in a power cut?

A digital home phone will not work in a power cut, or if your broadband stops working – this includes calls to 999.  

Keep a charged mobile phone as a backup where you can. If you do not have reliable mobile signal at home, or you need extra support, call your provider and ask about a back up solution, which allows you to make calls for a short time during a power cut.  

If you’re with BT, ask them about the free emergency back-up phone they provide for vulnerable customers to see if this may be suitable for you.  

I use a pendant alarm or telecare device connected to my phone line. What do I need to do?

Some equipment in your home may work through your phone line. If so, it may need to be checked or changed before your phone service moves.

• This may be:
• a pendant or wristband you press to call for help
• a box or base unit plugged into your phone socket
• a fall detector
• a burglar alarm connected to your phone line

If you have any of these, there are two things you need to do:

1. Tell your phone provider

If you have Telecare and are a BT customer call 0800 077 8813. If you have a different provider, you will be able to find their contact details on your phone bill.

Your provider will not move your phone service until they know your equipment will still work.

2. Tell the organisation that supplies your alarm

This is usually a different company from your phone provider. If you are not sure who supplies your alarm, a family member, friend or carer can help you find out.

Support through the switchover

What to do if you’re feeling nervous about the change

Many of us rely on routine and on things that feel familiar. Your phone might be one of them. If this change feels worrying or confusing, that is completely understandable.

You do not have to manage it on your own. A family member, friend or carer can help you. Your phone provider can help you too.

What are the key things I need to do at this stage?

You do not need to remember everything or do it all at once.  

The most important things to do are:

• Look out for messages from your phone provider
• Tell your provider if you use a personal alarm, pendant alarm, telecare device or other equipment connected to your phone line
• Ask your provider about any extra support that may be available
• Speak to a trusted family member, friend or carer if you would like help
• Keep important contact numbers somewhere easy to find

I’m worried a call claiming to be from my phone provider is not genuine.

If you are ever unsure about a call, hang up. A genuine provider will not mind you calling them back on a number you already have, such as the one on your bill.

Can someone else manage this for me?

Yes. You can name a family member, friend or carer to help arrange your switchover. Tell your provider who this is, ideally before your switch date so they can involve that person in any calls or letters.

Where can I get further information and support?

Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Support Line  

Our Dementia Advisers are here for you with expert advice and tailored support. They can talk through anything that’s worrying you about the switch to digital landlines when you call 0333 150 3456.  

Your phone provider  

Your provider can tell you when your service is changing and what extra help they can offer. If your home phone is provided by BT, contact them on 0330 1234 150 or call 150 from your landline.  

If you use another provider, you will find their number on your bill.

BT Connected Together  

BT has more information about the change and the support available on their website. Alzheimer’s Society is working in partnership with the BT group to provide this information.

How do I support someone with dementia through the switch to digital landlines?

Changes to technology, especially the phone someone uses every day to keep in touch with loved ones, can be difficult for someone living with dementia. Your support can make a huge difference.  

You can help by:

• reading letters, emails and messages from their phone provider
• explaining what is changing
• helping them arrange an appointment
• checking whether an alarm or telecare device needs to be updated
• being there during any engineer visits
• making sure they know who to contact if they need help

Try to explain things in small steps. Leave plenty of time for questions and expect to go over the same ground more than once.

If the person you support has not yet told their phone provider about their dementia, that is the most useful first step you can take with them.