"Real danger warned": Landline users fear digital switch-off

The Challenges of Transitioning to Digital Phone Lines

Robert Dewar, a resident of a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, highlights the challenges faced by those living in areas with limited infrastructure. “Every time there is a power failure I lose all means of communication with the outside world,” he says. Blackouts also knock out the village’s mobile phone signal. “Our most recent power cut lasted for 42 hours,” Dewar explains. The interruption outlasted his five-hour emergency backup battery. “If I had had a heart attack there is damn all I could have done about it, except compose myself, say my prayers, and await the outcome.”

Dewar was among the more than 100 readers who contacted us with their experiences as the old infrastructure – the public switched telephone network (PSTN) – used to make calls is replaced with digital lines. This transition represents one of the biggest tech upgrades since the analogue television signal was switched off more than a decade ago.

The overhaul of the phone network has been a huge undertaking but is now in its final year, with roughly 3.2m homes (about a fifth of the original number) still connected to the PSTN, which is scheduled to be switched off in January 2027. For many, the switchover simply involves plugging the phone handset into the broadband router instead of the socket on the wall. However, for vulnerable Britons or those living in remote locations such as Dewar, without a mobile signal, it can be much more complex to ensure they are not cut off from the outside world when something goes wrong.

Concerns About the Switchover

Reports continue to emerge of landlines being switched off before help has been given, according to Dennis Reed of Silver Voices. The UK campaign organisation for the over-60s has big concerns about the safety of the programme. It is calling for the deadline to be extended until 2030 so that better safety products can be developed. Its “save our landlines” petition has gathered more than 100,000 signatures.

“This is a disaster waiting to happen,” says Reed. The organisation is concerned that the onus is on vulnerable customers to contact their provider for help. “There are many reasons why vulnerable customers are not able to self-identify and they face being switched off in their droves whatever their circumstances.”

How the Switchover Works

Ernest Doku, a broadband expert at the comparison website Uswitch, explains that although digital voice calls rely on a router rather than copper cables, this does not mean having to pay for a full broadband package if you don’t need one. “As a universal service provider, BT must ensure access to a basic service, which may include voice-only or low-data options, while other providers usually deliver ‘voice’ services as part of a broadband package or as a migration path for their existing customers,” he says.

BT says supporting customers through the switchover is a “top priority.” It offers a range of support, including enhanced protection for customers with additional needs, such as telecare users and those who are solely reliant on their landline. This includes free in-home assistance and backup power solutions where needed.

Real-Life Experiences

A vulnerable Cornish woman told us she is terrified at the idea of a power cut after a recent outage lasted more than 24 hours: “Once that one hour of battery backup has expired I will have no means of contacting emergency services, or anyone else as there is no mobile reception at my home.” She has researched buying a longer-lasting battery but says they are too expensive. Out of desperation she is “considering setting up a local walkie-talkie group with other vulnerable neighbours.”

David, who lives in a remote valley in Wales, says: “The torture began in May 2025 when an email from Plusnet advised that our landline will no longer be supported after the switchover. We live in an isolated location where mobile reception is poor outdoors and nonexistent indoors.” He contacted Plusnet and agreed to move to EE after being told he could get a broadband, phone service and a free backup battery for £26 a month. However, when he spoke to EE he was told he would have to buy the battery and the monthly cost was £10 more than billed, so he cancelled the move.

Tony Roberts, based in South Devon, has found it difficult to find a telephone supplier willing to take on someone who considered their landline to be essential. “Often if you try to sign up, they ask: ‘Do you rely on a landline’ or ‘Do you have a care device’ and if you say yes, simply say that their service isn’t suitable despite digital voice services being the only ones available for new orders.”

The Importance of Backup Solutions

Ofcom has made clear to companies their duty to “identify, protect and support vulnerable customers.” There is a real danger that whole communities find themselves with no connectivity at all in a widespread power failure. “On top of that, there is no guarantee that mobile masts have significant backup either,” Roberts says.

If your landline is still plugged in to the traditional telephone socket, look out for a letter or email from your phone company giving notice of your digital switchover date. What happens next will depend on the company you are with, and the equipment they use. If you already have an internet connection, it may be as simple as plugging the phone into your broadband router rather than the wall.

To assist vulnerable customers, BT has a dedicated telecare service it says is supported by more than 4,000 specially trained engineers. In cases where there is no mobile coverage in your area, or you have a telecare device, you need to let your phone company know. In these cases, they should offer you a solution, such as a backup battery, to allow you to call the emergency services, at the very least, during a power cut.