Your BT landline after the digital switchover: what’s actually changed and what to do next

If your home phone has gone quiet, crackly, or simply stopped working in the last few months, you’re not imagining things. The BT digital switchover is the reason.

Thousands of UK homes have already been migrated. Many more are mid-way through the process right now. And every bank holiday weekend, a fresh wave of people visit their parents, notice the phone isn’t right, and spend Tuesday morning searching for answers. This guide is for all of them.

Whether your line has already changed, you’re waiting for Openreach to get to your street, or you’re simply trying to understand what on earth is going on: we’ll walk you through it, clearly and calmly, from start to finish.

What is the BT digital switchover?

For most of the past century, the UK’s telephone network ran on copper wires, a system known as the PSTN, or Public Switched Telephone Network. It was reliable, it was familiar, and it had one significant problem: it’s now past its useful life.

BT and Openreach (the company that owns and maintains the UK’s telephone infrastructure) have been working since 2019 to retire the old PSTN entirely and replace it with a digital system based on internet technology, known as VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol.

Think of it like this: the old network was a dedicated postal lorry making a single daily round. The new one is a far more efficient delivery service running along roads that already exist: the same broadband cables that carry your internet. Calls travel as data packets rather than electrical signals. The result, done properly, is clearer call quality and a more future-proof system.

What it means in practice is that your traditional analogue landline (the one that worked independently of your internet connection) is being replaced by a digital line that runs through your broadband router. That shift is the BT PSTN switchover explained, in plain English.

For further detail on the national programme, Ofcom’s PSTN switchover guidance is the authoritative source.

When did your landline switch over, and when will it if not yet?

The switchover has been happening in stages, area by area, rather than all at once. Openreach began moving exchanges across the country from 2023, with the programme accelerating significantly through 2024 and into 2025.

Has the December 2025 deadline already passed for you?

The original target set by BT was to complete the Openreach digital migration by December 2025. Whether that deadline applied to your property depends entirely on where you live and which exchange serves your street.

This deadline has since been updated to January 2027.

If your phone has recently changed behaviour: calls sounding different, intermittent crackling, or no dial tone at all, the switchover has almost certainly already reached you. If everything still seems normal, you may be in an area scheduled for later in the programme, or your provider may have already quietly migrated you without disruption.

The most reliable way to check is to contact your current broadband or phone provider directly. BT, Sky, Virgin Media, and others are all coordinating with Openreach and will be able to tell you where your line stands. You can also visit BT’s digital switchover information page for updates specific to their network.

What actually happens to your line: the four possible outcomes

Not everyone’s experience of the switchover looks the same. Here are the four most common situations homeowners find themselves in.

Nothing changes (your ISP-provided VoIP is already active)

For many people, particularly those who’ve upgraded their broadband package in the last few years, the transition has already happened without any drama at all. If your provider has already set you up on a VoIP service, your existing handsets plug into your router rather than a wall socket, and calls carry on as normal.

If this sounds like your situation, you’ve already crossed the bridge. The important thing now is to understand what protections you do and don’t have. More on that shortly.

Your line goes crackly or goes dead

This is the one that worries people most, and understandably so. If your home phone has developed a persistent crackle, intermittent silence, or simply stopped working altogether, it’s very likely that the switchover has reached your exchange and your connection hasn’t completed the transition smoothly.

The first call to make is to your current provider. This is almost always a configuration issue, or in some cases a faulty adaptor or router socket, rather than anything permanently broken. It can usually be resolved remotely or with a short engineer visit.

You’ve been sent a BT Smart Hub with a phone port

Some BT customers have received a new Smart Hub as part of the migration, which includes a dedicated phone port on the back. If that’s you, you simply plug your existing handset into the router rather than the wall socket. Your number stays the same. Your calls continue as before.

Do check whether you’ve been sent any setup instructions, and if anything isn’t working as it should, BT’s support line is the right first port of call.

You’re still on copper and need to act

If your provider hasn’t yet been in touch, your exchange hasn’t been migrated, and your line is still running on the old copper network, you’re not yet past the switchover, but you will be. Now is the time to understand your options and decide what you’d like to do, rather than waiting for disruption to force your hand.

Do you need to buy a new phone?

This is one of the most common questions, and the answer, thankfully, is usually no.

Most standard cordless handsets (DECT phones) and corded phones will work perfectly well on a digital line. The difference is simply where they plug in: instead of the telephone socket on your wall, they’ll connect to a phone port on your broadband router, or via a small adaptor.

You do need to buy a new phone if your current handset is more than 15-20 years old and isn’t compatible with modern router ports, or if your provider’s router doesn’t include a phone port and you don’t have an appropriate adaptor.

If in doubt, check with your provider before spending anything. Most people find their existing equipment works without issue.

What about power cuts?

This is a genuinely important concern, and one that deserves a straight answer rather than being brushed aside.

The old copper PSTN network was powered independently of the mains. That meant your landline kept working even when the electricity went out, which was particularly valuable for calling emergency services.

Digital lines don’t have this property. If your broadband router loses power, your digital landline goes with it.

Ofcom is aware of this issue and has required providers to offer a solution, most commonly a small battery backup unit that keeps your router running for a minimum of one hour during a power cut. If you rely on your landline for safety or medical reasons, contact your provider to discuss what options are available to you. They have specific obligations to customers with particular needs.

A mobile phone with a charged battery is also a sensible backup, and worth keeping accessible in any home, just in case.

How to keep your existing number

The good news here is clear: you don’t have to lose your number. Number portability, the right to take your telephone number with you when you switch provider, is protected by Ofcom regulations.

Whether you’re moving to a new provider or simply completing the migration with your existing one, your number moves with you. You’ll need to request a PAC (Porting Authorisation Code) from your current provider if you’re switching elsewhere, which they must provide within one working day of asking.

If your number has unexpectedly disappeared during the switchover process, contact your provider immediately. It should be recoverable.

What to look for in a landline replacement

If the switchover has prompted you to review your phone service, whether because something isn’t working or simply because this feels like the right moment to make a change, here’s a practical checklist of what matters.

Call quality. A digital line should, in principle, offer clearer calls than the old copper network. If your current provider’s VoIP service sounds worse than your old line, that’s a signal worth acting on.

Scam call protection. This is where the switchover creates a genuine opportunity. Unlike the old network, digital phone services can include intelligent call filtering at the network level, blocking scam calls, silent calls, and nuisance callers before your phone ever rings. This matters enormously for older adults who are disproportionately targeted by telephone fraud. Look for a provider that includes this as standard, not as a paid extra.

Ease of setup. Moving to a new phone provider shouldn’t require an engineer, a manual, or a degree in technology. The best services arrive ready to plug in and use, with clear guidance and a real person to call if something isn’t right.

Reliability and support. What happens if something goes wrong? A good provider will have UK-based support available when you need it, not a chatbot and a lengthy wait.

Your existing number. As above: any reputable provider should be able to bring your number with them.

At Phonely, we built our service specifically to meet these needs, with network-level scam call blocking included as standard, a straightforward setup designed for real homes, and a team that answers the phone. See how Phonely works.

Summary: your three options after the switchover

Once the dust settles on the BT digital switchover, most homeowners will find themselves choosing between one of three paths.

Stay with your current provider. If your line is working well, your provider has communicated clearly, and you’re happy with the service, there may be no reason to change. Do check whether you have scam call protection in place, and if not, ask whether it’s available on your plan.

Switch to a specialist home phone service. If this feels like the moment to move to a provider who treats your home phone as a priority, not an afterthought bundled with your broadband, now is a straightforward time to do it. Number porting means the transition is simple, and the right service will handle most of the process for you.

Go mobile-only. Some households are choosing to drop a home phone entirely and rely solely on their mobiles. That’s a valid choice for the right person. It’s worth thinking carefully about whether everyone in your household, including any older relatives who may not be confident on a smartphone, would genuinely be comfortable without a home phone before making that call.

If you’re mid-migration, confused about your line, or just weighing up what to do next, we’re here to help. Phonely was built for exactly this moment.

See if Phonely is right for your home

You can also take a look at how our CallGuard scam protection works, or see our pricing with no surprises.

Sources: Ofcom PSTN switchover guidance | BT digital switchover information