Keeping your landline as the UK transitions away from traditional phone lines could be about to get much easier.

Openreach has launched a long-awaited pilot scheme designed to make the switchover to digital services less disruptive. This trial can't come soon enough, as the UK prepares to shut down its telephone network by January 31, 2027, affecting millions of telephone lines.

BT, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and other telecom companies are in the process of switching off 14 million or so copper-based phone lines across the UK that Brits have been using to make calls since 1911. With this century-old system gone, you’ll need to make your calls using a broadband-powered alternative known as Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP.

If you’ve ever made a call over Wi-Fi to friends or family on WhatsApp, Skype, or Messenger, then you’re already familiar with VoIP technology. BT, Virgin Media, and TalkTalk refer to this internet-powered landline as “Digital Voice”, but your provider might use a different term.

PA | Fibre broadband engineers from Openreach, the infrastructure arm of BT work on a fibre cable junction in central London

Why is the UK transitioning from traditional phone lines to digital services?

Openreach's migration plan ahead of the UK switch-off has been a long time coming.

Plans for a UK-wide landline switch-off were first announced back in November 2017. It's worth emphasising that this is a Government scheme or deadline; the proposal came from the industry itself.

At the time, industry heavyweights said they were struggling to find parts to maintain and repair analogue phone lines as few companies are still making the components used by this century-old system.

But it’s not just about the nuts and bolts to keep landlines working. As you already know, if you’ve used WhatsApp to chat to someone on the other side of the planet, all-digital calls can offer much clearer calls, especially over longer distances.

Calls via fibre-optic cable are also less likely to be impacted by bad weather, since this technology is immune to several environmental factors, like temperature and electromagnetic fluctuations, that negatively impact copper cables.

Not only that, but features you’d usually associate with your mobile phone, like blocking calls from withheld numbers or putting incoming calls in a queue when you’re already talking on the phone, are all possible with these broadband-powered landlines.

While the original deadline for the switchover was set for late 2025, it was later revised following a slew of issues, which saw BT customers , others , and a small number of

Telecom brands decided to temporarily suspend upgrade works while they worked on a to guarantee vulnerable people with alarms will never be left without a working device during the switchover process. Upgrade works have since resumed under these new rules.

And BT-owned Openreach is also looking at new methods to minimise disruption to those who want to keep their traditional landline.

BT PRESS OFFICE | Digital Voice handsets, pictured here, connect to the back of the Wi-Fi router supplied by your broadband provider and route calls over the internet — not a traditional phone line

Openreach trials new methods to keep your landline

To ease the switchover ahead of the deadline, Openreach is looking at two different migration paths for those who may need an extra hand with the switch to modern phone systems. The first is known as SOTAP, or Single Order Transitional Access Product for Analogue.

This is a landline that doesn't require an active broadband connection — unlike the "Digital Voice" handsets being dished out as standard with full-fibre broadband connections at the moment. Better yet, it can be rolled out to homeowners nationwide, even those living in areas that have been upgraded to an all-broadband infrastructure.

SOTAP could enable homeowners with personal alarms that are incompatible with new broadband-powered phone lines or those who don't want a broadband connection to still have a landline phone.

Unlike BT's Digital Voice and other broadband-powered landlines, which won't work during an internet outage or power cut, SOTAP is powered like a traditional copper phone line. That means it will continue to work even during a power cut.

OPENREACH PRESS OFFICE | Engineer switches households to fibre-optic technology so they can experience much clearer calls, especially over longer distances

The other option being tested is called the Pre-Digital Phone Line, which works just like your current landline does today. You won't need broadband internet, new equipment, or an engineer to visit your home to set it up.

This special service operates through your local telephone exchange, but behind the scenes, it relies on modern technology.

It does this by linking the existing copper wiring from your household to the telephone exchange, where it connects to a digital voice network. This allows customers to continue using their existing analogue handsets and potentially other equipment that relies on the analogue signal, even though the underlying technology is digital.

The system replicates how your traditional phone works now, so you can continue using it exactly as you always have. This means your existing handset will still plug into the wall socket, and you won't need to learn how to use new devices or worry about internet connections affecting your calls.

The pilot programme is expected to run for six months and aims to complete 10,000 customer migrations. One thing to note, though, is that if you opt for the Pre-Digital Phone Line, your provider will charge an additional £6 for the special support.

Support for households facing extra challenges in the digital switchover

BT-owned Openreach's new initiatives are particularly important if you're without a broadband connection at home, live in an area with no mobile signal (as back-up should the Digital Voice line go offline), or wear healthcare pendants that require a landline — as these factors mean you'll likely find the transition more complicated.

Your phone company will identify whether you qualify for this enhanced migration service based on your current setup. They remain responsible for ensuring you have appropriate safeguards in place during the switch.

The trial will also help determine how quickly these special migrations can happen and what operational support you'll need when the full switchover begins.

The pilot doesn't currently cover certain areas, including Hull, the Isles of Scilly, or the Scottish Highlands and Islands. If you live in these regions, different arrangements may apply to your phone service transition.

However, you should know that this special Pre-Digital Phone Line service is only a temporary measure, unlike utilising SOTAP, which can act as a more permanent solution. If you haven't got access to full fibre broadband by 2027, you'll still be able to add a digital phone service to your existing internet connection. Openreach plans to close its old telephone exchanges from 2030 onwards.

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