Is your landline ready for the switchover?
The old analogue phone network is being retired. Seven simple true or false checks, in large text with a read-aloud button, to make sure you or someone you care about is ready.
The old analogue landline network is due to be retired on 31 January 2027. Ofcom says you do not need to act until your provider contacts you, but digital phones only work in a power cut with a battery back-up, and people who rely on their landline must be offered a free solution.
What you will learn
- 1What changes when landlines go digital
- 2What to do about power cuts and care alarms
- 3What your provider must offer, free
Why it matters
Landline calls are moving from the old copper phone network to digital voice over broadband. For most people it means plugging the phone into the router instead of the wall. Ofcom says you do not need to do anything until your provider gets in touch.
The checks that matter are for people who rely on the line. A digital phone stops working in a power cut unless it has a battery back-up, and care alarms and security alarms may need checking. If you rely on your landline, for example because there is no mobile signal at home, your provider must offer a free way to call 999 in a power cut.
Every answer, explained
Spoilers below. Play first, then open any question to see the answer, the reason and the source.
1. The old analogue phone network is due to be retired on 31 January 2027.
Answer: True
True. Openreach has said the date will not be moved again. Calls move to digital voice over broadband.
Source: ISPreview, June 2026; Ofcom, Your landline is going digital This answer is reviewed by 31 January 2027.
2. Ofcom says you do not need to do anything until your provider contacts you.
Answer: True
True. Your provider should tell you what is changing and arrange any new equipment you need.
3. A digital landline keeps working in a power cut without any battery back-up.
Answer: False
False. A digital phone only works in a power cut if it has a battery back-up.
4. If you depend on your landline, for example with no mobile signal at home, your provider must offer a way to reach the emergency services in a power cut.
Answer: True
True. Ofcom says the solution should be free of charge for people who depend on their landline. It could be a battery back-up unit or a mobile phone.
5. If you have a care alarm or security alarm on your phone line, you should tell your provider before you switch.
Answer: True
True. Alarms may need replacing or setting up again, and your provider should tell your alarm company what to do.
6. Openreach has said every remaining line will simply go dead at midnight on the day, with no safety net.
Answer: False
False. Openreach said there will be no big bang. Lines that remain will be looked at case by case, and some moved to a basic emergency-only service where possible.
Source: ISPreview, June 2026 This answer is reviewed by 31 March 2027.
7. Ofcom says you should not pay extra for digital calls if you do not take broadband.
Answer: True
True. You should not pay extra for the new technology if you only want a phone line.
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Questions people ask
- Do I need to do anything about the landline switch-off?
- Ofcom says you do not need to do anything until your provider contacts you. If you have a care alarm or security alarm on your line, tell your provider before you switch.
- Will my phone work in a power cut?
- A digital phone only works in a power cut if it has a battery back-up. If you depend on your landline, your provider must offer you a free solution so you can reach the emergency services.
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How we checked this quiz
Every answer was checked on 9 November 2026 against the source listed with it, mostly Ofcom and the companies that publish the figures, and dated figures say when they apply. Questions that depend on a date, such as compensation amounts that rise each April, are hidden automatically once they pass their review date, so the quiz never shows an out-of-date answer. Your scores, badges and streaks are kept on this device only. Anonymous answer counts help us show how other players did, with no names or personal details.
References
- ISPreview. (2026, June 11). Openreach says no big bang in Jan 2027 when UK analogue phones switch off. https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/06/openreach-says-no-big-bang-in-jan-2027-when-uk-analogue-phones-switch-off.html
- Ofcom. (n.d.). Your landline is going digital: What you need to know. Retrieved November 9, 2026. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/landline-phones/future-of-landline-calls
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