Updated · 17 articles
Landline switch-off: news and what to do
Openreach plans to retire the old copper phone network, the PSTN, on 31 January 2027. Home phones are moving to digital lines that run over broadband, often called Digital Voice. For most homes the change is simple: the phone plugs into the router instead of the wall socket.
It matters more if you rely on a care alarm, have a phone line but no broadband, or need a landline that keeps working in a power cut. Below is every update we have published on the switch-off, newest first, with clear steps for each situation.
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Every article on landline switch-off
Newest first. Every article shows the date it was published.
Digital Voice and pendant alarms: 3 questions answered
Landline moving to Digital Voice and you have a pendant alarm? Will it still work, do you keep your number, and what happens in a power cut? Answered.
22 min read
Openreach's newest stop-sell list: 112 more exchanges
Openreach has named 112 more exchanges for copper stop sell, covering 619,724 premises. See every town, the charts, and what starts on 6 November.
15 min read
Is Freeview being switched off? Do you need broadband for TV?
Freeview is safe until at least the end of 2034, and nothing is decided yet. What the 2034 or 2044 choice means, and the broadband speed you'd need for TV.
16 min read
Landline switch-off: what the 1 October price rise means
Openreach's price for old copper phone lines doubled on 1 October 2026. What it means for your bill, the January deadline and how to move on your terms.
20 min read
Openreach's Phone Switch-Off League Table: What It Means for Your Home
Openreach has ranked ten UK cities by how many old phone lines are left before the 31 January 2027 switch-off. Most households need do nothing. Here is who must act, and why.
17 min read
Four UK Switch-Offs Are Running at Once. Only One of Them Needs You.
The phone switch-off, the copper price cap, 2G retirement and terrestrial TV. Eleven dates between 2027 and 2034, and an honest answer on which you can safely ignore.
19 min read
When Does 2G Switch Off for You? Your Provider Is Probably Not a Network
2G switch-off dates are set by network, not by provider. giffgaff is O2. Lebara is Vodafone. Smarty is Three, which has no 2G. Find your real date, and check the devices that matter.
19 min read
Your Copper Broadband Price Cap Now Has an End Date: 1 April 2029
Ofcom has set the date Openreach can start raising copper broadband prices: 1 April 2029, in exchanges with 90% ultrafast coverage. What it means for your bill, and the protection that stays.
24 min read
Will My Care Alarm Still Work? Broadband and Telecare After the Switch-Off
What families and carers need to know about care alarms and the landline switch-off: what must happen before a line moves, the power cut gap nobody mentions, and what to do this month.
22 min read
The PSTN Switch-Off Countdown: A Household Action Plan for the Final Year
The landline switch-off is fixed for 31 January 2027. A month-by-month household plan, what happens if you do nothing, and what your provider has promised.
23 min read
France Just Banned Cold Calls. Here Is What Actually Stops Them in the UK
France banned cold calling on 11 August. In the UK it stays legal by default. Here is the free step that works, and what providers now charge to block.
18 min read
What Is SoGEA? The Broadband Line Millions Are Being Moved Onto
SoGEA is fibre-to-the-cabinet broadband without the phone line, and Openreach says 98.5% of UK premises can get it. How to check if you already have it.
25 min read
Openreach Copper Stop Sell: Is Your Exchange on the New List?
Openreach has added 112 more exchanges to its copper Stop Sell list. Check whether yours is on it, what Stop Sell does and does not do to your service, and the one date that actually matters: 31 January 2027.
19 min read
Will my phone work in a power cut after the 2027 switch-off?
Digital phone lines do not work in a power cut. Who gets a free battery backup, what the rules say, and how to stay safe before the 2027 switch-off.
9 min read
The Big Switch-Off: What It Means for You
The big switch-off explained: what moving from copper to digital phone lines means for home phones, alarms and broadband in UK homes.
9 min read
Copper to Fibre Upgrade UK 2026: When Openreach Arrives
Upgrading copper to fibre when Openreach FTTP arrives at your UK address in 2026. PSTN switch-off, installation, digital voice and postcode comparison.
15 min read
UK Broadband News Round-Up: Latest Industry Changes
Look at the latest industry news and produce a round-up of UK broadband changes, from full fibre rollout to PSTN switch-off and Wi-Fi 7.
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