UK Landline Switch-Off Checklist Published with 82 Days Left

BroadbandSwitch.uk has published a landline switch-off checklist with 82 days to go until the UK's final deadline for switching to digital services on 31 January 2027. As of September 2026, 15 million lines have already moved, leaving 1.2 million still on the old analogue network. This represents a significant progress, with lines falling from about 2.5 million in April 2026 to 1.2 million by September 2026, at an average pace of about 250,000 lines per month.

Openreach, the UK's largest fixed-line network provider, has confirmed that the switch-off will hold, with a residual tail of 150,000 to 450,000 lines still unmigrated on 1 February 2027. The company has set out a sequence for lines that miss the deadline: on 1 February 2027, consumer lines will begin moving to Emergency Voice Access, a basic phone-only service for essential calls. Migration orders with completion dates after 31 March 2027 will be cancelled. From mid-April 2027, lines that also carry broadband are expected to move with a short-term broadband preservation solution.

The checklist, designed to help households prepare for the switch, asks seven key questions. First, it checks whether the phone has already moved by looking at where the handset is plugged in. If it is plugged into the router or a small box next to it, the switch has occurred. If it is still in the wall socket, a letter from the provider is on the way or has already arrived.

Second, the checklist advises households to check if anyone in the home relies on a telecare alarm, a fall pendant, a care line, or a medical device that uses the phone line. If so, the provider needs to be informed before anything changes. BroadbandSwitch.uk recommends calling the provider now and informing the telecare company too, as both need to confirm the alarm works on the new service.

Third, the checklist addresses power cuts, noting that a digital landline needs power. Anyone who relies on the landline to call for help or has no mobile signal at home should ask their provider for a battery backup unit. Vulnerable customers are offered one free of charge. Everyone else should keep a charged mobile phone where they can find it in the dark.

Fourth, the checklist counts the number of phones and decides where the base station will live. It also asks the provider what it supplies for extra phones.

Fifth, the checklist checks if the number is kept. Yes, when the switch happens with the same provider, and in almost every case when switching to a new one, provided the customer asks the new provider to port it rather than cancelling the old service first.

Sixth, the checklist checks if broadband has paused without warning. For BT customers, a pause may be the nudge described in the trial above rather than a fault. The landline still works during the pause, and a call to the provider restarts the process.

Seventh, the checklist checks if the household is out of contract. Around 28% of UK broadband customers are, and in-contract customers pay between £7 and £9 a month less. A home that has to change its phone set-up anyway can do the whole thing in one go: compare broadband deals by postcode, choose a full fibre deal with a digital phone service included, and let One Touch Switch handle the move. Full fibre is available to 82% of UK homes.

The checklist is designed to ensure that the switch-off process is as smooth as possible, with all necessary protections in place for vulnerable customers and those who rely on telecare alarms.