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Free · No sign-up · Analogue switch-off 31 January 2027

Do you need a landline for broadband?

No, you don’t need a landline for broadband: broadband on its own typically costs about £7 a month less (Ofcom, February 2026), and the Openreach phone network switches off on 31 January 2027. Answer a few questions and we’ll tell you whether to drop the line, keep a digital one or sort your care alarm first, and what each choice costs.

  • A straight answer for your home, not a general guide.
  • Care alarms and telecare are checked before anything else.
  • No email needed to see your answer.
Landline check

How often do you make calls on your landline?

Tap an answer to start. It takes about a minute.

Free. No sign-up or email needed to see your result.

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What changes on 31 January

Your landline is moving to broadband.

The UK’s copper phone network is being switched off. Home phones move to digital lines that run through your broadband router, and most people simply plug their phone into the router instead of the wall.

Source: Openreach, the Big Switch Off

  • Your phone plugs into your router. Your number normally stays the same.

  • Care alarms and telecare need checking first. Tell your provider and your alarm company.

  • A digital line won’t work in a power cut on its own. If you rely on your landline, your provider has to offer a free way to call 999 in a power cut, such as a battery back-up that lasts at least an hour.

  • You don’t need a phone line to have broadband.

Most homes never use it

Seven in ten homes never ring out.

Ofcom found that 70% of households buying broadband and a landline together made no outgoing calls in a three-month period. Broadband on its own typically costs about £7 a month less.

70%

made no outgoing landline call, April to June 2025

£7/mo

typical saving on broadband without the phone line

95

days until the analogue switch-off

Sources: Ofcom pricing report, 26 February 2026; Openreach

What the check tells you

Your answer is one of three things.

  1. 01 · Drop the line

    You rarely use it and your mobile works at home.

    Keep your broadband, lose the phone line and typically save about £7 a month. We show you the broadband-only deals at your address, with April price rises counted.

  2. 02 · Keep a digital line

    You use your landline, so keep it.

    From the switch-over your phone plugs into your router and keeps its number. You can still check whether you’re paying too much for the bundle.

  3. 03 · Check the alarm first

    Something important uses the line.

    Care alarms, telecare pendants and some burglar alarms need checking before your line goes digital. Tell your provider and your alarm company before you change anything.

Questions

Before you change anything.

Will my phone number change when I move to a digital line?

Normally no. Your provider moves your existing number onto the digital line, and you plug your phone into your broadband router.

Will my home phone work in a power cut?

Not on its own, because the router needs power. If you rely on your landline, for example because mobile signal is poor where you live, tell your provider. It has to offer a free way to call 999 in a power cut, such as a battery back-up that lasts at least an hour.

Do I need a phone line to get broadband?

No. Broadband on its own is now widely available, and it typically costs about £7 a month less than broadband with a landline.

I have a care alarm. What should I do?

Tell your provider and your alarm company before your line moves. Many alarms need a new unit or a setting change to work on a digital line. Don’t cancel your phone line until both have confirmed your alarm will keep working.

Can I keep a home phone without broadband?

Yes. Providers offer phone-only plans on digital lines. If you’re on certain benefits, ask your provider about low-cost landline schemes.

Already on broadband?

See what you’d pay without the line.

The broadband cost of living check compares your bill with deals at your exact address, April price rises included.

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