Digital Voice and Phones on Broadband: UK Digital Landline Providers
Digital landlines (also called Digital Voice or VoIP) carry your home phone calls over your broadband connection instead of the old copper phone network. Providers are moving everyone to this all-IP system as they retire the old PSTN and ISDN networks. The government and industry now expect the switch to finish by the end of January 2027, not 2025, with new analogue line sales already stopped.
The old PSTN is being turned off because it’s decades old, expensive to maintain and not designed for modern broadband services. With Digital Voice, your phone plugs into your broadband router (or a small adapter), not the wall socket. Day-to-day use feels the same, but there’s one key difference: in a power cut your broadband router turns off, so the phone will too unless you have a backup device. Ofcom requires providers to make sure customers who rely on a landline can still call 999 for at least one hour during a power cut, and that support must be provided free of charge for those users.
Migrations were slowed and then restarted with extra safeguards after problems with some telecare devices. Government, Ofcom and providers agreed a charter for protecting vulnerable customers, including better checks, clearer communication and stronger backup options.
Openreach has now created a “Prove Telecare” service to test telecare over digital lines before migration; the pilot has finished and national rollout begins in October 2025.
Who offers Digital Voice today
Almost all major providers now deliver home phone over broadband. On full fibre (FTTP) it’s digital by default. On FTTC without a copper phone line (SOGEA), your only landline option is a digital phone service via the router.
• BT and EE offer Digital Voice over the Smart Hub 2 or EE hub, with optional wireless phone adapters for handsets that aren’t near the router. BT also explains the migration process step-by-step on its help pages.
• Sky provides Internet Calls when you take Broadband & Talk. You plug your phone into the hub’s phone port; prices for the broadband don’t change just because you’re on Internet Calls.
• TalkTalk delivers Digital Voice on its fibre packages and offers call “Boosts” you can add to your plan. There’s also a Digital Voice app so you can take calls on your mobile.
• Vodafone calls its service Digital Voice as well. Your phone connects to the router, and you can add call packs such as evenings and weekends or anytime.
• Virgin Media has been migrating customers from copper phone lines to phone over its hub’s TEL port. For people who rely on their landline or don’t have a mobile, Virgin offers an Emergency Backup Line device to maintain calls in a power cut.
• Plusnet has moved to broadband-only packages and no longer sells a landline product; if you need a home phone you’ll need to use a third-party VoIP provider or choose a different ISP that includes Digital Voice.
• KCOM (Hull) is also migrating to digital home phone, with guides for voice adapters and the switchover.
• Hyperoptic and Community Fibre both offer optional VoIP add-ons over their full-fibre networks; Community Fibre’s current headline price is typically £10 per month for unlimited UK calls. Hyperoptic also documents optional battery backup for vulnerable users.
How much it costs
You no longer pay separate “line rental” for a copper phone line. Instead, you add a phone service to your broadband and choose a call plan:
| Provider | Call plans |
|---|---|
| BT | 500 Minutes, 700 Minutes, Unlimited Minutes, Pay As You Go |
| Sky | Evenings & Weekends Extra, Anytime Extra, International Extra |
| TalkTalk | Unlimited UK Calls Boost |
| Vodafone | Evening & Weekend Calls, Anytime Calls |
| Virgin Media | Weekend & Evening Chatter, Anytime Chatter, International Options |
| Community Fibre | Unlimited UK Calls |
| Hyperoptic | Unlimited UK Calls (see price guide) |
• BT calling plans include 500 or 700 minutes and Unlimited Minutes to UK landlines and UK mobiles. If you keep exceeding a minutes plan, BT may move you to Unlimited. Per-minute Pay As You Go pricing is also listed.
• Sky has Sky Talk add-ons such as Evenings & Weekends Extra, Anytime Extra and International Extra. The tariff guide explains what’s included and the time bands.
• TalkTalk’s Unlimited UK Calls Boost is currently listed at £16 per month and covers UK landlines and mobiles, with a 60-minute call cap before redial.
• Vodafone offers call extras including Evening & Weekend Calls (shown at £6 per month) and Anytime call packs; there’s also a price-plan PDF with the fine print (for example, 60-minute caps before redial).
• Virgin Media sells phone plans alongside broadband bundles: Weekend & evening chatter, Anytime chatter and International options; weekend plans are often included on some bundles.
• Altnets such as Community Fibre advertise a simple phone add-on at £10 per month for unlimited UK calls; Hyperoptic provides prices in its residential price guide.
Pros and cons
Digital landlines can sound clearer thanks to HD voice, and you often get modern features such as call screening, voicemail in apps and better nuisance-call blocking. Because calls run over your broadband, you don’t need a separate copper line.
On the flip side, your landline now depends on power in your home. If you rely on a home phone to reach 999, ask your provider for the free resilience option they offer to vulnerable customers, such as a battery unit or a mobile-powered backup line.
Some older kit like fax machines, alarm panels and telecare may need an adapter or a new solution. Always check with the device supplier and your provider before switching.
Telecare, alarms and other critical services
If you or a family member uses a personal alarm, pendant, stairlift line or similar, tell your provider before you switch. The industry has agreed extra checks for vulnerable users and Openreach’s Prove Telecare service lets engineers test a device works over a digital line before final migration. Councils and housing associations are also updating equipment where needed. If your device isn’t compatible, your provider should pause the move until a safe alternative is in place.
How to set it up at home
The basic setup is simple and takes a few minutes on switchover day.
- Find the phone port on your router
It’s usually labelled “TEL” or shows a small phone icon. Unplug your phone from the wall socket and plug the handset base into the router’s phone port using the supplied cable or adapter. BT and EE show this clearly in their Digital Voice guides. - If the phone base is in another room
Ask for a wireless phone adapter (BT/EE call this a Digital Voice Adapter) and pair it to the router, then plug your phone into the adapter where you want it. Alternatively, move the base next to the hub and use cordless handsets around the house. - Full fibre homes with an ONT
If you have a wall-mounted fibre modem (ONT), keep it powered on along with your router. The phone still goes into the router unless your provider has fitted a separate voice adapter. KCOM and others have help pages showing where a voice adapter sits between the ONT and your phone. - Virgin Media migrations
Virgin supplies an adapter that lets you plug the phone into your Hub’s TEL port. For customers who rely on a landline or have no mobile signal, ask about the Emergency Backup Line kit. - Sky Internet Calls
Follow Sky’s hub setup and Internet Calls pages. Sky notes that Broadband & Talk costs are the same whether you’re on Internet Calls or not; you still choose a Sky Talk call plan if you want inclusive minutes.
Keeping your phone number
Number porting still works when you move between providers or to another VoIP service. Time the switch so the losing service doesn’t cease before the port completes, and keep your account active until the new provider confirms the number is live. Ofcom’s consumer pages explain the move to digital and why number transfers remain supported.
BT and EE
Digital Voice runs through the Smart Hub 2 or EE hub. You can use a Digital Voice Adapter if the router isn’t near your main handset. Calling plans include 500 or 700 minutes and Unlimited Minutes to UK landlines and mobiles; Pay As You Go per-minute rates are listed on BT’s site.
Sky
Internet Calls are provided with Broadband & Talk on Sky fibre packages. You connect the phone to the hub’s phone port and then pick a Sky Talk plan such as Evenings & Weekends Extra, Anytime Extra or International Extra. The tariff guide explains the allowances and time bands.
TalkTalk
Digital Voice is available on TalkTalk fibre packages. You can add the Unlimited UK Calls Boost (currently shown at £16 per month) which covers UK landlines and mobiles with a 60-minute cap before redial. There’s also a Digital Voice app that lets you take calls on your mobile.
Vodafone
Digital Voice plugs into the router. You can add Evening & Weekend Calls (shown at £6 per month) or an Anytime pack; Vodafone’s price-plan PDF sets out rules like the 60-minute cap before redial.
Virgin Media
Your phone connects to the Virgin Media Hub via the TEL port. Phone plans include Weekend & evening chatter, Anytime chatter and international options; some broadband and phone bundles include a weekend plan as standard. Ask about the Emergency Backup Line if you need landline access during power cuts.
Plusnet
Broadband-only going forward. If you need a landline, add a third-party VoIP service or choose a provider that includes Digital Voice.
Hyperoptic and Community Fibre
Both offer optional phone over full fibre. Community Fibre advertises a simple £10 per month add-on for unlimited UK calls. Hyperoptic’s price guide covers call plans and also documents battery backup availability for vulnerable users.
KCOM (Hull)
KCOM is moving customers to phone over fibre with adapters and guides. Check its switchover pages and adapter help if you’re in Hull.
What to do before you switch
Write a quick checklist and you’ll avoid surprises.
• List anything plugged into the phone line: telecare, alarms, fax, card machines and lift lines. Contact the device supplier and ask if it works over a digital line or if you need a different unit or adapter.
• Tell your provider if you rely on your landline for 999 or telecare and ask for the free resilience solution they offer.
• Decide whether you need a call plan or if Pay As You Go is enough.
• If your main handset sits far from the router, order a wireless phone adapter or plan to move the base and use DECT handsets elsewhere.
Those safeguards are part of Ofcom and DSIT guidance and the industry charter created to protect vulnerable users during the move to digital landlines.
Frequently asked questions
Will my alarm or pendant still work?
Some telecare and alarm devices need replacing or an adapter to work over digital. Your provider should not migrate you until a safe setup is in place and tested. Ask about Openreach’s Prove Telecare testing if you’re on an Openreach line.
What happens in a power cut?
If you rely on a landline for emergency calls, your provider must offer a solution that gives at least one hour of 999 access during a power cut at home. That may be a battery unit, a mobile-powered backup phone or similar.
Can I get a landline without broadband?
Most households will move to landline-over-broadband. Some providers run interim options for people who need a phone but don’t want broadband during the transition; ask your current provider what they can offer locally. The long-term direction is all-IP phone over broadband.
Do I have to switch right now?
The final switch-off is targeted for end-January 2027. Some areas and providers are moving earlier, and new analogue line sales stopped in 2023, so it’s worth planning now.
A note on safety and the latest changes
The sector has tightened processes after incidents linked to telecare during early migrations. The DSIT charter was updated in August 2025 and sets expectations on how providers identify and support vulnerable customers, including going beyond the minimum one-hour power backup where needed. If you or a relative is in that group, contact your provider before any change and ask for a supported migration.
Key takeaways
• Digital Voice is now the standard way to get a home phone in the UK.
• You’ll plug your phone into the router, not the wall.
• If you depend on the landline, ask for free resilience so you can call 999 in a power cut.
• Telecare and other special devices must be checked and tested before you switch.
• Call plans vary: expect options from evenings and weekends to unlimited anytime calls, with typical add-on prices ranging from about £6 to £16 per month depending on provider.
