The UK landline switch-off: how to keep your number

The UK's traditional landline network, the copper-based telephone network known as the PSTN, along with ISDN business lines, is being switched off. Phone calls are moving to digital services that run over broadband. Openreach and the phone companies have been moving lines area by area, and the industry is working towards completing the switch-off by January 2027.

For most people the change is gradual: your provider contacts you before your line is moved. But it raises a question many people have never had to think about: what happens to my phone number?

What the switch-off means for you

• Home phones move to a digital service such as a phone plugged into your broadband router. Most providers move your existing number across for you.
• Businesses with ISDN or traditional lines need a replacement: a digital phone system, a broadband phone service, or numbers that ring on staff mobiles.
• Devices that use the line, such as alarms, telecare pendants, lift lines and card machines, may need checking or replacing. Ask the supplier of each device.

Your provider should tell you when your line is due to change. If you are unsure, contact them.

Do I lose my landline number?

No, not if you act before your line is cancelled. Your number can usually stay with your current provider on their digital service, or you can move it somewhere else.

The risk is cancelling a landline you no longer want, for example because you only use your mobile, and losing a number that people have used for years. A number can only be moved while it is still live.

Keep your number without a landline

If you would rather not keep a home phone or desk phone at all, you can move your landline number to your mobile. Port your 01 or 02 number to Digital Numbers and it rings in our app on your mobile. Callers dial the same number as before, and you can call out with it too.

• It works anywhere you have mobile data or Wi-Fi, so no phone line or router socket is needed.
• Moving the number usually takes around 10 working days, and your old line keeps working until the switch-over.
• It costs a one-off porting fee of £14.99, then £7.99 a month, or £79.99 a year, with no contract.

See how to move your landline number to your mobile.

For businesses

The switch-off is a good moment to stop paying for lines tied to an office. With Digital Numbers your existing 01 or 02 numbers can ring on staff mobiles, with working hours, voicemail and call forwarding included. You can add new local numbers for other areas you serve too. See business phone numbers.

Common questions

When is the UK landline switch-off?

Lines are being moved area by area, and the industry is working towards completing the switch-off of the old copper network by January 2027. Your provider should contact you before your own line changes.

Will I keep my landline number after the switch-off?

You can. Your number can move to your provider's digital service, or you can port it elsewhere, for example to your mobile with Digital Numbers. Do not cancel your line before the number has moved.

Can I keep my landline number if I cancel my landline?

Yes, if you move the number before the line is cancelled. Porting it to Digital Numbers lets you answer it on your mobile, with no phone line.

What happens to ISDN lines?

ISDN is being retired along with the copper network. Businesses using ISDN need a digital replacement, and can keep their existing numbers by porting them.

Will my alarm or telecare device still work?

Some devices that rely on a traditional phone line need checking or replacing. Ask the supplier of each device before your line changes.