Will an Old Phone Handset Work on a Digital Line?

In most cases, yes: your existing handset will keep working when your landline goes digital. Openreach says that in most cases your existing handset will work with your new digital phone line, and your provider will advise you during the switch¹. What changes is where the phone plugs in. Instead of the wall socket, your phone service will usually work through a broadband router, and you plug the phone into the router rather than directly into the wall².

Two things do change, and both matter for an ordinary household. First, a digital landline needs mains electricity, so it will not work in a power cut unless you have a battery back-up⁴. Second, anything else that used your phone line, such as a telecare alarm, a burglar alarm or a payment terminal, may need checking with its supplier before the switch⁵.

The switch is happening across the UK. By 31 January 2027 all traditional phone lines will be going digital, and landline users must move to a digital option before then⁶. Your phone number will not change, and nobody will have to lose their landline service because of this change⁷. This page sets out what to check on your own phone, how to keep a working line in an outage, and what to do about alarms and devices.

Most handsets keep working, but they plug into the router

The change is smaller than it sounds for most people. Your digital landline will work over a broadband connection³, and in most cases your existing handset will work with it¹. Suffolk County Council puts it plainly for its residents: most handsets work fine with the new system¹⁰. Many households will be able to keep using their existing handset, though some older phones may not be compatible, and your service provider will advise you².

The practical difference is the socket. You will need to plug your phone into your broadband router, rather than directly into the wall socket⁹. The change may be as simple as that, or you may be given a new router to do it¹¹. If you are unsure whether a particular device in your home will still work, the government advises contacting the equipment supplier or device manufacturer to find out whether it will remain functional on a digital phone line⁵.

If your phone does not work after the switch, work through this in order:

1. Check the handset is plugged into the router's phone socket, not the old wall socket⁹.
2. Check the router has power and its lights are on.
3. Try a second, simple corded handset if you have one.
4. Ring your provider, who will advise you during the switch¹.

Your number stays the same. You can usually keep your existing number when you switch², and your phone number will not change⁷. Telephone landlines will still exist and you can still have a landline telephone at home, but the network the phone uses will be different¹². For the wider picture of what changes and when, see the digital landline switchover.

Your number and service stay the same

Nobody will have to lose their landline service because of this change⁷. That reassurance comes from official council guidance aimed at residents who rely on a home phone, and it is worth holding on to if you have heard otherwise. The analogue telephone system used in the UK for many years is changing to a digital system, so your landline will connect over the internet and your telephone will be connected to a router rather than a wall socket¹³.

Your provider should make the first move. Your phone provider, for example BT, Virgin Media or O2, will contact you before the change to explain what you need to do¹¹. You should respond to your provider if they contact you about the change, as you might risk losing service if you do not speak to them about the process⁹. Your telecoms provider should contact you before the switchover to check in and discuss what needs to happen¹¹.

If you rely on your landline, have poor mobile signal, or use telecare or health devices, tell your service provider so they can make sure you get the right support during the switch and can provide battery back-up support¹. The same applies if you do not have a working mobile phone or reliable mobile signal: tell your provider before your landline is changed to digital⁹. For the help providers can offer, see extra help from phone and broadband providers.

A digital landline stops working in a power cut

This is the change that catches households out. Digital landlines need mains electricity and will not work in a power cut unless you have a battery back-up⁴. Digital landlines cannot carry an electrical power connection, so in the event of a power cut they will not work¹¹. Put simply, if your power goes off, so does your router, and so does your phone line¹⁵.

A corded phone is not a magic fix on a digital line, because the line itself depends on the router. But official guidance still notes that if you have a corded landline phone, this might still be working in a power cut⁸. That is because some lines and some setups keep a working connection, and it costs nothing to keep an old corded handset for the purpose. Many modern telephones, especially digital or cordless ones, will not work in a power cut, so keep an old analogue phone to use¹⁶.

The first step is to find out where you stand. Contact your landline provider, who can let you know if your phone would work during a power cut¹⁷. If it will not, your landline provider might offer you a free solution, such as a back-up battery unit, for a minimum of one hour, that would enable you to call the emergency services during a power cut if you needed to⁸. For vulnerable customers with an analogue landline, the provider must supply a free back-up battery unit, meaning the landline would work for at least an hour during a power cut, and many batteries now last much longer¹⁸. For how to ask, see getting a free battery backup for a digital landline.

Battery backup or a mobile: keeping a line in an outage

You have two practical routes to a working phone when the power fails, and most households should have both. The first is a battery back-up on the line itself. The second is a mobile phone, kept charged, as a separate way to call.

If your landline is not working, try using your mobile. If your mobile network is down but you have a working internet connection, you may still be able to make calls over Wi-Fi by enabling Wi-Fi Calling on your device⁴. That is a useful second string, but it depends on the router having power, so it does not solve a power cut on its own. For the detail, see Wi-Fi Calling.

A non-mains powered landline telephone will help you stay in touch during any disruptions to your power supply¹⁹. If possible, have an analogue phone that can be connected in your house, as this will still work if a power cut impacts the mobile network²⁰. Keep a charged mobile and a charged power bank as well, and know how to save battery if the outage runs long. For the wider plan, see power cuts and keeping your router and hub running in a power cut.

Alarms, telecare and other devices need checking first

A phone line does more than carry calls in many homes. Your care alarm or telecare device might not work properly on a digital landline⁹. Do not assume a personal alarm, fall detector or medical pendant will keep working after the switch to digital phone lines, or during a power cut¹⁵.

The action is to tell people before the switch, not after. Tell your landline provider and your device supplier before your landline is changed to digital if you, or someone in your household, has a telecare alarm, health pendant, personal alarm or any other device that uses your phone line⁹. If you use telecare, a health alarm, CCTV, a house alarm, a payment terminal or any other device connected to your phone line, check with your equipment provider that it will work with a digital phone line before you switch².

Ask the supplier specific questions. Contact the company that supplies your personal alarm, fall detector or medical pendant and ask them to confirm that it is compatible with the new digital phone network and what happens if the power goes off¹⁵. Services that rely on the old landline system, such as home phones, telecare and health devices, will need to be moved¹¹. Some care providers have already written to customers: one alarm provider told customers in February 2026 that current personal alarms would not work with the digital switchover and offered an upgrade or an alternative²¹.

For more on devices and what to ask, see telecare and personal alarms when phone lines go digital and will a burglar alarm work after the digital switchover?.

When the analogue network is switched off

The old network is going, and the date is set. By 31 January 2027 all traditional phone lines will be going digital, and landline users must move to a digital option before then⁶. Between now and January 2027 most telephone providers will be moving their customers from old analogue landlines over to digital¹¹. The traditional analogue landline network is increasingly unreliable and is being upgraded to a digital network; if you still have one of these connections and have not yet migrated, contact your landline provider⁴.

If you have not heard from your provider, do not wait. Contact your landline provider if you still have an analogue connection and have not yet migrated⁴. If you do not have an internet connection, your phone company will ensure that there is still a landline only service offered¹¹. Your broadband provider will offer a dedicated landline service, allowing you to use your home phone in the same way as today²³. For the full sequence, see when does the analogue phone network switch off? and what to do before the digital landline switchover.

Mobile networks, alerts and the 2G and 3G switch-off

Your mobile is part of the plan, so it is worth knowing what is changing there too. All 2G networks will be switched off by 2030, with some areas losing 2G access sooner²⁴. For 3G, you should start to receive text messages or emails three to six months before switch-off²². If you use an older handset or a device that relies on 2G or 3G, such as some personal alarms, ask the supplier which network it uses. For the detail, see the 3G switch-off.

Emergency Alerts are sent to compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones within an area of risk. They do not need your location or phone number, and only the government and emergency services can send them²⁵. If you do not have a mobile, you will still be made aware through the news and local emergency services²⁶. That matters if your household has given up mobiles in favour of a landline: the alert system will not reach you directly, so keep a radio and know where to find official updates. See Emergency Alerts and how to get emergency warnings without a mobile phone.

If you are deaf or have hearing loss, there are separate routes to the emergency services, including emergency video relay²². For more, see 999 BSL and Relay UK.

Where to get help

Start with your provider. They can tell you whether your phone will work in a power cut¹⁷, and they can arrange battery back-up support if you rely on your line, have poor mobile signal or use telecare or health devices¹. If you are worried about the cost or the process, your local council's digital switchover pages carry local contacts and reassurance, and the same message applies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: nobody will have to lose their landline service because of this change⁷.

• Your landline or broadband provider: compatibility, switch date and battery backup¹⁵.
• Your device supplier: alarms, telecare, CCTV and payment terminals².
• Your council: local switchover guidance and support⁷.
• Priority Services Register: if you need extra help in a power cut, ask your energy supplier to add you²⁷.

If a storm or outage is forecast, charge your phone and any power bank, and keep a corded handset and a battery or wind-up radio to hand. For the household plan around an outage, see what to do when phones and the internet go down and staying informed and in touch in an emergency.