When will landines be phased out?
It's the end of landline phones in 2025 - Major changes are coming to the way broadband and voice services are supplied in the UK
The withdrawal of fixed telephone line products is due to be completed in 2025. This means that all services currently dependent on a copper line will cease to operate, and customers using traditional phone lines (PSTN) or ISDN lines will need to find alternatives.
This change will affect the whole of the UK, so businesses and home users that currently connect over copper line services will need to be prepared.
What do I do when my landline (PSTN) or ISDN service is turned off?
Many exchanges are already being switched to "stop sell", so it's not just a case of switching supplier to continue with a traditional landline. You'll need to change your existing service to one of the newer "single order" options instead - these include FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) or SoGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access). More familiar services such as ADSL, FTTC and landlines will be redundant and no longer available.
FTTP and SoGEA connections don't require a landline to operate. SoGEA uses your existing phone line and is a data-only connection that should be available wherever Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) is available, and FTTP doesn't use any phone line whatsoever.
An IP compatible service such as Freeola Voice, our Home VoIP service, which runs over an internet connection and can be easily configured, will provide the same service as a traditional landline. You may even be able to use your existing number.
What you need to know about landlines ending in 2025
The copper line switch off and Openreach Stop Sell explained
The technology behind PSTN and ISDN lines is old and out of date, and increasingly expensive to maintain. As people are moving to mobile and digital forms of communication, a new, faster, more reliable fibre network will provide a more suitable platform for supporting those services.
If you currently use a PSTN or ISDN line to support any services (such as making and receiving calls, CCTV or alarms, fax machines), then those services will need to be updated or changed once the analogue lines come to an end. You would need to speak to the providers of those services to upgrade or find alternative digital services. If you have broadband that relies on a telephone line, such as ADSL or FTTC, you can switch to a single order broadband product.
Options available will depend on your location and the exchange you are connected to. Single Order broadband services include a range of FTTP (fibre to the premises) connections, and SoGEA (single order generic ethernet access). Run a quick check on our broadband page to see what's available to you.
Many exchanges are already being moved to "stop sell". This means that, although your landline may currently be active, any changes to your service, migrations to other suppliers, or switching to other products will be limited to the options that are to be supported long-term. Effectively, you would be unable to place any new order for an analogue line or any service dependent on a landline, and would only be able to pick from single order options such as FTTP or SoGEA.
When landlines are phased out in 2025, digital voice services such as VoIP will take over. A VoIP service can be run over an internet connection, so it does not need a physical landline.
No, you don't. The advantage of the new Single Order Broadband options is that they are not reliant on any active voice service, so you can simply move to one of these without any additional orders. Voice services (such as VoIP) are effectively an add-on to your broadband.
Between now and December 2025, all WLR products will be ending, including Silent Line Rental. This means that you will need to move to alternative connection options, such as FTTP or SoGEA. Check your Regrade options via your MyFreeola control panel, or run a check on our broadband page to see what's available.
Any item that relies on an analogue landline will cease to work on a single order broadband. As such, you would need to switch to products that are IP compatible. The vendor/ supplier of those items should be able to advise you regarding compatibility, and possibly help with sourcing alternatives.
Some critical services such as life pendants and Redcare currently depend on an analogue line, and as such you are advised to contact the vendor of any services you use to seek help before making any changes. Openreach have committed not to withdraw services until a replacement is in place, so these will be supported until the December 2025 deadline.
Vendors of these services are already being advised and guided toward changing their services to be compatible with single order broadband, so this should ensure that there are no interruptions in service at the 2025 deadline.