Ask your landline provider how your service will connect before buying an adapter or replacement phone. Your existing handset may work through the provider’s router or approved adapter, but connected alarms, extension wiring and arrangements for power cuts need separate confirmation before the change.
If you use a corded phone, cordless base station or extension arrangement, ask how it will connect to your provider’s digital service. Ofcom says a digital landline connects through broadband equipment rather than directly through the old wall socket.
If a care alarm, health pendant, security alarm or other device uses the telephone line, tell your landline provider before the change. Confirm the new connection and any testing with the device’s service provider too.
If you have no suitable mobile phone, poor mobile signal or a particular reliance on your home phone, tell your provider before the switchover. Ofcom advises raising these circumstances so the provider can discuss the applicable arrangements.
For a move from a traditional phone socket to a broadband-based landline, confirm the provider’s connection instructions first. Resolve any connected-device or outage needs before choosing a handset or adapter.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Phone and adapter compatibility | Confirm the provider, router model and whether your handset or cordless base connects to a phone port or an approved adapter. Ask separately about extensions. | If I want to keep my familiar phone, I need to know whether it will work with my provider’s equipment; around 36% of consumers put that compatibility question first. |
| Connected-device continuity | Identify devices using the line, then obtain connection and testing instructions from both the landline provider and the device’s service provider. | When a care pendant or alarm depends on my phone line, keeping that service working takes priority over replacing the handset; around 29% of consumers put connected-device continuity first. |
| Outage arrangements | Ask which router, modem or fibre equipment needs power, and what backup your provider supports for your service. | Without a dependable mobile fallback, I need a supported way to communicate during an outage; this is the primary concern for around 21% of consumers. |
| Switchover setup | Follow the provider’s activation date and connection instructions; check for a dial tone and make a test call when instructed. | If my main difficulty is moving the phone to its new connection, I want clear steps and a working test call; around 14% of consumers put straightforward setup first. |
Adapters are not interchangeable simply because they connect a home phone. BT says its Digital Voice Adapter is designed for the latest BT Hub, while Virgin Media supplies an adapter for its own WiFi Hub setup.
Confirm your provider, router, service activation and handset connection method before considering other equipment.
An unapproved connection could interrupt a telephone-line-connected service. BT instructs customers not to connect healthcare alarms or medical pendants through its Digital Voice Adapter.
Tell the landline provider and the alarm or device service provider before the change. Use only the connection and testing arrangement they confirm for the device.
A powered handset alone cannot keep an unpowered broadband connection working. BT says its Full Fibre setup also needs the Openreach modem powered during an outage; KCOM says its fibre terminal needs power for calls.
Ask your provider which parts of your specific setup need backup power and what supported arrangement applies.
Virgin Media says its supplied adapter will not work before the scheduled switchover date, so an early connection may appear faulty.
Follow the provider’s dated instructions and make a test call after activation.
BT Digital Voice uses BT Hub equipment, with connection options for existing phones and BT Digital Voice handsets.
Virgin Media Digital Voice connects an existing handset or cordless base to its WiFi Hub using a provider-supplied adapter.
KCOM’s full-fibre landline arrangement is relevant to households in its service area planning for powered fibre equipment.
Sky Internet Calls is a broadband-based calling option where the customer’s area and package support it.
Your digital landline will connect through broadband equipment rather than directly through the old wall socket, according to Ofcom. Ask your provider whether your phone should connect to a router port or its supplied or approved adapter.
Do not assume adapters are interchangeable. BT’s Digital Voice Adapter is designed for the latest BT Hub, while Virgin Media supplies an adapter for its WiFi Hub; confirm the adapter, handset and connection method for your own service.
Tell your landline provider before the change and ask the alarm or device service provider to confirm a compatible connection and testing plan. Do not reroute the device through a phone adapter without their instructions; BT specifically says not to connect healthcare alarms or medical pendants through its Digital Voice Adapter.
Do not rely on it during a power cut without confirming a supported arrangement for your service. The router and, in some setups, a modem or fibre terminal need power; providers’ backup equipment and eligibility conditions differ, so discuss your needs with your provider before the change.
Not necessarily: whether your current handset can be used depends on your provider’s service and connection equipment. Ofcom says some customers may need a router, adapter or handset and advises discussing the required equipment with the provider rather than purchasing a replacement in advance.