Start with your phone provider and the supplier of each alarm, telecare or door-entry device, rather than buying a replacement handset first. An existing phone may work through the provider’s router or adapter, but connected devices and power-cut arrangements need separate, equipment-specific checks. The January 2027 network transition target does not give your household an individual changeover date.
If a care alarm, pendant, security alarm or door-entry system uses the phone line, ask its supplier or service provider about that exact device before choosing a handset. Government guidance identifies these connected devices as equipment that may need upgrading for the digital transition.
If you cannot rely on a mobile phone or indoor mobile signal, ask your phone provider what calling arrangement applies during a power cut. Check which equipment it keeps working, including any cordless base.
If you mainly need routine calls and have no connected safety equipment, check whether your existing corded phone or cordless base can use your provider’s router or adapter. A change in connection does not necessarily mean you need a new handset.
Confirm your provider’s changeover plan and check every line-dependent device with its supplier before deciding whether to replace a phone. Then establish how your intended setup would handle a power cut.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Connected-device compatibility | Give the alarm, telecare or door-entry supplier each device’s model and service details. Ask it to confirm the appropriate digital connection and power-cut behaviour. | If a care alarm or door-entry system uses the line, I need to establish whether it will communicate after migration. Around 31% of consumers put connected-device continuity first. |
| Provider migration and setup | Confirm your household’s changeover plan, the router or supplied adapter, and where your phone will connect. | When my line changes, I want to know when it will happen and how to connect the home phone. Getting that setup right is the primary concern for around 25% of consumers. |
| Calling during a power cut | Ask which equipment a provider-supported backup powers, its expected runtime and whether a mobile fallback has usable signal at home. | If my household relies on the landline and cannot depend on a mobile, I need a calling arrangement that accounts for an outage. Around 25% of consumers prioritise power-cut resilience. |
| Everyday phone use | Check whether your existing handset or cordless base works with the provider’s connection, and whether it suits the intended user. | For routine calls without connected safety devices, I would rather keep a usable phone than replace it unnecessarily. Everyday handset usability comes first for around 19% of consumers. |
Government guidance gives January 2027 as the target for switching off the Public Switched Telephone Network, but migration is phased. That date alone cannot tell you when to change your household’s setup.
Check your provider’s letter, account information or support service for your own plan before choosing equipment.
A router connection or new handset does not establish that a telecare pendant, security alarm or door-entry system can communicate through the digital service. KCOM, for example, advises customers to check older Lifeline devices with their manufacturer or service provider.
List every device using the line and obtain model-specific guidance from its supplier before migration.
Ofcom says digital voice services need a specific backup arrangement to work during a power cut. Even if other equipment has backup power, a cordless handset cannot call through an unpowered base.
Ask your provider exactly what its arrangement powers and whether the intended phone setup remains usable.
Provider arrangements differ in eligibility, equipment and how calls are maintained. A battery for broadband equipment and a mobile-network fallback are not interchangeable solutions for every household.
Confirm the arrangement available for your account, its expected runtime and any dependence on mobile signal; check connected-device compatibility separately.
These provider examples help frame the questions to ask about your own service; their equipment and support arrangements are not interchangeable.
BT Digital Voice has provider-specific phone and outage-support equipment.
Virgin Media’s digital voice setup uses its broadband hub, with an Emergency Backup Line for eligible landline-reliant customers.
TalkTalk Digital Voice is a route for existing TalkTalk Full Fibre customers using its Wi-Fi Hub or Digital Voice Adapter.
KCOM is a regional provider relevant to households in Hull and East Yorkshire preparing for a fibre-based phone service.
No. Government guidance sets January 2027 as the industry’s PSTN switch-off target, not an appointment for every household. Ofcom said in August 2026 that BT planned to retire its PSTN by 31 January 2027, while dates for other operators with their own networks had not yet been set; ask your provider for your household’s plan.
It may work if it is compatible with your provider’s digital connection. Ofcom says a digital landline phone generally connects to a broadband router rather than the old wall socket; ask your provider whether your particular handset or cordless base can use its router or supplied adapter before replacing it.
No: changing the phone does not confirm that a separate connected device will communicate after migration. Give the alarm or telecare supplier the device’s exact model and ask what connection, upgrade or replacement it requires, including how it operates during a power cut.
Not without an applicable backup arrangement. Ofcom explains that digital voice equipment normally depends on mains power; ask your provider what backup is available and which equipment it powers. If you use a cordless phone, include its base in that check.