Ask your landline provider how your home phone will connect before buying a new handset. According to Ofcom, a digital landline uses broadband equipment rather than the old wall socket; your provider can explain whether you need a router, adaptor or handset. BT says a tone-dialling phone can work with BT Digital Voice through its Smart Hub or Digital Voice Adapter, but telecare devices and calling during a power cut need separate, provider-led checks.
If you want to keep a familiar corded or cordless phone, ask where it will connect after migration. Ofcom describes a router connection for digital landlines, while BT explains how a suitable phone can connect to its Smart Hub or Digital Voice Adapter.
If a care alarm, health pendant or security alarm uses the telephone line, tell your communications provider and contact the device service supplier before changing the setup. Ofcom identifies connected devices as needing a compatibility check during migration.
If you cannot depend on a charged mobile phone or mobile coverage, discuss a suitable power-cut arrangement with your provider. BT explains that its Digital Voice service needs a powered Smart Hub to make calls.
Confirm the provider connection first, then address any line-connected alarm or outage need before deciding whether a different handset would make the phone easier to use.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Phone connection | Ask which hub phone port or provider-approved adaptor applies to your service and whether your existing phone can use it. | If I want to keep my current phone, I need to know where it will connect before replacing anything; around 29% of consumers put confirming that connection first. |
| Connected alarms | Tell the provider about every device using the line and follow both its instructions and those of the alarm or telecare supplier. | With a care or security alarm on the line, I need its operation checked before the switchover; roughly 29% of consumers place connected-device compatibility first. |
| Outage calling | Ask which equipment needs power and what calling arrangement your provider offers if power or broadband fails. | When a mobile is not a dependable alternative, I need to know how I would make calls during an outage; around 24% of consumers prioritise that calling arrangement. |
| Phone placement | Check the hub location and whether an approved adaptor or a compatible DECT base and additional handsets suit the rooms you use. | If the hub is away from where I usually answer calls, I want a practical phone location in the home; about 18% of consumers put room-to-room access first. |
DECT and handset features do not establish whether a base will connect to your provider’s digital-voice service.
Ask the provider for the service name, hub model, phone port and any approved adaptor requirements before choosing a handset system.
A charged cordless handset cannot keep an unpowered broadband hub working. BT says its Smart Hub needs power for Digital Voice calls.
Ask your provider which devices must remain powered and what outage arrangement is suitable for your service and circumstances.
A working home-phone call does not confirm that a separate care or security device will operate correctly after migration.
Declare each line-connected device before the change, and obtain instructions from both the communications provider and the device service supplier.
Ofcom says BT plans to retire the old landline network by 31 January 2027 for customers using the BT Openreach network; other networks can have different timetables.
Confirm your provider and network, then ask when your own service is due to change.
Relevant when the household uses BT Digital Voice and needs to establish its Smart Hub connection or provider-arranged equipment.
Relevant where the provider confirms that an EE Smart Hub or Digital Voice Adapter is part of the household’s service setup.
A handset reference for households considering cordless phones after their provider confirms a suitable connection for the base.
A handset reference for households considering additional cordless phones or controls that are easier for them to use.
You may be able to keep it, but confirm the connection with your provider before buying equipment. BT says a tone-dialling phone can work with BT Digital Voice through its Smart Hub or Digital Voice Adapter; that does not establish compatibility with another provider’s setup.
Not as the normal digital-landline connection. Ofcom says the phone connects through the broadband router rather than directly to the old wall socket; ask your provider whether it will arrange an adaptor if the phone needs to sit elsewhere.
Do not rely on its handset battery alone: the broadband equipment and cordless base also need power for the usual digital-voice connection. Ask your provider which equipment needs backup and what calling option it offers for your circumstances.
Tell your communications provider before migration and contact the alarm service supplier for instructions. Ofcom advises checking connected devices as part of the move to a digital landline; a working handset or retail adaptor does not by itself confirm that the alarm will operate correctly.
No. Ofcom says BT plans to retire the old landline network by that date for customers using the BT Openreach network. Ask your provider for the timetable that applies to your own service.