Landline switch off postcode checker
This free landline switch off postcode checker shows when your analogue landline stops working and what to do before 31 January 2027. Type your postcode to check your area.
What date is the digital switchover?
31 January 2027 is the date the UK's old analogue phone network is switched off for good. It isn't a single big bang on the day: phone companies have been moving customers to digital lines area by area for years, and nobody anywhere in the UK has been able to order a new analogue landline since September 2023. If your landline still runs the old way, your provider will contact you to move it before the deadline. Your number comes with you.
Will landlines be switched off?
The old copper network will be, but landline numbers are not going anywhere. Calls simply travel digitally instead, either over broadband at home or, with a virtual landline, straight to the mobile you already own. We've written up what the switch off means, simply if you want the full picture. BT customers are being moved onto Digital Voice, and we've broken down BT Digital Voice costs and changeover dates too.
Do I need broadband for a landline after the switch off?
No. If you don't have broadband, Ofcom says your phone company must supply a connection just for the phone, without charging you extra for it. And there's a simpler route for many people: a virtual landline needs no socket, no router and no broadband deal, because the number rings the mobile you already have.
Is there a free landline switch off postcode checker?
Yes, this page is one. Type your postcode at the top and you'll get your area's position, the deadline that applies to you, and an action plan you can actually follow. No public list matches every postcode to an exact changeover day, because phone companies move customers in waves, so any checker promising you a street-level date is guessing. What is certain: no new analogue lines anywhere since September 2023, and everything moved to digital by 31 January 2027.
One more thing worth knowing: your postcode never leaves your browser. We built it that way on purpose.
The safety bit
Will my care alarm, burglar alarm or lift phone stop working?
This is the part of the switch off that actually matters, because some of the equipment plugged into phone lines quietly keeps people safe. Here's the checklist:
Care alarms and red-button pendants
Tell the alarm company and the phone company before anything changes. Phone companies have promised the government they will not switch anyone with a care alarm until it's confirmed working on the new line, and some will send an engineer on the day if you ask. After any change, press the test button.
Burglar alarms
Many alarms quietly dial out over the phone line. Ring your alarm company and ask one question: will my alarm still work after the digital switch? Don't wait for January.
Lift phones
Lift phones must keep working by law, and that's the building owner's job. Book a certified digital replacement early.
Card machines and fax machines
These use the old line too. Ask your provider about the digital replacement before it stops.
Power cuts, for everyone
Keep a charged mobile handy for emergencies: in a power cut, a digital phone can't call 999 unless it has battery back-up. If you rely on your landline, perhaps because there's no mobile signal at home, your phone company must give you a free way to reach 999 when the power's off.
If someone's vulnerable
Tell the phone company. They have to give extra help, including free priority fault repair, and they should not move anyone who needs support without arranging it first.
The golden rule
The week after anything changes, test it. Make a call, press the pendant's test button, run the alarm test.
We checked every line above against Ofcom's official switchover guidance and the promises phone companies made to the government. Ofcom's own words on power cuts: "your provider must offer you a solution to make sure you can contact the emergency services when a power cut occurs", free of charge if you depend on your landline. This page is general guidance, not a substitute for checking safety equipment with its installer, and Solofone isn't connected to Ofcom.
The simple way through the switch off
If your landline mostly exists so people can reach you on a number they trust, you don't need to replace the socket at all. A Solofone virtual landline gives you one phone for client calls and messages: a real UK landline number that rings the mobile you already own, with WhatsApp Business on the same number and smart answering for the calls you miss. It's already digital, so the 2027 deadline is dealt with the day you switch. From £10 a month, no contract, and you can cancel your landline but keep the number.
FAQ
Switch off questions, answered
Sort the switch off once, for good.
Keep a trusted landline number on the phone you already own. Start free for 7 days, no contract, keep your number.