Plain-English help · Bournemouth & Dorset
Help with the landline switch-off — without the worry
Your home phone is moving to a digital service by 31 January 2027 — and for most homes it's a small change, not a crisis. Here's what's happening, what to do, and how we can set it all up for you if you'd rather not do it alone. Rated 4.9 on Google.
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The change
What the landline switch-off actually means
The UK's old analogue phone network — the copper-line system landlines have used for decades — is being retired, with a deadline of 31 January 2027. By then, every home phone will have moved to a digital service that works over your broadband (sometimes called VoIP), such as BT Digital Voice.
In practice, here's what changes:
- Your phone plugs into the router, not the wall socket. For most people that's the whole change — same phone, same number, different socket.
- Extension phones around the house may need a small adapter to keep working. We can check yours.
- In a power cut, a digital phone stops working, because the router needs electricity. If you rely on your landline, your provider can supply a battery back-up — they're expected to help vulnerable customers with this — so do ask them.
Nobody is taking your phone away, and your number stays the same. It's a change of plumbing, not a change of phone.
Step by step
What to do — five simple steps
- Wait for your phone provider to contact you. They'll tell you your switch date and exactly what to do. You don't need to buy anything from anyone who rings you out of the blue — cold callers pushing "switch-off deals" are often scams.
- When your switch date arrives, plug your phone into the router. Most routers have a phone socket on the back — and if yours doesn't, your provider will sort out what you need. Same phone, same number — new socket.
- Ask your provider about a battery back-up if you rely on your landline — for example, if mobile signal is poor at home or you'd struggle without a phone during a power cut.
- If you have a telecare or pendant alarm, tell your alarm provider. This one really matters. It's their job to make sure your alarm works on the new digital line, and they need to know before you're switched over.
- If it all sounds daunting, let us do it with you. We'll come out, plug everything in, test it and not leave until you're happy — or talk you through it patiently over the phone.
Stay safe
Watch out for switch-off scams
Sadly, criminals use the switchover as a hook. They phone pretending to be "from BT" or "from Openreach", claim your line is about to be cut off, and pressure people into paying a fee, sharing bank details or letting them connect to a computer.
A few simple rules keep you safe:
- A genuine provider won't cut you off out of the blue — the switchover happens with plenty of written notice.
- Never let a cold caller connect to your computer. Just hang up. If you're unsure whether a call was genuine, ring your provider back on the number printed on a bill.
- Forward suspicious texts to 7726 (it's free), and report fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. If you've made a payment to a scammer, call 159 to reach your bank securely.
- When we help you, we always phone first at an arranged time, you watch everything happening on your own screen, and our access ends when the session ends. You can always hang up and call us back on 01202 775566 to check it's really us — we'd never mind.
How we help
We'll set it up with you, at your pace
If you'd rather not wrestle with sockets and settings, we'll do it for you — in plain English, with no rush. We can:
- Set up your new digital phone connection and test it properly — dialling out and receiving a call before we call it done.
- Check your extension phones and fit adapters where they're needed.
- Make sure your broadband is up to the job and the router is somewhere sensible.
- Leave you with simple notes and honest beware-of-scammers advice, so you know exactly what a genuine call looks like.
It's usually a single, unhurried home visit — we cover Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and wider Dorset — and lots of questions can be answered remotely in minutes. We always call ahead with an arrival time, and you'll see the same familiar faces, never a call centre.
And if you'd like someone in your corner for all the little technology things — not just the switch-off — our home IT support plan is £18.25 a month per computer, rolling monthly, cancel anytime. A son or daughter can set it up and pay for a parent — it's just a simple monthly plan.
// RELATED
Related help: worried a parent might be caught out by a switch-off scam? Read how to stay safe from online scams, try our free Spot the Scam quiz, or see what to do if you've been scammed. We also offer patient computer help for older people in Bournemouth, and simple home IT support plans for ongoing peace of mind. Running a business? See the PSTN switch-off for businesses — the lines that catch businesses out are often not the phones.
FAMILY-RUN SINCE 1995 · ★ 4.9 ON GOOGLE · 200+ COMPUTERS UNDER OUR CARE · NO FIX, NO FEE · SAME-DAY REMOTE SUPPORT
// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
When is the landline switch-off happening?
The UK's analogue phone network is being retired with a deadline of 31 January 2027, but homes are being moved in stages before then. Your phone provider will contact you with your own switch date — you don't need to do anything until they do.
Will I lose my phone number or need a new phone?
No — you keep your number, and in most homes the same phone keeps working. The change is where it plugs in: into a socket on your broadband router instead of the wall. Extension phones sometimes need a small adapter, which we can sort out.
What happens to my phone in a power cut?
A digital phone line needs the router to have power, so it stops working during a power cut. If you rely on your landline — for instance if mobile signal is poor at home — ask your provider about a battery back-up unit. They're expected to help vulnerable customers with this.
My mum has a pendant alarm — what does she need to do?
The single most important step is to tell her alarm (telecare) provider about the switchover before her line changes. It's their job to make sure the alarm works on the new digital line. We don't handle telecare equipment ourselves, but we're happy to help with everything else — the phone, the router and testing.
Someone phoned saying my landline will be cut off today unless I pay — is that real?
No. Genuine providers give plenty of written notice and never demand instant payment or remote access to your computer. Hang up, and if you're worried, call your provider on the number from a bill. Report the call to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, forward scam texts to 7726, and if you've already paid, call 159 to reach your bank securely.
Can you just set it all up for us?
Yes. We do home visits across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Dorset — we'll plug in the new phone connection, test it, check your extensions and broadband, and explain everything in plain English. Many questions can also be sorted remotely in minutes. Call 01202 775566, Mon–Fri 9am–5pm.
Rather we just sorted it for you?
Call 01202 775566 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm) or text 07520 615332. We'll explain what the switch-off means for your home and, if you like, book a visit to set everything up and test it with you — we always call ahead with an arrival time.
01202 775566 · help@365techies.co.uk · MON–FRI 9AM–5PM