BT is upgrading the current home phone system by switching-off our nearly obsolete analogue network that supports voice calls and replacing it with a more advanced digital system.

As a result, home phones are changing. Just as television went from analogue to digital, now it’s the turn of the humble landline. The UK is the latest country to upgrade its home phone network following Japan, Sweden and Germany. By 2025, Openreach, the company that maintains the phone network, will be switching off the 30-year-old analogue copper-based system which is no longer fit for purpose.

This isn’t a technological upgrade for the sake of it; if we don’t start making the switch soon, outages on the existing analogue phone service will become commonplace.

For most customers switching will be simple but we’re aware that it’ll be less so for some.

BT’s new digital phone service, Digital Voice, will provide a range of new features, including scam call prevention and high-definition audio quality among others. However, customers should be aware that in the event of a power outage in their home, their Digital Voice phone will need an alternative power source.

In a power cut, Digital Voice customers should use their mobile. This is the simplest, most reliable back-up for landline users as mobile handsets generally have 12-24hr battery life (often longer). They can also be charged in the car in the event of a long-lasting domestic power outage.

Calls to 999 can be made on any available network – even if your mobile shows no signal and we will soon launch a number so customers can test whether they have 999 connectivity where they live.  

For Digital Voice customers without a mobile, we’re developing a hybrid phone that can switch to a mobile network and has an in-built, long-lasting battery. We will also continue to offer our battery back-up unit until the hybrid phones are available.

For customers who live in an area without mobile signal, they can opt to delay their upgrade to Digital Voice for up to a year. That said, when the time comes we will provide them a battery back-up unit (BBU) free of charge. We estimate that as few as 1,500 of our landline customers’ premises have insufficient mobile signal to make an emergency call and this number will drop as we continue to invest in building the mobile Shared Rural Network.

We know that for many of BT’s customers the landline is a lifeline and the prospect of a technological change can seem scary. We want to reassure all of our customers – from the least technical to the early adopters – that when we’re ready to upgrade them to the new era of home phones, we will be with them every step of the way.

We’re looking forward to rolling out the next generation of home calling in the coming years, allowing everyone to enjoy the benefits of the digital revolution.