Landline Revolution: Unpacking The UK's Big Digital Phone Switch The Bench Report podcast

Landline Revolution: Unpacking the UK's Big Digital Phone Switch

14d ago 23:19

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Ready to explore the upcoming changes to your home phone? In this episode, we investigate the UK's nationwide shift from traditional landlines to a fully digital network. The old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is being retired, with all calls moving over broadband by the end of January 2027. This industry-led transition is happening because the aging PSTN is becoming costly and difficult to maintain.

We'll cover what this means for you, from how digital calls work using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to what you might need to do with your existing phone. We also examine crucial aspects like the cost of digital calls, what happens in a power cut, and the support available for consumers, especially vulnerable customers and those using telecare devices. Discover the roles of the government and Ofcom in overseeing this significant change.

Key Takeaways:

Traditional landlines (PSTN) will be switched off by January 2027, with calls moving to the internet.
This change is driven by the aging and increasing cost of maintaining the PSTN network.
Most customers may only need to plug their phone into their broadband router.
Digital phones won't work in a power cut without a backup power source. Providers must ensure emergency access for at least an hour.
Vulnerable customers, including telecare users and those over 70, will receive extra support during the migration.
If you don't have broadband, providers like BT and KCOM will offer digital landline options.
You need to check if devices like alarms and telecare are compatible with digital lines.

Source: The withdrawal of landlines and switch to digital calls (Research briefing)

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Chapters

1. Landline Revolution: Unpacking the UK's Big Digital Phone Switch (00:00:00)

2. The end of PSTN (00:01:10)

3. VOIP benefits (00:03:04)

4. Telecoms industry (00:03:52)

5. OFCOM role (00:05:12)

6. PSTN Charter (00:06:30)

7. January 2027 deadline (00:07:47)

8. BT role and vulnerable users (00:09:40)

9. Will bills go up? (00:11:05)

10. Landline only customers (00:14:22)

11. Telecare users - analogue, alarms, fax, CCTV (00:15:50)

12. Power cut concerns (00:18:22)

13. Customer support (00:20:51)

14. Conclusions (00:22:21)

29 episodes