Why the Digital Switchover Matters More If You Live Far From Your Parents

The short version: By 31 January 2027, all old-style landlines in the UK switch to digital. If you don’t live close enough to check in person, you need to make one phone call now.

The One Number to Know

3.2 million UK homes still have the old phone line. That number is dropping fast. The cut-off date is fixed. No extensions.

Why This Matters More From a Distance

If you live nearby, you can just check the phone yourself.

If you don’t, you’re relying on your parent to notice a problem and tell you. That often doesn’t happen until something’s already broken.

3 Things That Could Stop Working

1. The alarm. A pendant or telecare alarm can stop working if it hasn’t been confirmed “digital-ready.”

Older alarms were built to send a signal down the old copper line. Once that line goes digital, some alarms need a small upgrade to keep working — a few need a full replacement. The only way to know which one applies is to ask the alarm company directly.

2. The phone in a power cut. By law, backup power only has to last 1 hour. Some devices last longer — but only if someone’s arranged it.

The old copper line kept working in a power cut because it was powered from the phone exchange, not your parent’s house. A digital line runs through the broadband router instead, so if the power goes off, the phone goes off too — unless there’s a battery backup device in place. The average UK power cut lasts around two and a half hours, which is longer than the 1-hour legal minimum.

3. Nothing, if it’s already sorted. Many homes have already switched with no issues. You just need to confirm it.

Millions of households have already moved over smoothly. The risk isn’t the switch itself — it’s not knowing whether your parent’s specific alarm and backup power have been checked.

What To Do This Week

☐ Call your parent’s phone provider. Ask: “Has this line switched to digital yet?”

☐ Call the alarm company (not the phone company). Ask them to confirm the alarm works on a digital line.

☐ Ask about backup power. Find out what happens in a power cut, and for how long.

☐ Set one reminder for a follow-up call in a few months.

That’s it. Four calls, ticked off, done.

Quick Answers

Will the switch happen no matter what?

Yes. It’s confirmed with no extension.

Will my parent’s number change?

No. Same number, different technology behind it.

What if the alarm isn’t ready?

The alarm company can tell you what to do — usually a free swap or upgrade.

Remember This One Thing

3.2 million landlines. One fixed date: 31 January 2027.

If you’re not local, this is one phone call today — not a project for another day.

Related Reading

Is Your Telecare Alarm Switchover-Ready? — a full checklist for testing your parent’s alarm setup step by step.

Keeping Your Landline & Router Working in a Power Cut — what backup power options exist and which is worth arranging.

Free Pendant Alarm Switchover Checker — a 2-minute tool to check your parent’s specific alarm.

Sources: House of Commons Library, Research Briefing CBP-9471 · Ofcom press release, Virgin Media £23.8m fine · Technology Reseller UK · UKPower.co.uk survey