BT reveal 95 percent of UK customers have switched to digital voice as new trial expands

Broadband and phone provider BT (EE) has revealed that over 95% of their landline phone users have now successfully switched from legacy analogue phones to its IP-based Digital Voice service. But with the deadline approaching, the ISP is now expanding a trial that temporarily paused broadband for a small group of unresponsive customers, while keeping landlines running.

Just to recap. The old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is currently due to be switched-off on 31st January 2027. As a result broadband ISPs, phone, telecare providers, councils and consumers have been working to migrate everybody across (details). But the main focus of this remains on the people who use vital home telecare systems (e.g. elderly, disabled – vulnerable users), which aren’t always compatible with newer IP-based digital phone services (telecare providers were slow to adapt).

In most cases such upgrades usually involve a fairly seamless change of service, managed by your broadband or phone provider, which often results in customers needing to connect their home phone into the back of either a broadband router or Analogue Terminal Adapter (ATA); instead of directly into the socket on your wall or skirting board (NTE5 sockets). Special solutions also exist for telecare users.

Suffice to say that only a few months now remain before PSTN/WLR reaches its end and telecoms providers, including BT, are starting to focus with greater urgency on the minority who have yet to make the switch. As part of this BT recently tested a perhaps controversial approach, which “temporarily paused broadband” for a small group of previously “unresponsive customers” while keeping landlines running.

The trial ended up prompting more than 80% of the trial group to get in touch and take steps to switch. BT is today expanding this approach to customers yet to engage, with advance warning and additional support being made available for those who need it.

Lucy Baker, BT’s Consumer Digital Voice Director, said:

“While most customers respond to our communications and switch without any issues, a small number of customers have not engaged despite repeated attempts to contact them about their switchover.

We have been testing different ways to reach customers who have not responded to our communications. For example, in a recent controlled trial, we temporarily paused broadband service for a small group of customers who had not responded to multiple letters, emails, texts and calls over the last two years. We did this safely – keeping customer’s landline services running – and giving them notice in advance. The trial was a success: it prompted more than 80% of previously unresponsive customers to get in touch and take the steps needed for their switchover.

We are now expanding this trial to include all customers who have not yet engaged, with clear warning and support throughout. The aim is to ensure customers continue to have access to their services after the switch. By encouraging customers who have not engaged with our communications to contact us, we can understand whether they need additional support and help avoid any disruption to their broadband services.

After all, responding to our communications as early as possible gives us the best opportunity to support customers and ensure their switch goes smoothly.”

As previously reported on ISPreview (here), most consumers who fail to switch in time won’t face a hard disconnection on 31st January 2027 as they will instead be moved to a temporary Emergency Voice Access (eVAC) solution. Business lines, however, won’t benefit from the same protection and will need to go digital ASAP to avoid a sudden loss of service – potentially impacting critical systems like payment terminals, alarms, and emergency lift phones etc.

As the industry enters the final phase of migration, Openreach recently warned that waiting too long could make it harder to secure the engineering support needed for the switch before the deadline. In addition, Openreach has previously stated that prices for these legacy copper line services are set to double by October 2026 (details), which is another good reason NOT to leave upgrading until the last minute.

Just to clarify one point that some people often get wrong. The switch-off above is not to be confused with the removal of the physical copper lines themselves. Modern digital alternatives are available via both existing copper (e.g. both ADSL and VDSL/FTTC have data-only equivalents like SOGEA that providers offer) and full fibre (FTTP) lines. The removal of copper lines is a much slower process that will take years to fully complete after FTTP becomes available.