How Will the Digital Switchover Impact Business Broadband?

The digital switchover, when all traditional landlines in the UK will stop working, is currently set for 2027. This isn’t just about telephone calls, as some businesses get their business broadband through a conventional landline too. If you are a company that currently relies on a landline for your phone calls or your internet connection (or both), then you’ll need to take action before the digital switchover takes place so that you don’t lose your services.

In this article, we explore the digital switchover and what it means for business broadband and phone calls, to help you make an informed choice about how to prepare your organisation for the upcoming changes.

What is the Digital Switchover?

The digital switchover is the name that has been given to the plan for all analogue phone lines to be updated by digital, internet-connected services instead. When the updates were first announced, it was planned that the digital switchover would be completed by the end of 2025, but this has since been delayed until 2027.

What will happen is that traditional phone landlines, including those being used in homes and businesses for broadband connections, will stop working, so those using these services will need to instead use digital connections to make calls and connect to the internet.

Why Was the Digital Switchover Delayed?

As previously mentioned, the digital switchover was initially planned to be complete in 2025. However, there have been concerns raised that some important systems, such as telecare devices that help keep vulnerable and elderly people connected to assistance in their homes, won’t work correctly with the new system, and this will put people at risk. There is also the concern that even new devices that work with digital connections won’t function if there is a power cut, again potentially putting some older or vulnerable people at risk.

To give telecare providers, consumers and businesses more time to transition to the new system, the digital switchover completion date has been pushed back to the end of January 2027.

Why are Copper Landlines Being Switched Off?

The reason why the traditional landlines, made of copper, are being replaced by a new system is that the old lines are fragile, expensive to run and maintain, and don’t allow for breakneck broadband speeds. Using the internet to make phone calls should result in clearer calls and faster connections, with the new technology enabling a much faster transfer of data.

How to Get Business Broadband With No Phone Line

Some businesses still rely on old landlines for their broadband connection and phone system, known as Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). The digital switchover means that this will soon no longer be an option, but there are other ways for a business to get broadband and make calls, which can be switched to now, in order to get ahead of the game.

The good news is that the no-landline business broadband and call systems are usually much faster and more reliable, so it makes sense for most companies to make their switch as soon as possible. We outline the main options below:

Options for Business Broadband Without a Landline

Business Full Fibre Broadband

This is a way of connecting to the internet using fibre optic cables, rather than the traditional copper phone lines. It’s sometimes called Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) and the main benefits are:

Fast speeds, up to 1 Gbps (1 gigabit per second), are available in some areas. This is ideal for businesses that rely heavily on internet activities and have lots of users online simultaneously.

Find out more about full fibre business broadband.

Leased Lines

Leased lines use the same technology as full fibre business broadband, but you get your own dedicated internet access (DIA) so you don’t share a connection with any other businesses or premises. This option is ideal for companies that need reliable high-speed internet to carry out their business activities.

Find out more about choosing between business broadband options.

Using VoIP for Business Phone Calls

With the digital switchover, businesses can no longer use traditional phone lines to make calls to customers, suppliers or anyone else. Instead, they’ll need to use VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It basically means that you use the internet connection to make calls to any number rather than a separate phone line.

VoIP calls are often more reliable and clearer than using a traditional phone, and many businesses can save money when compared to paying for an old traditional phone system too.

Find out more about VoIP for businesses.

Other Business Systems Affected by the Digital Switchover

Along with phone calls and broadband, it’s worth considering whether your business uses any other kind of analogue system that will be affected by the digital switchover. This could include:

Textphones

Primarily used by those who are deaf or have some hearing loss, textphones have a keyboard and display screen, so users can type messages rather than having to listen and speak into a mouthpiece.

As an alternative, many businesses now enable customers and other organisations to message them using a communications app, such as WhatsApp, and there are several other free apps that offer live speech-to-text transcription during calls, to make communication easier if one or more parties are unable to hear or speak.

Alarms

Some older intruder alarms or ‘panic button’ type systems that some businesses may use could still rely on analogue technology. It’s important to contact your service provider to check if your company’s system is compatible with how things will work after the digital switchover. Some equipment upgrades may be needed to ensure that your system works properly after January 2027.

What Happens to Digital Broadband and Calls During a Power Cut?

One benefit of traditional phone lines is that they still work if there is a power cut, because they are linked to a telephone exchange rather than the main power grid. After the digital switchover, VoIP phone calls and broadband will not work without power.

For this reason, it’s recommended to have a backup system. This could be a mobile phone with data, which can be used for both internet access and calls, or a battery backup for the business broadband router.

Many business broadband providers will offer a 4G backup as standard, to help ensure that you always have a connection when your company needs it.

Take Action Before the Digital Switchover

If your business currently uses landlines either for broadband or phone calls, it’s a good idea to switch to a digital internet-based solution as soon as you can. In the run-up to the new deadline in January 2027, it’s likely that there will be a last-minute rush of businesses wanting to swap their technology, which could result in delays and even a lack of service if things can’t be processed in time. By taking action sooner, you avoid this stress and the potential negative consequences for your company.

The team at BusinessComparison can help ensure you get the best deal for your specific business needs, both now and in the future, helping you to save money and get the best possible service for you and your customers.