VoIP for Home: The UK Guide to Replacing Your Landline in 2026

The 2027 PSTN switch-off means every UK home landline will be switched off — some as early as 2026. Here’s what to replace it with, how much it costs, and what actually works.

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The short answer:

• Openreach is permanently switching off the UK’s copper phone network in January 2027 — your home landline will stop working
• VoIP replaces your landline using your broadband connection, and most households can be set up in under an hour
• You can keep your existing 01 or 02 number in most cases through a process called number porting
• For home workers and sole traders, a VoIP system also gives you a separate business number, call handling features, and the ability to take calls on your mobile
• VoIPninjas’ Ronin plan starts at £5.99/user/month with a 28-day rolling contract and a free 14-day trial — no engineer visit required

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What is the PSTN switch-off and does it affect my home phone?

Yes, it affects every UK home with a traditional landline. Openreach — the company that owns most of the UK’s telephone infrastructure — is permanently shutting down the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in January 2027. When the switch-off happens, your copper phone line stops working entirely. Not gradually, not optionally. Off.

Some exchanges are going dark earlier. Openreach has been running a “stop sell” programme across hundreds of UK areas since 2023, meaning new copper line orders are already blocked in those locations. If you live in one of those areas, your provider may contact you about migrating before the national 2027 deadline.

For a full breakdown of the timeline and who is affected, read our guide to the PSTN switch-off and what it means for you. The key point for home users is simple: action before 2027 is not optional — it is a fixed deadline.

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What are the options for replacing your home landline?

There are three main routes, and the right one depends on how you want to use your phone at home.

VoIP adapter (ATA)

An Analogue Telephone Adapter — or ATA — is a small plug-in device that connects your existing home phone handset to your broadband router. Your old phone keeps working exactly as before; calls just travel over the internet instead of the copper network.

This is the simplest option for households that want to replace their landline without changing habits. You keep your cordless phones, your calls work the same way, and there is nothing new to learn. ATAs cost between £30 and £60 as a one-off purchase.

Softphone app

A softphone is an app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer that works as a phone. You make and receive calls using your existing device — no new hardware needed at all.

This is the most flexible option, and the most popular with home workers and remote staff. Your work or home number follows you wherever you go. If you work from home and want to keep business calls separate from personal ones, a softphone with a dedicated VoIP number handles that cleanly.

IP handset

An IP handset looks like a traditional desk phone but connects directly to your broadband router rather than a phone socket. Call quality is excellent, and they tend to suit people who make a lot of calls from a fixed desk — home office users in particular.

IP handsets from reputable brands like Yealink or Cisco start from around £40–£80. Most plug in via ethernet and configure automatically with your VoIP provider’s settings.

Quick comparison:

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How much does home VoIP cost in the UK?

The monthly cost of home VoIP is low — typically between £3 and £10 per month depending on the provider and what features you need.

For a straightforward home landline replacement, some providers offer basic plans in the £3–£5/month range. These cover calls to UK landlines and mobiles and give you a number, but little else.

For home workers and sole traders who want proper business phone features — a professional number, voicemail to email, call forwarding, and the ability to use a softphone app — VoIPninjas’ Ronin plan at £5.99/user/month is the entry point. It includes everything you need to run a home office phone professionally, with no long contract and no setup fee.

Typical monthly costs for home VoIP in the UK:

• Basic home VoIP (number + calls only): £3–£5/month
• Home office VoIP with business features (e.g. VoIPninjas Ronin): £5.99/month
• Mid-range plans with call recording, IVR, team features: £10–£15/month

On top of the monthly plan, UK landline and mobile calls with VoIP providers are generally cheaper than BT standard rates. Many plans include inclusive minutes; others charge per minute at rates well below traditional landline tariffs.

The hardware is a one-off cost. If you already own a smartphone, the only cost is your monthly plan.

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What broadband speed do you need for home VoIP?

Less than you probably think. A single VoIP call uses roughly 80–100 Kbps of bandwidth. That means even a modest broadband connection handles it comfortably.

The minimum you need is around 2 Mbps upload speed. Most UK broadband packages — including standard FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) connections — deliver well above that. If you are on FTTC and running one or two calls simultaneously at home, you will not have a problem.

FTTP (full fibre to the premises) is ideal. Call quality on FTTP is consistently excellent, and you are unlikely to encounter any jitter or packet loss issues. If you are switching broadband provider ahead of the PSTN deadline anyway, FTTP is worth choosing.

A few things that do affect call quality:

• Wi-Fi congestion: If your home Wi-Fi is overloaded during calls, you may notice drops. A wired ethernet connection to your IP handset or router eliminates this.
• Upload vs download: VoIP depends on upload speed, not just download. Check your upload figure specifically.
• Router quality: Most modern routers prioritise voice traffic automatically. Very old routers may benefit from being replaced.

If you are using VoIP for occasional home calls on a standard FTTC connection, you do not need to change anything about your broadband.

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Can you use VoIP for a home business or remote work?

Absolutely — and for many home workers and sole traders, this is where VoIP really earns its keep.

The most common problem with working from home is the phone. You either give clients your personal mobile number (which blurs boundaries and creates headaches), rely on call forwarding from an office system that was never designed for remote use, or miss calls entirely. None of those are good options.

A dedicated VoIP number on the Ronin plan solves this directly. You get a separate UK number — either a geographic 01/02 number local to your area or an 03 number — that rings on your mobile via the softphone app, your laptop, or an IP handset on your desk. When you call out, that number appears as your caller ID, not your personal mobile.

For remote workers who are part of a larger team, VoIPninjas works as a complete business phone system. Your home number becomes part of the company’s phone system — you receive transferred calls, join ring groups, and your calls can be recorded just like everyone else’s, regardless of where you are. This is how modern hybrid teams operate.

For sole traders and micro-businesses, there are additional reasons to consider VoIP beyond just replacing a landline:

• A local 01/02 number builds trust with local customers
• Voicemail to email means you never miss a message
• You can set business hours so calls go to voicemail outside working time
• If you take on staff or subcontractors, adding users is straightforward and costs the same per person

VoIPninjas is built around this kind of flexibility. You can read more about why businesses switch to VoIP and what the transition actually involves.

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Keeping your existing home number with VoIP

This is one of the most common questions from people replacing their landline: can I keep my existing 01 or 02 number?

In most cases, yes. The process is called number porting, and it transfers your existing telephone number from your current provider to your new VoIP provider. Once ported, calls to your old number ring on your VoIP system exactly as before.

A few things worth knowing about porting:

• Geographic numbers (01/02) can usually be ported. If you have a London 020 number, a Manchester 0161, or any other geographic number, porting is generally available. Your VoIP provider handles the request on your behalf.
• The process takes 7–10 working days in most cases. You keep your current line active during this time, so there is no gap in service.
• There may be a one-off porting fee. This varies by provider — VoIPninjas charges a small admin fee for number porting requests.
• Non-geographic numbers (0800, 0844, etc.) follow different rules. Some can be ported; others are tied to the original provider. Check before you assume.
• If you do not want to port, you can simply take a new number from your VoIP provider. If you want a local number for a different area — a London number when you live in Leeds, for instance — that is also possible.

What you cannot do is port a number that is currently provided by your ISP as part of a bundled broadband-and-phone package, without first separating the services. If your number is bundled with a Sky, BT, or Virgin Media package, check the terms before starting a port.

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How VoIPninjas handles home and home office setups

VoIPninjas is not just for big businesses. The Ronin plan at £5.99/user/month is designed specifically for individuals and small home office setups who want a professional phone system without the overhead.

Here is what you get on the Ronin plan:

• A UK phone number (geographic or 03)
• Unlimited incoming calls
• Calls to UK landlines and mobiles at competitive per-minute rates
• Softphone app for iOS and Android — take calls on your mobile
• Voicemail with email delivery
• Call forwarding and basic call handling

There is no engineer visit. Setup is self-serve: you sign up, choose your number, download the app or configure your IP handset, and you are live. Most home users are up and running in under an hour.

The contract is 28-day rolling — there is no minimum term, no annual commitment, and no cancellation penalty. If your circumstances change, you can leave with 28 days’ notice.

Every new account comes with a free 14-day trial. You can test the system with a real UK number, make and receive calls, and make sure it works for your setup before spending a penny.

If you later grow into a larger home business or need to add team members, upgrading to the Samurai or Shogun plan is straightforward. Your number stays the same.

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Ready to replace your home landline before the 2027 deadline?

Start your free 14-day trial — no card required, no commitment. Get a UK number, download the app, and be up and running today.

Start your free trial → | View all plans →

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Frequently asked questions

What happens to my landline after the PSTN switch-off?

When Openreach switches off the PSTN in January 2027, your copper phone line will stop working entirely. Calls will not go through. There is no backup system and no extension to the deadline. If you have not moved to a VoIP or digital phone service before then, your home phone will be dead. Some areas are affected earlier under Openreach’s stop-sell programme — check your postcode with your current provider.

Do I need new equipment to use home VoIP?

Not necessarily. If you have a smartphone, you can use a softphone app at no extra hardware cost. If you want to keep using your existing cordless home phones, a VoIP adapter (ATA) — which costs £30–£60 — lets them work with a VoIP service unchanged. If you prefer a dedicated desk phone for a home office, an IP handset starts from around £40.

Can I keep my existing phone number when switching to VoIP?

In most cases, yes. Geographic 01 and 02 numbers can be ported to a VoIP provider, and the process typically takes 7–10 working days. Your existing line stays active during the transfer, so there is no break in service. Numbers bundled with a broadband package (from BT, Sky, Virgin Media, etc.) may require an extra step to separate them first — contact your current provider to confirm.

Does VoIP work during a power cut?

This is a genuine limitation worth knowing about. Traditional copper landlines carry their own low-voltage power, which is why they often worked during power cuts. VoIP does not — it needs your broadband router to be powered on. If the power goes out, your VoIP phone goes with it unless you have a battery backup (UPS) for your router. For emergency calls, your mobile is the fallback. Most VoIP providers — including VoIPninjas — allow you to set up call divert to a mobile number, so incoming calls can still reach you via your phone even if the router is down.

Is VoIP as clear as a traditional landline?

On a modern broadband connection, yes — and often clearer. VoIP calls using HD voice codecs deliver noticeably better audio quality than old copper landlines, which were designed around a narrow frequency range. The main factor affecting VoIP call quality is your internet connection: a stable, uncongested broadband connection produces excellent results. Very high latency or packet loss (neither of which is common on standard UK FTTC or FTTP) can cause audio issues. In practice, home users on standard broadband connections report call quality that matches or exceeds their old landline.