For years, getting broadband meant having a phone line. That was just how it worked. But things have changed, and they’ve changed fast. If you’re wondering whether you still need a landline to get online at home, you’re asking the right question at exactly the right time.
“The idea that broadband always requires a telephone line is one of the most persistent myths we encounter. The reality is that the UK broadband market has moved on dramatically. Most of our customers comparing deals today are looking at full-fibre or cable options that have nothing to do with the old copper phone network. With Openreach retiring the PSTN entirely by the end of 2025, the traditional landline is becoming a piece of history. Our job at Switchity is to help people cut through the confusion and find the deal that actually suits how they live, whether that includes a home phone or not.”
Claudia Constantin – Switchity Broadband Comparison Experts
The Short Answer
No, most UK households don’t need an active landline to get broadband. Not any more.
This used to be true. If you had ADSL or part-fibre broadband, your internet literally ran through the same copper wires as your telephone. But full-fibre (FTTP), cable, 4G, 5G, and satellite broadband all bypass that copper network completely. No phone line involved.
The numbers tell the story clearly. According to Ofcom’s Q3 2025 data, there are 29.2 million fixed broadband lines in the UK but only 22.0 million fixed voice (telephone) line subscriptions. That gap of over 7 million means millions of homes are already online without a working landline.
Below, we’ll walk through which connection types still use a phone line, where major providers stand, whether ditching your landline actually saves money (spoiler: not always), and what to do if your property doesn’t even have a phone socket.
How Broadband Is Delivered: Which Connections Need a Phone Line?
Not all broadband arrives the same way. Some types piggyback on the old copper phone network, others use completely separate infrastructure, and knowing which is which makes the whole landline question much simpler.
ADSL and FTTC — The Connections That Do Use a Phone Line
ADSL (traditional broadband) and FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet, often marketed loosely as “fibre”) both depend on BT’s copper telephone network for the final stretch into your home. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need an active phone service, but there must be a working copper line running to the property. In practice, you’re renting that line even if you never pick up a handset.
ADSL is a fading technology. Ofcom data shows pure ADSL subscriptions dropped by 115,000 (a 7.4% fall) in a single quarter in Q3 2025. If you’re still on ADSL, it might be worth checking whether something faster is available. You can test your current broadband speed to see just how much you might be missing out on.
Full Fibre (FTTP) — No Phone Line Required
FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) runs a brand-new fibre optic cable directly into your home. It completely bypasses the copper telephone network. No phone line needed, no exceptions.
One thing to watch: the word “fibre” gets thrown around loosely. Some providers market FTTC (part-fibre, part-copper) as “fibre broadband,” which is genuinely misleading. If you want a connection with zero phone line involvement, make sure you’re being offered FTTP, sometimes called “full fibre.” Openreach is targeting 25 million homes and businesses with full-fibre coverage by 2026, and alt-net providers like CityFibre and Hyperoptic are expanding fast too. As of Q3 2025, 77.9% of UK fixed broadband lines were fibre-based (FTTC or FTTP), showing just how quickly the shift away from copper is happening.
Cable Broadband — Also Phone-Line Free
Virgin Media runs its own coaxial cable network, entirely separate from BT’s telephone infrastructure. No Openreach line is involved at all. With average download speeds of 270.6 Mbps recorded in 2023, it’s proof that ditching the phone line doesn’t mean compromising on speed.
The catch? Cable availability is limited to areas where Virgin Media has laid its network, so it’s not an option for everyone.
4G and 5G Broadband — Completely Wireless
Mobile broadband delivers internet via 4G or 5G signals. No fixed line of any kind enters your property. You plug in a router, it connects to the mobile network, and your devices connect to it over Wi-Fi. Simple.
This is becoming increasingly popular, especially in rural areas where fixed-line infrastructure is limited, or for people who want flexibility without a long-term contract. Speeds and reliability do vary depending on signal strength and network congestion, though, so check coverage at your address first.
Satellite Broadband
Satellite broadband (Starlink being the best-known example) requires no telephone line either. It’s typically used where other options simply aren’t available, such as very remote rural properties. Costs are higher and latency is greater than FTTP or cable, but for some households it’s the only viable option.
Which UK Broadband Providers Don’t Require a Landline?
Here’s where things stand with the major UK providers. Keep in mind that availability varies by postcode, so it’s always worth using Switchity’s postcode checker to check what’s available at your address.
- Virgin Media: Runs its own cable network. No BT or Openreach line required. Broadband-only deals available.
- Hyperoptic: Full-fibre provider in selected UK cities (mostly apartment buildings and new developments). No phone line needed.
- Vodafone (via CityFibre): Offers FTTP broadband in CityFibre areas. No telephone line required.
- BT: Increasingly offers FTTP packages on Openreach’s network that don’t require separate phone line rental. But BT also sells traditional FTTC/ADSL bundles that include line rental, so check which type of deal you’re being quoted.
- Plusnet: Owned by BT. Offers some broadband-only deals. Worth checking whether a given package requires a phone line.
- Sky: Has traditionally bundled phone line rental with broadband, but now includes it in the total package cost rather than charging separately.
- TalkTalk: Similarly bundles line access into broadband packages.
- NOW Broadband: Uses Openreach infrastructure. Packages may or may not include a voice line, so check the specific deal.
For providers using the Openreach network, the picture can be nuanced. Some deals include an inactive line (a copper connection exists, but no active phone service), while others are genuinely line-free via FTTP. If you’re interested in broadband and home phone deals, bundled options are available from most of these providers too.
Will You Actually Save Money by Ditching Your Landline?
Here’s the bit that catches people off guard. Most assume that cancelling their landline will automatically shrink their monthly bill. Often, it doesn’t.
Since a 2016 ruling by the ASA (backed by Ofcom), all broadband providers must include any mandatory line rental cost within their advertised monthly price. You can’t be surprised by a separate £17–£18/month charge on top any more. It’s all rolled in.
And here’s the counterintuitive reality: broadband packages that include a landline are frequently cheaper in total than broadband-only packages. Providers use bundled deals competitively, and sometimes price broadband-only options at a premium. (Yes, really.) The best approach? Compare the total monthly cost across all available deals rather than assuming “broadband only” equals “cheaper.” Our guide on how to save money on your broadband bill covers more ways to cut costs.
That said, if you genuinely want to get rid of nuisance calls or simply don’t want the clutter of a phone line, a broadband-only deal on FTTP, cable, or wireless does remove the landline from the equation. Just go in with your eyes open on pricing.
The PSTN Switch-Off: What It Means for Your Broadband and Landline
Openreach is retiring the UK’s analogue copper telephone network (the PSTN) by 31 December 2025. After that date, traditional landline calls won’t be carried over copper wires any more.
Voice calls aren’t disappearing, though. They’re just going digital. After the switch-off, calls will be delivered over your broadband connection using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), sometimes called a “digital phone” or “digital voice” service. From the user’s end, it feels pretty much the same.
If you currently have a traditional PSTN landline, your provider should either migrate you to a digital voice service or notify you before the switch-off. Most major providers are already reaching out to affected customers.
For households already on FTTP, cable, 4G/5G, or satellite, this change barely matters. You were never reliant on copper for your internet anyway. But if you depend on a landline for a monitored alarm system, telecare device, or medical alert, contact your provider now to make sure you’ll have continuity of service.
The decline in landline use is already dramatic. UK fixed-line call minutes fell 18.3% year-on-year to just 3.47 billion minutes in Q3 2025, and fixed-line voice revenues dropped 16.7% in the same period. By any measure, the traditional landline is on its way out.
What If You Have No Phone Socket? How to Get Broadband in a New Home
This is a question most guides skip over, and it’s a real one. If you’re moving into a new-build (or any property without an existing phone socket or copper line), here are your options:
- Order FTTP broadband: Many new-builds come with full-fibre infrastructure already in place. Order an FTTP deal from any provider that serves the address, and an engineer will install the connection. No copper line needed.
- Request a new Openreach line: If FTTP isn’t available yet and you need ADSL or FTTC, Openreach can install a new copper line (your provider arranges this). Expect a possible installation charge and a lead time of a few weeks.
- 4G/5G broadband: A wireless router can be up and running the same day you move in. No installation, no waiting. Ideal for bridging the gap or as a permanent solution if signal strength is good.
- Satellite broadband: For very remote properties where other options are limited, satellite (e.g. Starlink) requires only a dish. No fixed line involved.
Before committing, check what’s available at your address using Switchity’s postcode checker. And if you’re in the middle of a move, our guide on setting up broadband when moving house walks through the whole process.
Should You Keep Your Landline or Ditch It?
Reasons to Keep Your Landline
- Bundled deals with a landline included are often the same price, or even cheaper, than broadband-only options.
- A landline offers a backup for emergency calls if your mobile loses signal or runs out of battery.
- If you use a monitored alarm, telecare device, or medical alert system that relies on a phone line, check compatibility before making any changes.
- On ADSL or FTTC where FTTP isn’t yet available, you need the line for your broadband to work anyway.
Reasons to Ditch Your Landline
- If you never make or receive calls on it, you’re paying for something that gathers dust.
- Landlines are a magnet for nuisance calls and scammers. Remove the line, remove the problem.
- Switching to FTTP, cable, 4G/5G, or satellite makes a landline genuinely redundant.
- Fixed voice line subscriptions fell by 897,000 in a single quarter (Q3 2025). You’d be joining millions of households making the same move.
- The PSTN switch-off means the traditional copper landline is being phased out regardless. Planning ahead just makes sense.
Compare Broadband Deals Without a Landline
Most modern broadband connections don’t require a landline, and with Openreach retiring the copper network, the traditional phone line is fast becoming history. Whether you want to keep a home phone or go completely line-free, there are more options now than at any point in UK broadband history.
Switchity compares deals from across the UK market impartially, showing the full monthly cost (as required by ASA rules) so you can compare like for like. Ready to see what’s out there? You can compare broadband deals in minutes. If you need a hand with the process, our guide on how to switch broadband provider explains each step, and the One Touch Switch process means it’s never been easier.