Letter from BT/Openreach about your lines: what to actually do

First: it's real, and it's not a sales trick

If you've had a letter from BT, Openreach or your own phone provider talking about your lines moving to digital, it's genuine. Openreach is retiring the old analogue phone network — the PSTN — by 31 January 2027, and every UK provider has to move its customers across before then. The letter is simply your provider telling you it's your turn.

It can read like marketing, which is why people bin it. Don't. But equally, you don't need to panic-buy anything the moment it lands.

How to tell a real letter from a scam

Scammers piggyback on the switchover because it's confusing and in the news. A genuine switchover letter:

• Explains the change and asks you to confirm details or book an appointment.
• Comes from your actual provider or Openreach.
• Doesn't demand upfront payment or your bank details to "keep your line".

A scam does the opposite — it pressures you, asks for money or card details, or pushes you to ring an unfamiliar number. If anything feels off, don't use the contact details printed in the letter. Phone your provider on the number from your last bill or their official website instead.

What to actually do — five steps

1. Confirm it's from your provider. Match it against your bill. If unsure, call them directly (not the number in the letter).
2. Check what it's asking for. Usually it's "we're moving you to digital" and either an appointment to book or details to confirm. Do that promptly — slots fill up closer to the deadline.
3. Confirm your number ports across. Your phone number should move to the digital service unchanged. Ask the question and get it in writing.
4. Pick your own switch date if you can. Being moved at short notice is worse for a business than choosing a quiet day yourself.
5. Check everything else on the line. This is the step people miss — see below.

The bit that actually catches people out

The switch from analogue to digital usually goes fine for the phone itself. What goes wrong is everything else plugged into that line:

• Intruder and fire alarms that dial out to a monitoring centre.
• Card payment machines on an old phone connection.
• Lift emergency phones in any building with a lift.
• Telecare pendants and alarms for vulnerable people.

These don't always work over a digital line, and the safe ones are life-safety devices. Don't assume — check each with whoever installed or supplies it, well before your switch date. Our guides on alarms and telecare walk through what to ask.

The short version

The letter is real, it's not urgent in the panic sense, and your line will move to digital with or without you. Your job is the small, sensible bit: confirm your number carries over, choose your timing, and check every device on the line before the day — not after.