You no longer need a landline to get broadband. But if you need a home phone for other reasons, a combined broadband and landline deal is usually cheaper than buying both separately.
2024 was a telecoms tipping point: people with landline phones in the UK went from the majority to the minority. Only 47% of us have a phone plugged in at home2, but there are a few reasons why you might choose to be one of them.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a deal that bundles your broadband with a landline phone?
The UK is getting rid of the telephone wiring used by old-style landlines. Instead, every landline user will be upgraded to a digital phone line by 31 January 2027.3
This means that if you’re switching provider, it’s no longer possible to sign up for a new analogue phone contract. You’ll be moved to the Digital Voice service, which uses your broadband connection to make calls.
You don’t need to do anything differently and most people won’t notice any change. If you have full fibre broadband plus a landline phone, the chances are that you’re already on Digital Voice. Your existing home phone should still work on the new system. If not, you can order an adaptor.4
The options are fairly limited so it shouldn’t take long to compare:
If you need a landline, getting your phone service combined with your broadband is usually the cheapest and simplest option.
If you don’t need a landline, there’s no need for a broadband deal with a phone plan attached and there’s no advantage to this either.
Only a small number of broadband providers offer deals that include a landline these days, so your choice is limited.
If you put your postcode into the Go.Compare address finder, we’ll show you deals that are:
Then you can compare the options based on price, broadband speed and whatever else is important to you.
Yes, Ofcom rules mean that providers have to include all costs in the advertised price for a deal 5 Line rental is an essential cost because it covers maintenance for the line that supplies your home with the broadband and phone service.
Line rental might show up separately on your bill, but not in the price you see in the results on a comparison website like ours.
It’s really that simple. Thanks to One Touch Switch, you don’t need to tell your old provider that you’re leaving and your phone should keep working throughout the switchover.
There are very few providers that can offer broadband without a landline. Virgin Media is the most well-known and owns its own fibre optic network, meaning you can take broadband without a phone line – although it won’t necessarily be cheaper. Satellite or mobile broadband don’t need a landline either.
Broadband deals without a landline might work out to be more expensive than ones bundled with a landline, even if you never make calls. So always compare to get a great deal.
As of January 2025, there aren’t any landline deals offering unlimited phone calls. But you might get evening or weekend calls either free or at a cheaper rate. The options keep changing, so run a quick search to see what’s available today.
No, most broadband and landline deals simply offer just that: a broadband connection and a phone service.
Yes, signing up for a new broadband and phone deal usually involves a credit check. This is because the provider wants some evidence that you can pay the bills before they start supplying the service to your home.
It is possible to get broadband with no credit check, but at the time of writing6, all the deals that include landline phone service do involve a credit check.
Last updated: 30th January 2025
[1] As of 13th March 2026, there are 3 active broadband providers on the panel at Go.Compare
[2] Ofcom, Technology Tracker 2024, last checked 17 January 2025
[3] BT Openreach, Openreach puts the stopper on copper, published 2023, last checked 20 January 2025
[4] BT, Digital Voice - our next generation home phone, last checked 20 January 2025
[5] Ofcom, What is “line rental”? Why do I have to pay it? Published 13 December 2024, last checked 20 January 2025
[6] Information correct as of 20 January 2025