Getting Broadband without a phone line
Released On 16th Dec 2021
Getting a broadband connection but no phone line is becoming an increasingly popular choice up and down the country. A survey in March 2021 by Uswitch showed 20% of households no longer have a landline (up from 5% in 2001) and revealed 26% of those with a landline don't actually use it.
With the number of landline calls dramatically dropping (halving between 2012 and 2017 and continuing to decline), you'd be right to wonder if traditional phone lines are necessary. BT shares your view, aiming to eliminate all old copper lines from the national network by 2025, driving all customers towards digital voice services. But how easy is it to get a broadband-only deal? And is it any cheaper? We'll take a closer look here?
Do you need a landline for broadband?
We might as well cut to the chase here and give you the straight answer: No. Over the last few years, more and more providers have started offering a broadband-only service, but it may depend on the status of the network in your area.
If your street cabinet ( the green box usually positioned next to the pavement on your road or nearby) is connected to the local exchange by a fibre optic cable, then you are most of the way there. This is now the case with 95% of households in the UK.
However, if you have copper wires connecting your home to the cabinet, the best connection you'll be able to get is FFTC ( Fibre to the cabinet), and you will still need to rent the phone line. The same is true for the 5% of UK households who only have access to copper lines in their connection between the cabinet and the local exchange. Sadly, this will mean you still need a landline for broadband.
If you have fibre-optic line connecting your home to the cabinet, or can get this installed as part of your broadband deal (and the cabinet is connected to the exchange with fibre), then you will be able to get the Internet without the phone line. If this is the case, you now have three options to access a broadband without a landline.
