The technology that currently powers landline telephones is to be switched off in 2025 - but don't panic, you will still be able to have a handse

Internet revamp for the humble landline

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2021-08-16 20:00:09

The technology that currently powers landline telephones is to be switched off in 2025 - but don't panic, you will still be able to have a handset in the hallway should you wish.

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a modern version of 19th Century technology - it is what brings the connection into your home via a copper cable - but its days are numbered, according to Openreach, which has already begun work on the switchover.

Landline operators in the UK will switch every home phone in the UK to an internet-based connection instead of traditional, copper-wire landlines. A total of 14 million lines are affected.

PSTNs around the world have been modernised many times but still work on the same principle - establishing direct connections between telephones via an intermediary exchange.

Telecoms companies also say old PSTN equipment is costly to maintain and call quality could be improved by routing landline calls via internet connections instead.