Difference between digital voice and traditional landlines.

Difference between digital voice and traditional landlines 

In 2015 BT announced they will be switching off their ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) and PSTN (The Public Switched Telephone Network) services completely in 2025, both are services that due to their age, are becoming too costly to maintain. They both run over copper phone lines which are also being phased out and replaced with fibre optic connections. 

Now is the ideal time to look at the differences between digital and traditional phone lines, as the 2025 switch off date is looming, meaning it is a vital to start looking at phone alternatives. 

Your landline provider will get in touch with you when it is time to migrate you over to a digital line, but preparing in advance is recommended. 

What is a traditional landline? Also known as an "analogue" landline. 

Traditional landlines have been the primary method of communication for homeowners before mobile phones, with most households still having a landline in place. When we set up accounts and register for our doctors, dentist, bank etc, own traditional phoneline tends to be the number we give as our main contact number. 

Landline phones work by converting sound into an electrical signal, the signal travels via a network of copper wires to a central office location (a telephone company). The signal is then converted back into sound waves and sent to the receiver. 

What is a digital phone line? 

A digital phone line is a telephony system that allows you to make voice calls using an Internet connection instead of a regular phone line by converting your voice into a digital signal which travels over the Internet. 

This includes VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phones which use an internet protocol that allows phones to connect to a wireless or local area network (LAN) connection. 

This form of phone line requires the user to have a sufficient fibre internet connection and will be connected via your router. 

  What are the differences? 

Essentially, traditional phone lines use analogue technology and copper wires to make and receive calls and are only designed for voice communication. An advantage is that they don’t rely on the internet, so if your internet goes down, your phone line will still work. 

Whereas digital phone calls are made over a broadband connection and VoIP/SIP phones offer a wider range of technology advancements including video calls, call recordings, forward calls to a mobile, voicemail – email etc.  

As VoIP uses your broadband, it means that you do not have to pay for a landline, which will save you money. You will also notice that your calls are much clearer, as they are not travelling over old copper wires. 

The future of your phone connection? 

The 2025 switch off will result in all PSTN and ISDN lines being replaced by digital phone lines which route calls using IP technology, this is due to traditional PSTN and ISDNs technologies no longer being capable of meeting current increasing demands. Ultimately, this means all residential properties and businesses will need to upgrade to a digital phone line. If you have built in intruder alarms, these may also be affected by the switch-off, so please check with your internet provider. 

You may still be able to use your current phone with a digital line, (esp. if it’s a cordless telecommunication (DECT) phone), although you may require an adaptor, which should be supplied by your provider. If your current phone is too old, you will need to upgrade.  

You will be able to keep your current number when upgrading to a digital line. 

If you do not want to move to a digital line, then you can refuse, and choose not to have a phone line at all, but you will need to weigh up the pros and cons of this decision. 

If you currently only have a landline, you won't be forced to pay for broadband services that you don't want.  

Upgrading to full fibre is slightly different and will require an engineer visit, as fibre optic cables will need to be installed into your home.  

What can you do? 

Moving to a digital phone shouldn’t be a concern, as it will result in more features, cheaper bills and higher call clarity. However, if you are worried, speak to your broadband provider to discuss solutions, or contact our VFast team, and we will be able to arrange a free consultation to discuss your internet and phone setup. We can be contacted on 01227 668901 or sales@vfast.co.uk.