Trends-UK

BT switching off landlines in 10 Scottish areas – see full list

admin-cdn1 hour ago

0 0 3 minutes read

BT switching off landlines in 10 Scottish areas - see full list

The mass switch off is part of plans to dismantle the network of copper phone lines that has been around for the last 100 years

Sally McLean Head of Lifestyle, Trends and Showbiz and Emily Wright

10:01, 20 Nov 2025

A mass switch off of Uk landlines will impact 10 areas in Scotland(Image: Getty Images)

Home phones used to be the main way to communicate for millions, but the advent of mobile phones and broadband means they have become less prevalent in houses across the country.

And now landlines are set to be switched off in 10 areas of the country as part of plans to dismantle the network of copper phone lines that have been used for the last century.

BT-owned Openreach has identified the next 94 locations UK-wide that will be switched off as part of its ‘stop sell’ order and this will reportedly impact around 960,000 premises around the country. These areas will be transitioned away from the copper-based landlines and broadband services over the coming 12 months.

They will be upgraded to full fibre services and traditional landlines will be switched to a broadband-powered phone which uses Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to connect calls, reports The Express.

VoIP is a technology that is already employed by apps such as WhatsApp, Skype, or Messenger.

Copper phone lines have been active since 1976 but they will be switched off once three-quarters of the premises have been upgraded.

Customers given a fill-fibre upgrade will allow them to use several new features including the ability to call multiple people at the same time, better call quality, the ability to block numbers and incoming spam prevention.

Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!

Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.

You’ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.

All you have to do is click here, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.

To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.

If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

However, unlike traditional landlines, which continue to work during power cuts as they draw power from the exchange, VoIP systems will not work without a backup power bank. Many providers, including BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk, refer to this service as “Digital Voice”, but this varies between companies.

According to current plans, the vast majority of the UK will have switched to this technology by the end of January 2027 – a date 13 months later than originally projected last year.

In Scotland there are 10 areas which will be switched off. These include Carluke and Caldercruix in Lanarkshire, an area in the Orkney Islands and two locations in Glasgow.

In England, areas including Blackpool, Portsmouth, Chester and Birmingham are among the locations set to make the change in the next 12 months. There are also locations in Wales and Northern Ireland in the plans.

Openreach Managed Customer Migrations Director, James Lilley, said: “The stop sell programme is a critical part of ensuring that the UK’s communication infrastructure is ready to meet the demands of the future.

“Taking advantage of the progress of our Full Fibre build and encouraging people to upgrade where a majority can access our new network is the right thing to do as it makes no sense, both operationally and commercially, to keep the old copper network and our new fibre network running side-by-side.

“As copper’s ability to support modern communications declines, the immediate focus is getting people onto newer, future-proofed technologies.”