HOW IT WORKS
The big phone switch-off
Get ready for the new era of digital-only telephone services
YOU WILL LEARN
Details about the UK’s PSTN services switch-off, and the replacement digital voice services
Key fact
Most modern telephone handsets can be plugged into a broadband router in order to use digital VoIP services. However, some people need to buy an adaptor and a few older handsets may need to be replaced altogether.
Your telephone or broadband supplier should also provide a battery pack that keeps the digital telephone service running in the event of a power cut.
Just over 20 years ago, the BBC
and other UK TV networks stopped using analogue technology for broadcasting television programmes, and switched to Freeview – a digital system – instead.
This was a big deal back then, and the UK networks spent a lot of time and money informing people about the switch to digital TV, as well as the new Freeview set-top boxes needed to watch digital TV channels (for people who didn’t already have digital services such as Virgin or Sky). And soon, the UK will have yet another big analogue switch-off.