Telephone Sockets After the 2027 Switch-Off: Keep or Replace?
Your telephone sockets have sat on the wall for years. Openreach now says every traditional phone line goes digital on 31 January 2027. So do telephone sockets still matter, and should you fit any new ones? This guide sticks to what Openreach has published, then prices the options.
Quick answerOpenreach says traditional phone lines go digital on 31 January 2027, and calls will usually run through a broadband router. Its page does not cover extension sockets, so ask your provider first. For new wiring, Openreach recommends Cat6 data cabling instead of voice extension sockets.
31 Jan 2027Date Openreach says traditional phone lines go digital
Cat6Cable Openreach recommends for new builds instead of voice extension sockets
£2.44Price of a BG Cat6 RJ45 Euro Module, inc VAT, 11 November 2026
Telephone sockets and the 31 January 2027 switch-off
Openreach says all traditional phone lines go digital on 31 January 2027. After the switch, phone service will usually work through a broadband router rather than a wall socket.
Digital lines need power, so a power cut will affect them. Anyone relying on a landline, including telecare users, should tell their provider so battery back-up can be arranged. Alarms, CCTV, payment terminals and telecare equipment should be checked for compatibility before the switch.
The Openreach digital phone lines page sets out the current position. Read it before you buy anything. When you are ready, our Euro Module telecom and data modules cover master, secondary and Cat6 parts.
Telephone sockets after the switch-off: four situations
| Situation | What Openreach says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A handset plugged into the wall socket | Service will usually work through a broadband router instead | Ask your provider how to connect the handset |
| Fixed extension sockets around the property | Its page does not cover them | Ask your provider, and use an installer for any wiring change |
| A new build or full rewire | Fit Cat6 data cabling, not voice extension sockets | Fit data points, which can carry voice later through an adapter |
| Alarms, CCTV, payment terminals, telecare | Check compatibility with digital lines first | Ask the device supplier |
Watch outThe Openreach page says nothing about extension sockets. Do not assume yours will work, or stop working, until your provider confirms how your line moves.
Why Openreach points new builds to Cat6
The March 2026 Openreach fibre handbook for developers recommends Cat6 data cabling instead of traditional analogue voice cabling and extension sockets. It gives three reasons.
- Analogue voice services are being phased out.
- The latest Openreach ONTs no longer include an analogue telephone adapter, or ATA, which turns a digital signal into dial tone.
- A data point stays useful, because the owner can add their own ATA later for traditional voice.
This is new-build guidance for full fibre, so treat it as the direction of travel, not a rule for every property. It also says all internal wires and sockets beyond its equipment are the developer's or homeowner's responsibility.
Trade tipRun Cat6 to every point where a phone, router or access point could sit. The module costs £2.44, and the cable is the real cost, so lay it before the walls are finished.
Telephone sockets and data modules in stock
These BG Euro Module parts were in stock on 11 November 2026. Prices are inc VAT and exclude the front plate, the box and the cable.
| Product | Role | Terminals | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| BG EMBTMIW Telephone BT Master, white | Master socket | IDC | £2.89 |
| BG EMBTMSW Telephone BT Master, white | Master socket | Screw | £2.89 |
| BG EMBTSIW Secondary Telephone Socket, white | Secondary socket | IDC | £2.62 |
| BG EMBTSSW Telephone BT Slave, white | Secondary socket | Screw | £2.61 |
| BG EMRJ11W Telephone RJ11, white | RJ11 outlet | Screw | £2.09 |
| BG Nexus EMRJ45C6W Cat6 RJ45 Outlet, white | Data outlet | IDC | £2.44 |
That collection lists 21 products, 18 in stock on 11 November 2026. The master and Cat6 pages we checked list a 25mm minimum back box depth.
For a metal plate, the Nexus Metal Brushed Steel range has a 1 gang RJ45 outlet, NBSRJ451, with a 25mm steel back box at £11.23. The telephone and data outlets collection has eight products, all in stock, including six BG Evolve 2 gang RJ45 sockets at £14.19.
Worked example: four points in a rewired house
A landlord rewires a three-bedroom house with four wall points. The prices below are module prices inc VAT, excluding plates, boxes and cable:
- Voice plan: one master at £2.89 and three secondary sockets at £2.62 is £10.75.
- Data plan: four Cat6 RJ45 modules at £2.44 is £9.76.
- Difference: £0.99 in favour of data.
The modules cost almost the same, so price does not decide it. The cable does, and so does what the owner wants to plug in. If the tenant's provider uses a router phone port, a voice-only socket may sit unused.
Five steps before you order
- Ask your provider how your phone connects after 31 January 2027.
- List every device on the line, from alarms to card terminals.
- Mark each wall point as voice, data or both.
- Check the existing cable and back box at each point.
- Order modules to match terminals and depth.
RuleOpenreach advises data cabling, not voice extension sockets, for new builds. Ask your provider before you add or move any telephone socket.
Where telephone socket orders go wrong
- Fitting voice-only sockets in a new build. That runs against Openreach's advice.
- Mixing up RJ11 and RJ45. They are different connectors, and the first guide under related reading explains the split.
- Mismatching terminals. EMBTMIW is IDC and EMBTMSW is screw, so check the letter.
- Forgetting depth. Check each listing, and read the back box guide under related reading.
- Trusting old telephone cable. Our advice: treat an RJ45 face on old voice cable as untested, and run Cat6 where the connection matters.
- Ignoring power. A digital line needs mains, so site the router near a socket.
- Touching the line entry. Leave the socket where the line enters to your provider's engineer unless they say otherwise.
Buyer's checklist
- Confirm with your provider how the phone connects after the switch.
- List devices on the line and check each one.
- Decide voice, data or both for every point.
- Match IDC or screw terminals to your wiring.
- Check back box depth against the listing.
- Fit Cat6 wherever you are wiring from scratch.
Related reading
Related reading
Related reading
FAQs
Openreach says all traditional phone lines go digital on 31 January 2027. After the switch, phone service will usually work through a broadband router rather than a wall socket. Your provider decides how your handset connects, so ask them well before the date.
The Openreach page does not mention extension sockets and says to ask your provider how they will work. We cannot promise yours will keep working or stop. Any wiring change is the property owner's responsibility, so use a competent installer.
Openreach recommends against traditional voice cabling and extension sockets in new builds. It advises Cat6 data cabling, which can carry data now and voice later through the owner's own adapter. That guidance is for full fibre developments, so check your provider's advice too.
An ATA is an analogue telephone adapter. It converts a digital signal into the dial tone an analogue phone expects. Openreach says its latest ONTs no longer include one, and that some providers offer an ATA port on their router, but it cannot guarantee that.
Our advice is to treat it as untested. RJ11 and RJ45 are different connectors, and old telephone cable was laid for voice, not network use. Where you need a reliable wired connection, run Cat6. The BG Cat6 module needs a 25mm minimum back box.
Openreach says digital lines need power, so a power cut will affect them. Anyone relying on a landline, including people using telecare, should tell their provider so battery back-up can be arranged. Check alarms and similar devices for compatibility before the switch.
That depends on your line and your provider, and the Openreach page does not use the term master socket. Ask your provider whether your router connects there. Where you are wiring a new build, Openreach recommends data points instead of voice sockets.
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