Keep Your Landline When Switching to EE

If you’re switching to EE Full Fibre, one of the first questions you’ll probably ask is: “What happens to my landline number?”

The good news is that in most cases, yes — you can usually keep your landline when switching to EE. While EE Full Fibre no longer uses traditional copper phone lines, home phone services haven’t disappeared. Calls are now made over the internet using digital voice technology instead.

EE offers its own Digital Home Phone service, which works through your broadband connection rather than the old-style wall socket. For many households, that’s a straightforward option. But it’s not the only choice available.

Independent VoIP providers such as Plexatalk give you another way to keep your landline number while often offering more flexibility, lower monthly costs, and features that traditional providers tend to charge extra for.

You can also usually continue using your existing handsets, so there’s no need to replace every phone in the house just because you’re moving to fibre broadband.

In this guide, we’ll explain how EE Digital Voice works, how number transfers work, and what alternatives are available if you’d prefer a different setup.

Does EE Still Offer a Landline?

Yes — but it works very differently from the old-style landlines most people are used to.

Like the rest of the UK telecoms industry, EE is moving away from the traditional copper phone network as part of the nationwide PSTN switch-off. PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network — essentially the old analogue phone system that has been used in UK homes for decades.

Instead of phone calls travelling through a dedicated copper telephone line, EE’s phone service now runs through your broadband connection using digital voice technology.

EE calls this service Digital Home Phone.

So while you can still have a “home phone” with EE Full Fibre, there’s no separate analogue landline connected to the wall socket anymore. Your calls are carried over the internet instead.

What’s the difference between analogue and digital voice?

With a traditional analogue landline, your phone plugged directly into the copper phone line entering your property. The line itself powered the service and handled calls separately from your broadband.

Digital voice works differently. Your phone service is connected through your broadband router, with calls converted into digital data and sent over your fibre connection.

For most people, day-to-day use feels exactly the same — you still make and receive calls as normal, and you can usually keep your existing number. In many cases, you can also continue using your current home handsets with the right adapter or base station.

Can You Keep Your Existing Landline Number?

In most cases, yes — you can keep your existing landline number when switching to EE Full Fibre or moving to a VoIP provider like Plexatalk.

This process is called number porting. It allows your current phone number to be transferred from your old provider to your new digital phone service.

Whether you’re moving from BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media or another provider, landline numbers can usually be ported across without any issues. The main thing is making sure the transfer is handled in the right order.

The most important thing: don’t cancel your old service first

A lot of people accidentally lose their number by cancelling their broadband or phone package before the number transfer has been arranged.

Once a line is fully cancelled, the number may no longer be available to port.

How landline number porting usually works

1. Choose your new broadband or VoIP provider
2. Request a number port using your existing landline number
3. Keep your current service active while the transfer is arranged
4. The number is moved across on the agreed porting date
5. Your old phone service is then automatically closed in most cases

Porting normally takes a few working days, although timings can vary depending on the provider and whether broadband services are also being changed at the same time.

The key thing to remember is simple: arrange the transfer first, cancel later.

EE Digital Home Phone Explained

EE’s Digital Home Phone service is designed to replace the traditional landline for customers moving onto Full Fibre broadband.

Instead of using the old copper phone network, calls are handled through your broadband connection using digital voice technology. In practical terms, that means your home phone plugs into your EE router rather than the old telephone wall socket.

Once set up, the experience is very familiar. You still make and receive calls in the usual way, keep your home number, and choose from available call plans depending on how much you use the phone.

EE also offers app-based calling features with some packages, allowing you to answer home phone calls on a mobile device while connected to your account. For households that rely on a landline, this can be a useful extra layer of flexibility.

Can you still use your existing home phones?

In many cases, yes.

Some modern cordless phone systems work directly with digital voice services, while older handsets may need an adapter or a compatible base station connected to the router. The exact setup depends on the type of phone you already have at home.

For customers who simply want their home phone to continue working with minimal changes, EE’s system is usually straightforward to install and manage.

That said, Digital Home Phone is primarily built around EE’s own broadband setup and hardware. The service generally works through EE-provided routers and is designed to stay within the EE ecosystem.

For some users, that’s perfectly fine. Others may prefer a more flexible independent VoIP provider, especially if they want additional features, lower ongoing costs, or the ability to use different hardware and apps across multiple devices.

The right option really depends on how you use your home phone and how much control you want over the setup.

EE Digital Home Phone vs Independent VoIP

For many households, EE Digital Home Phone will do exactly what they need — especially if they want a simple setup bundled with their broadband package.

But it’s not the only option available.

Independent VoIP services such as Plexatalk work differently. Rather than tying your phone service directly to one broadband provider, your number and calling features are managed separately over the internet. That gives you more flexibility if your broadband setup changes later on.

Here’s how the two approaches typically compare:

Feature	EE Digital Home Phone	Independent VoIP (e.g. Plexatalk)
Keep existing number	Usually yes	Usually yes
Works with broadband	EE broadband only	Most broadband providers
Router flexibility	Mainly EE hardware	Wider hardware support
Existing handset support	Often yes	Often yes
Mobile/desktop apps	Limited to EE options	Wider app/device choice
Switching broadband later	Phone service usually tied to EE	Number stays independent
Use your number away from home	Limited	Usually much easier
Setup complexity	Simple plug-and-play	Slightly more setup initially
Ongoing costs	Depends on bundle/call plan	Often lower monthly costs
Backup/failover options	EE-managed	More custom options available

The biggest difference is really about flexibility.

EE’s Digital Home Phone is designed to work as part of a complete EE package. If you’re happy keeping everything under one provider and don’t expect to change your setup often, it can be a convenient option.

Independent VoIP services are often better suited to people who want more control over their number and devices. For example, if you later switch broadband providers, move house, travel regularly, or want to use your home number across multiple phones or apps, a standalone VoIP provider can make that much easier.

There’s also a growing number of households using VoIP as a long-term replacement for the traditional landline — particularly because the number itself becomes separate from the broadband provider.

That means your phone number belongs to you, rather than being closely tied to a specific router or broadband contract.

Neither option is right or wrong. It mainly comes down to whether you prefer simplicity within one provider, or the added flexibility that comes with an independent VoIP setup.

Why Some People Prefer Independent VoIP Services

For a growing number of households, independent VoIP services offer something traditional phone packages often don’t: flexibility.

Instead of your home phone being tied directly to your broadband provider, services like Plexatalk let you keep your landline number independently from your internet connection. That means if you decide to switch broadband providers in the future, your phone number can usually stay exactly where it is.

For many people, that’s a big advantage.

It also gives you far more choice over how you use your phone service. You can normally:

• use your own router rather than provider-locked hardware
• make and receive calls through VoIP mobile apps
• connect dedicated VoIP desk phones
• continue using existing cordless home phones with an adapter
• forward calls to mobiles or other numbers
• take your number with you if you move house

In day-to-day use, it can feel much more flexible than the traditional “phone line attached to the broadband” model.

A lot of customers now see VoIP less as a replacement for the old landline, and more as a modern communication service that works across multiple devices and locations.

For example, some people like being able to answer their home number from a mobile app while away from home. Others simply want the reassurance that changing broadband providers later won’t affect their long-standing phone number.

That’s where independent VoIP services often appeal most.

Rather than your number living inside a single broadband package, it becomes portable and future-proofed — giving you more control over how and where you use it over time.

For households that still value their landline number, but want a setup that’s more adaptable going forward, independent VoIP can be a very practical alternative.

Can You Use Your Existing Home Phones?

In many cases, yes — you can continue using the home phones you already have.

One of the biggest worries people have when moving away from a traditional landline is having to replace all their existing handsets. Thankfully, that’s usually not necessary.

Most modern cordless phone systems work perfectly well with digital voice and VoIP services, either by connecting directly to a compatible base station or by using a simple phone adapter.

If you already use DECT cordless phones around the house, there’s a good chance they’ll continue working much as they do now. Multiple handsets connected to the same base station can normally still be used for incoming and outgoing calls throughout the home.

Many corded phones can also work, although compatibility can vary depending on the model and the setup being used.

With independent VoIP services, customers often have a few different setup options available:

• connect existing phones using an analogue phone adapter (ATA)
• use compatible DECT base stations
• switch to dedicated VoIP handsets if preferred
• mix home phones with mobile or desktop apps

For most households, the transition is far less disruptive than expected.

The aim is usually to keep things familiar — same number, same handsets, same way of making calls — just running through your broadband connection instead of the old copper phone line.

What Happens During a Broadband Outage or Power Cut?

One important thing to understand about Digital Voice services is that they rely on both your broadband connection and your home equipment having power.

With traditional analogue landlines, phones often continued working during a power cut because the copper phone line carried its own power from the exchange. Digital phone services work differently.

If your broadband goes down, your router loses power, or there’s a local outage affecting your internet connection, your home phone service will usually stop working as well.

That applies to EE Digital Home Phone and most VoIP-based services in general.

For many households, this isn’t a major issue because mobile phones are already the main backup method. But it’s still something worth being aware of — particularly for customers who rely heavily on their home number.

Where independent VoIP services can sometimes offer extra flexibility is in how calls are handled during problems or outages.

Depending on the provider and setup, features may include:

• automatic call forwarding to a mobile
• answering calls through a VoIP app over mobile data
• using multiple devices on the same number
• failover options if one connection becomes unavailable

So even if your home router is offline, your number may still be reachable elsewhere.

This is one reason some customers prefer keeping their phone service separate from their broadband provider. It can create additional backup options and make the service more portable if something goes wrong at home.

Ultimately, digital phone services are more internet-dependent than old analogue lines — but modern VoIP setups can also offer more flexibility in how calls are received when conditions aren’t ideal.

EE Phone Pricing vs Independent VoIP

When comparing EE Digital Home Phone with an independent VoIP provider, the monthly price is only part of the picture.

The bigger difference is often how flexible the service remains later on.

EE’s Digital Home Phone is designed as an add-on to its broadband packages. At the time of writing, EE’s call plans range from around £5.73 per month for pay-as-you-go calling through to around £20.66 per month for unlimited UK calls.

Independent VoIP services such as Plexatalk separate the phone service from the broadband connection itself. That means your landline number can continue working even if you later change internet provider.

Here’s how the two approaches typically compare:

prices correct as of 29th of May 2026 – prices taken from Plexatalk and EE

Feature	EE Digital Home Phone	Plexatalk
Entry-level plan	£5.73/month (Pay Per Call)	£4/month including 100 mins
Unlimited UK calls	~£20.66/month	£12.50/month
Keep existing number	Usually yes	Free porting included
Existing phone support	May require compatible setup	Optional adapter available
Router flexibility	Primarily EE hardware	Works with most routers
Change broadband provider later	Phone tied to EE	Number stays independent
Mobile/app flexibility	Limited EE ecosystem	Wider VoIP app/device support
Included features	Varies by package	Voicemail, caller ID & forwarding included
International calling	Extra plan required	Select destinations included

Get started with Plexatalk today

For some households, EE’s bundled approach will absolutely make sense. If you want a straightforward setup with one provider handling everything, it keeps things simple.

But independent VoIP can offer better long-term flexibility.

For example, with Plexatalk you can keep your number independent from your broadband provider, use VoIP apps across multiple devices, forward calls to mobiles, and switch internet providers later without needing to migrate your landline again.

It also allows customers to continue using existing home phones with an optional adapter, rather than replacing everything outright.

So while independent VoIP isn’t always about being the absolute cheapest option, many people see it as better long-term value — particularly if they want more control over their number, hardware and future broadband choices.

Step-by-Step: How to Switch to EE and Keep Your Number

If you want to move to EE Full Fibre but keep your existing landline number through an independent VoIP provider such as Plexatalk, the process is usually quite straightforward.

The key thing is making sure the number transfer happens before your old phone service is cancelled.

Here’s how it typically works:

1. Order your EE Full Fibre broadband

Arrange your new EE broadband installation first. At this stage, you don’t need to cancel your current phone service manually.

Keeping the old line active is important for the number transfer process.

2. Choose your VoIP provider

Decide which VoIP provider you want to use for your home phone service.

You’ll normally be asked whether you want to:

• keep your existing number
• use your current home phones
• receive a phone adapter or VoIP handset

3. Submit your number port request

Your VoIP provider will arrange the transfer of your landline number from your existing provider.

This is known as a number port.

You’ll usually need:

• your current phone number
• account holder details
• sometimes your existing provider account number

4. Keep your current service active

This part is very important.

Do not cancel your existing phone line before the port completes. If the line is cancelled too early, the number can sometimes be lost permanently.

Your current provider should remain active until the transfer date is confirmed.

5. Connect your phones or apps

Once your VoIP service is ready, you can:

• plug in an adapter for existing handsets
• connect compatible cordless phones
• install VoIP mobile apps
• set up desk phones if preferred

6. Test incoming and outgoing calls

On the agreed porting date, your number should begin routing through the new VoIP service.

Test inbound and outbound calls to make sure everything is working correctly.

7. Your old phone service usually closes automatically

In many cases, once the number transfer completes, the old phone service linked to that number is automatically ceased by the previous provider.

That’s why it’s important to plan the order carefully and avoid cancelling services too early.

Keep Your Landline When Switching to EE – FAQ

Conclusion

Switching to EE Full Fibre doesn’t mean losing your landline number.

For most households, keeping your existing number is usually a straightforward process as long as the transfer is handled correctly and the old line isn’t cancelled too early.

EE Digital Home Phone will suit plenty of people who simply want a home phone service bundled neatly alongside their broadband. It’s familiar, relatively simple to set up, and keeps everything under one provider.

At the same time, independent VoIP services offer a different kind of flexibility.

If you’d rather use your own hardware, keep your phone number separate from your broadband provider, or make changing internet providers easier in the future, a standalone VoIP setup can give you more long-term control.

Many customers also like the ability to use apps, adapters, desk phones and call forwarding features in a way that feels more portable and adaptable than the traditional landline model.

Ultimately, both approaches can work well — it just depends on how much flexibility you want from your home phone setup going forward.