Broadband and home phone deals

Yes you can, but it's a digital rather than an analogue (copper) phone line. Part-fibre, or fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) broadband (30-70Mbps) is currently available to 97% of the UK population.

With these services, if you're with a provider on the Openreach network, you need a landline connection for it to work, but not a landline phone. You don't have to pay extra for line rental - it's all bundled into the broadband cost even if you don't use a landline phone.

In the past, line rental was a necessary cost of having a broadband connection. The landline was there whether or not it was being used.

For Virgin Media broadband and other providers with their own networks, the landline connection is optional.

If you get full fibre or fibre to the premises (FTTP) broadband installed, your provider disconnects your old copper phone line for good.

If you opt for a full fibre broadband product with a phone service, you automatically get a digital phone line.

Most analogue phone lines are going to be migrated to digital by 31 December 2025. Some broadband service providers may do it even sooner.

Good value depends what you need and what you want to spend.

The best-value option for you may not be the cheapest broadband and home phone package, but the one that offers everything you want at a fair price.

To weigh up what you need from your combined home phone and broadband, think about:

• Monthly fee: The monthly fee tends to be the ‘headline’ when considering different packages. But it needs to be weighed up against what’s on offer. If there’s a package you like the look of but the price is a bit high, consider contacting the company and haggling. There are no guarantees, but this can help lower the price or get more included in your package.
• Call costs: Check the call cost per minute for national, international and local calls. Costs may depend on who you often call and where they are based.

• Inclusive call minutes: Some packages might include inclusive minutes, for example free weekend and evening calls. To see whether these are good value, think about your typical phone usage. Checking your recent bills should give you an idea of how often you make calls and what type of calls they are.
• Download and upload speeds: It’s a good idea to do a bit of research on what speed you need. Faster isn’t always better, as there's no point paying for speeds you don’t use. Think about upload speeds. These are important for things like video calls, online gaming and uploading social videos.
• Router: A new broadband and home phone package often comes with a new router as part of the deal. The model of router you get depends on your provider, and some routers are more sophisticated than others.
• Connection or installation costs: Check whether you have to pay to install your new connection. If you’re switching to a full fibre connection, you may need to pay a fee to install the digital services needed for landline calls.