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Is Plusnet down right now? Check the latest outage reports and share your experience. Get real-time alerts when Plusnet is down.

Is Plusnet down right now? Check the latest outage reports and share your experience. Get real-time alerts when Plusnet is down.

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Is Plusnet down right now? Check the latest outage reports and share your experience. Get real-time alerts when Plusnet is down.

Traditional landlines will be switched off nationwide on January 31, 2027 — and that deadline won't be postponed **for a second time** , BT-owned Openreach has warned. Openreach provides infrastructure to some 32 million homes and businesses across the UK, with popular brands like Sky, Vodafone, BT, TalkTalk, EE, and Plusnet, all piggybacking on its nationwide network of cables. In a letter circulated to telecoms that use its network to deliver their broadband and telephone services, Openreach warned that anybody still on legacy landlines — known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in industry lingo — is at risk of disruption when these phone lines are retired in the next 11 weeks. ### Beyond landline phones, there are several systems that rely on PSTN, including point-of-sale terminals for retailers, fire and security alarms, and personal care alarms for elderly and vulnerable people. Compatibility issues with the latter were behind **the initial delay to the roll-out**. To avert future issues with personal alarms, often worn on a lanyard around the neck or on a bracelet and designed to be activated in a health emergency or after a fall, Openreach now offers its Prove Telecare service, which sends specially trained engineers to test these alarms on the new digital line before you switch. More than 70,000 customers have been upgraded this way so far. ### Under the new system, your landline phone will plug into the back of the Wi-Fi router that delivers your internet connection _not_ the telephone socket in the wall. Most existing handsets will be compatible with the new system, dubbed Digital Voice by BT and a few other providers. Calls delivered via a full-fibre broadband connection work like a call via WhatsApp or Skype, offering clearer call quality, better spam blocking, and the ability to queue calls and other modern smartphone-like features. According to Openreach, approximately one million copper-based phone lines remain active across the UK, including 300,000 within business premises. Openreach has now enforced Stop Sell rules across 16.4 million of the 32 million homes and businesses that make up its nationwide footprint, blocking more than half of UK properties from taking out a new landline contract. Openreach only issues a Stop Sell order when a majority of premises connected to a particular exchange can switch to full-fibre broadband. Existing phone lines won't be removed, but Britons living in the affected area who decide to switch, upgrade, or renegotiate their broadband or phone service will _only_ be offered a digital landline. It's the final step before traditional phone lines are ditched after almost a century of service. ### To further incentivise the brands that rely on Openreach cables to reach customers, including EE, BT, TalkTalk, Vodafone, to name just a few, **BT's infrastructure arm doubled the rental prices for its ageing landline system**. The increase in the wholesale rental charges does not mean household landline bills will automatically double. It's possible that your ISP will swallow the additional rental cost. Openreach charges telephone providers rather than consumers directly, and individual providers decide what they charge their customers. Your provider might not pass on the costs, but try to incentivise you to make the switch to a broadband-powered landline as soon as possible. In fact, that's exactly what Openreach is hoping. The wholesale supplier said the price changes are designed to encourage communications providers to move their remaining customers away from legacy products and onto newer digital services before the old network closes. ### Despite the work behind the scenes to prepare the UK for this momentous switchover, millions of Britons are still unaware of the upcoming switchover. Research from comparison site Broadband Genie found almost half (44%) of us remain in the dark about the change, which Openreach has branded "The Big Switch Off" **on its website**. Alarmingly, research shows 1 in 7 (15%) of British households who received updates or notifications from their phone or broadband provider admit they actively ignored the warning ...or threw it away. This risks 2 million with non-functioning care devices, Broadband Genie tells GB News. Rest assured — for most broadband customers, the switchover happens behind the scenes. However, dismissing provider warnings creates a direct risk of sudden broadband blackouts. In fewer cases where a connection requires you to take action, like accepting updated contract terms or swapping out an older Wi-Fi router, doing nothing can result in a loss of connection. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * **Amazon redesigns its Kindle lineup to be lighter, faster, and more colourful** * **Monzo issues Black Friday warning to 15.2 million customers** * **RIP Facebook Events? WhatsApp's new feature helps you RSVP to plans** * **BBC will add AI assistant called 'Iggy' to iPlayer to help you find something to watch** * **iPhone Duo review** * **BT confirms safety net for Britons who don't upgrade ahead of landline switch-off** ### Alex Tofts, strategist at Broadband Genie, told GB News: "The market has had almost a decade to prepare for this transition, yet millions are facing a last-minute scramble. Openreach has changed the date before, so it wouldn’t be a massive shock if they push it back again. "While change isn’t always comfortable, it’s necessary. "Parts of the legacy copper network installed under our pavements have been there since the 19th Century. Full fibre is the future, it’s faster, more reliable and easier to maintain. Customers can use this as an opportunity to review their broadband deal. In most cases, if you’re out of contract, you will get a cheaper, faster and more reliable deal. ### "The switch-off will have different impacts depending on your circumstances. The thing to do is to read or listen to any communication from your provider and engage with them if needed. "They’ll want to help you, so no one is left behind. Taking a few minutes now to check your options will ensure a seamless transition and prevent any last-minute loss of service." ### Plans for a UK-wide landline switch-off were first confirmed back in late 2017 by the telecom industry itself — somewhat uniquely, this is not a Government scheme or deadline. Industry figures said they struggled to source the correct parts to maintain and repair analogue phone lines, as few companies still produce parts for this century-old telephone system. A number of other countries across mainland Europe are undergoing similar upgrades at the moment because of similar struggles. BT recently **confirmed the final safety net for Britons who don't upgrade ahead of traditional landline switch-off**. Dubbed the Emergency Voice and Access Continuity system, this will cost providers £35 a month wholesale. That's not a fee that you'll see, but one that will be shouldered by your broadband or phone provider. This costly charge is designed to incentivise brands to switch customers over to Digital Voice as soon as possible. Unsure if your address has been connected yet? Openreach offers **an online postcode checker** to see if they can already order a Full Fibre service or alternatively, check by contacting their service provider. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Is Plusnet down right now? Check the latest outage reports and share your experience. Get real-time alerts when Plusnet is down.

Is Plusnet down right now? Check the latest outage reports and share your experience. Get real-time alerts when Plusnet is down.

Plusnet has cut Full Fibre 145 to £21.99 per month, its lowest ever price, undercutting Sky and Virgin Media ahead of Black Friday.