Digital Voice Switchover
We are carrying out essential work to make sure home phone services in the UK are fit for the future. In order to do this, we need to switch off the outdated copper telephone network, and instead make our home phone service operate over the future-proof fibre network, with some handy features as standard. Every customer will be transferred to this new service over the next few years, but don’t worry - it’s free and super simple to do.
To keep your services up and running, please keep your eyes out for a letter from us and ensure you follow the instructions. If you don’t take action, you will no longer be able to make or receive calls. Have questions? You’re in the right place. And if you can't find the answer below, check out our community forum.
Ever since our network was first built, we’ve used the same old technology to provide our home phone service. This is becoming outdated, and we need to be ready for the future, making sure our customers always get the best possible experience.
Our home phone services will soon be provided over our fibre network. This means your phone will need to be plugged directly into your Wi-Fi Hub via an adaptor we will send to you in the post.
Don’t worry – if you only have our home phone, you won’t need to get our broadband, too. We’ll simply install the Hub without changing the services you get with us – you’ll just need to book in a technician visit.
What’s changing?
When you move over to our fibre phone line, you'll make your calls over our broadband network. Digital calling like this has the potential to provide much clearer phone calls when compared to calls on a copper network, especially when calling long distance.
You’ll also be able to get the following features at no extra cost:
Call Divert: Divert incoming calls to another phone number (you’ll only get this if your phone doesn’t have a voicemail service)
Reminder Call: Set up an automatic call to ring you at a specified time
Call Waiting: Queue incoming calls if you’re currently taking another call
Anonymous Caller Rejection: Block withheld numbers from calling you
24 hours after your switch is complete, you’ll be able to activate the first three features by following the steps in our Virgin Phone guide. If you switched on a Friday however, you’ll be able to activate them on the following Monday. You’ll need to contact us if you want to set up Anonymous Caller Rejection. If you’d like our 3-Way Calling (chat to two callers at once) or Quick Dial features (save numbers to dial with a few taps), depending on availability these can also be added by the team at no extra cost.
If you already have these features, the settings for these will reset when the switch happens, and you’ll need to set them up again. And don’t worry if you currently pay for any of these features, the cost will be removed from your account when you switch.
Find out more information about our features, and the ones that will no longer be available – like Ring Back When Free – in our home phone guide below.
In order to continue using your home phone service, when it’s time to move over to our new digital voice service you will need to change the way it’s plugged in. If you don’t take action, you will no longer be able to make or receive calls.
To switch over to our fibre network, you’ll need an adaptor to connect your home phone to your WiFi Hub.
If you have our compatible WiFi Hub (Hub 3, Hub 4 or Hub 5), we’ll send you an adaptor in the post before you switch over to our fibre phone line. You’ll need to use this adaptor to connect your home phone to your Hub. Please do this on the day of the switchover – you’ll find the date in the letter we sent you to tell you about this change.
If you have an older version of our Hub, you don’t currently take broadband services from us or need more support to migrate, you’ll need to book a technician visit in order to complete the migration – find out more about that here.
What do I do when the adaptor arrives?
It'll come with simple step-by-step instructions to help you get set up. Just make sure you plug it in on the date shown in your letter, so you don’t temporarily lose your services. Can’t find the instructions? No problem – you can read them here.
I’ve lost my adaptor
If we haven’t already, we’ll send you a text message on how to reorder an adaptor. If you haven’t received the text, give us a quick call on 150 from a Virgin Media home phone or a Virgin Mobile phone, or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone.
I wasn’t sent an adaptor
If you haven’t received an adaptor in the post, give us a call on 150 from a Virgin Media home phone or a Virgin Mobile phone, or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone, and we’ll send one to you. Or, if you’ve not got an adaptor but have received an ‘adaptor sent’ confirmation text, follow the instructions in the text to order another one.
What happens if I don’t plug in the adaptor?
Your home phone won’t work until you connect the adaptor to your phone and Hub. We recommend you do this on the date in your letter.
What happens if I plug in the adaptor before the date in the letter?
We won’t be switching the service over until the date in your letter. If you plug it in early, you’ll temporarily lose your phone services until the switch is complete. So, keep the adaptor safe and only plug it in on the date of your switchover.
What if I don’t have a free socket in my Hub? The adaptor needs to be plugged into the top grey port (port 1) on the back of your Hub as shown in the picture below. Our new fibre phone services support up to two telephone lines – if you have more than two lines, they’ll need to be disconnected.
In order to continue using your home phone service, when it’s time to move over to our new digital voice service you will need to change the way it’s plugged in.
If you don’t take action, you will no longer be able to make or receive calls so it’s really important you look out for letters from us.
To switch over to our fibre network, you’ll need an adaptor to connect your home phone to your WiFi Hub.
Here’s how to do it:
On the day of your switchover, unplug the cable of your main phone, or base station if it’s a cordless phone, from the wall socket. If you have any other devices connected to this socket, or you use internal phone sockets around your home, please give us a call.
Grab the adaptor we sent and plug it into the top grey port (port 1) on the back of the WiFi Hub
Plug the end of the telephone cable you unplugged from the wall socket into the adaptor
Wait a couple of minutes for a dial tone, then make a test call
Ta da – your new services should be set up and ready to use
For more info
Check the letter we’ve sent about your home phone switchover. It’s personalised to your account and has all the information you need to swap your services.
Can’t make calls?
Here are a few easy fixes:
Your new phone service won’t work until the day of your switchover – so you’ll need to check the date shown in your letter
Make sure the phone cable and adaptor are all connected securely
Hub 3: If you’ve got a Hub 3, a green phone icon should flash showing the phone’s all set up. If the light’s red or not showing, check the connections to the Hub, reboot by turning off then on at the back and try again
Hub 4 or 5: If you’ve got a Hub 4 or Hub 5 and the Hub’s light ring flashes red for a couple of minutes, check the connections to the Hub, reboot by turning off then on at the back and try again
Need to get in touch? Call 150 from a Virgin Media home phone or Virgin Mobile phone, or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone
If you’ve been asked to book a technician visit for your home phone switchover, give us a call on 150 from a Virgin Media home phone or Virgin Mobile phone, or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone.
You might need to book a technician visit because:
You don't currently have a VirginMedia Broadband service and need a WiFi hub in order for the fibre phone line to work
You have accessibility needs that mean you rely on your home phone, or you don’t have a mobile to make emergency calls, so we need to install an Emergency Backup Line for you to always be able to call emergency services. Find out more about our Emergency Backup line here
Your home phone isn’t next to your Hub, and you need cabling to be extended to your phone line
You’ve got connected devices like a healthcare alarm, telecare device or a burglar alarm linked to a control centre. You’ll need to contact your device provider to make sure they’re compatible with our new fibre phone line. Once you’ve got a confirmation from your provider, you’ll need to book a technician to visit your home to sort the switchover. Find out more about what you need to do here
If you don’t book a technician visit, your current home phone services will stop working once the switchover takes place. So, it’s really important you book an appointment to keep your home phone up and running.
We’re moving all customers’ phone services over to our fibre network. If you have a device connected to your landline, such as a healthcare alarm, burglar alarm or telecare device, you need to follow the below steps to ensure your equipment will continue to work following the switchover.
What’s changing?
Some devices that are connected to your landline (such as telecare devices) may not be compatible with our new home phone service
In the event of a power cut of fibre network disruption, devices that are connected to the landline won’t work unless they have their own dedicated network and battery back-up
What do I need to do?
Check with your device provider as soon as possible (which could be your local council, a private telecare supplier or another organisation), to see if your device is compatible with our fibre home phone service. Your device provider might know this as ‘digital voice’
If your device isn’t compatible and/or doesn’t have its own back up, speak with your device provider about upgrading your services
Once you’ve checked in with your device provider, or you know your device will work, and if we’ve already contacted you about your switchover, give us a call so we can arrange your switchover
If we haven’t contacted you yet, you don’t need to do anything further.
What happens if I do nothing?
If you’ve received a letter from us about your switchover, it’s important you book an appointment to avoid your services being disrupted. If you do nothing, then your home phone service and any devices connected to it will no longer work.
Who’s eligible for the Emergency Backup Line?
Customers with accessibility needs and customers without access to a mobile phone can get our Emergency Backup Line, at no extra cost.
Will the Emergency Backup Line work in my home?
When making calls to emergency services, the Emergency Backup Line connects to any available mobile network, which means the device will work wherever there’s mobile coverage.
However, in areas where there’s no mobile coverage, our Emergency Backup Line won’t work. We want to make sure that you’re always safe and can contact emergency services which is why we won’t offer our fibre phone line to customers who live in areas without mobile coverage.
How do I install the Emergency Backup Line?
If you need an Emergency Backup Line, get in touch and we’ll arrange a time for one of our technicians to install it for you
How will I know that my Emergency Backup Line is working?
Our technician will install it for you and make sure that it’s working. You can read more about the Emergency Backup Line in our home phone guide.
Does the Emergency Backup Line need to be recharged?
Yes, so please keep the Emergency Backup Line and Hub plugged in all the time. It’s important not to turn it off at night or at any other time as it needs to be turned on to charge. If there’s ever a power cut or network outage the Emergency Backup Line device will recharge as soon as the power comes back on.
How long does the Emergency Backup Line’s battery last for?
The Emergency Backup Line device is designed to provide around eight hours of standby and one hour of talk time if it’s disconnected from the mains supply. Just make sure the Emergency Backup Line is connected to the mains supply so the battery can charge.
What if I want to turn the Hub off at night to save electricity?
The Hub needs to stay plugged into the mains at all times or you can't make and receive calls. If you do switch it off, make sure you have an alternative way to make emergency calls – like a mobile phone. It takes a few minutes for the Hub to work after restarting.
Can I use the Emergency Backup Line to call any number?
Right now, the Emergency Backup Line only lets you call 999 and 112.
However, from 2023 we’ll be making some changes to the Emergency Backup Line which will allow you to make calls to non-emergency numbers in the event of a power cut. If you’re a new customer or you’re migrating the new fibre phone line and you need an Emergency Backup Line, you’ll receive a device with this functionality already enabled.
If you already have an Emergency Backup Line, we’ll get in touch with you about an upgrade.
Things have changed and I now need an Emergency Backup Line. What should I do?
It’s important to us that we treat all our customers fairly and support those who need a little extra help. If you have any specific needs or requirements, visit our accessibility page to learn about the extra support we can offer. If you need any of the services you see on our accessibility page, including the Emergency Backup Line, please get in touch with us and we’ll sort it for you.
Things have changed and I no longer need an Emergency Backup Line. What should I do?
No worries. Just get in touch and we can arrange a return.
Text relay devices that rely on your landline service are not compatible with our new home phone service. We refer to this as legacy text relay. If you have a legacy text relay service, you need to follow the below steps to ensure your equipment continues to work after the switchover.
The majority of people who use text relay have a Next Generation Text Relay (NGTR) service, which relies on mobile phones or tablets. If these devices have their own SIM card, then their use will not be impacted by the switchover.
What’s changing?
In the event there’s a power cut or a fibre network disruption, you won’t be able to make or receive calls and most devices that are connected to your phone line (like some older text relay systems) won’t work
This means you won’t be able to use your text relay service during a power or network outage
What else can I do? If you rely on legacy text relay, you have a few options:
Get a separate phone line from another operator. We’ll help towards the cost of your installation up to £130 and will credit you £18.99 a month towards the cost of maintaining that line
Upgrade to a next generation text relay – this will be at your own expense
If we've got in touch with you, you'll need to find an alternative text relay option by the switchover date we've told you. Once you’ve done this, contact us on Textphone via a text relay call on 150 from a Virgin Media home phone or mobile, or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone and we’ll discuss next steps
If you’d like to change or cancel your services, contact us on Textphone via a text relay call on 150 from a Virgin Media home phone or mobile, or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone
What happens if I do nothing?
If we've got in touch with you about the switchover, it's really important you follow the above steps to ensure your text relay service continues to work and your phone services aren’t disrupted. If you do nothing, your home phone service and anything connected to it will no longer work.
How do I connect my phone?
If you were sent an adaptor, it should have come with a handy set of instructions which you can also find here. If you had a technician visit, they should’ve already connected it for you.
How do I connect my WiFi Hub?
If you were sent a hub, it should have come with a handy set of instructions which you can also find here. If you had a technician visit, they should’ve already connected it for you.
My phone isn’t working
If we’ve told you that you need an adaptor, please check your switchover date in the letter we sent you. You’ll need to wait until that date to insert the adaptor.
If you had a technician visit or you’ve completed the switchover and it’s not working, please check our faults page here.
I’m not receiving calls
Check if you have Anonymous Call Reject switched on – you can find more information on this here. This might be stopping you receiving calls from withheld numbers. If it’s still not working, please check our faults page here. You can also check out our community forum for more information.
I was given a new Hub – why are my devices no longer connected to the WiFi?
Your new Hub will come with a factory generated WiFi name, so you’ll have to reconnect your devices. Or, you can change the WiFi network name to mirror your current one, just call 150 from a Virgin Media home phone or Virgin Mobile phone, or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone.
How do I know if my phone line is working once the switch has happened?
There’ll be a green phone icon or a white light ring displayed on your Hub
There’ll be a dial tone on the phone when it’s plugged in
You’ll be able to make and receive calls
If you have an older version of our WiFi Hub (Hub 1 or Hub 2), we need to replace it with a new Hub so you can make and receive phone calls over our fibre network.
What do I need to do?
Call us on 150 from a Virgin Media home phone or mobile, or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone to arrange for the Hub to be swapped over. If it’s suitable, we can arrange for free home delivery. You’ll need to verify your account info, so make sure you’ve got it handy.
What happens if I don’t arrange to get a new Hub?
If you have an older version of the WiFi Hub (so, a Hub 1 or Hub 2), and you haven’t arranged to swap it for a new one, we will place a call restriction on to your account. This means you’ll only be able to receive inbound calls and dial emergency services (999). If you try to make an outbound call, it’ll be diverted to our Virgin Media contact centre so you can arrange to get your Hub swapped over.
If call restrictions are applied to your phone line, any alarm or device connected to your home phone service will no longer work, so it’s super important that you arrange to get a new Hub to avoid any disruption. If we know or have reason to believe that you have a healthcare alarm or telecare device, we won’t place the restriction on your account – but it is still important that you book an appointment to ensure your services keep working.
If we still don’t hear from you to swap your Hub, your home phone service will stop working once the switchover takes place.The date for the switchover is in the letter we have sent you.
We’re switching your home phone service over to our fibre network from the traditional copper telephone network, at no extra cost. To find out more, take a look at our frequently asked questions below.
What is Virgin Media’s new fibre phone line?
Instead of the old copper telephone network, we’re moving our phone service on to our ultrafast fibre network. This means that new phone lines will be delivered over the same network we use for our broadband service.
The copper network is quickly becoming outdated, and we want to be ready for the future, making sure our customers always get the best possible experience. That’s why we’re investing billions to expand our network and bring our ultrafast connectivity to more people.
How much will this service cost?
It won’t cost you a penny extra. Your new fibre phone line will cost the same as your current service
Will my contract/price change?
No, your contract and price will remain the same.
Will my number change?
No, your number will stay the same. A small portion of customers may need to change number and/or product in very limited circumstances.
What happens to my voicemail services?
Nothing at all – they’ll stay as they are.
Will I be able to make calls if there’s a power cut?
In the unlikely event there’s a power cut or a fibre network disruption, you won’t be able to make or receive calls on your home phone, and most devices that are connected to your phone line (like healthcare alarms or telecare devices) will be affected until the power or network is back up. Will my alarms or connected devices still work? If you have connected devices (including healthcare alarms or telecare devices) that use your phone line, you’ll need to check with your device provider to make sure they’re compatible with our fibre network phone line. We recommend your devices have their own battery and network back-up service. Find out more here.
Can I get a backup for emergency calls?
Yes. If you have accessibility needs that mean you rely on your landline or you don’t have a mobile to make an emergency call, we’ll provide you with an Emergency Backup Line to make sure you’re always able to call emergency services. You can find out more about this here.
What will happen to my phone features? Features such as Anonymous Call Reject, Three Way Calling and Speed Dial won’t be added automatically. You can switch them on later if you’d like to. Find out more here.
Can I still use text relay?
If your text relay service relies on your landline to function (which we call legacy text relay), then will not be compatible with our new home phone service. There are a couple of options available to you, which you can find about here.
What are call restrictions?
If you have an older version of the WiFi Hub (so, a Hub 1 or Hub 2), and you haven’t booked in a migration after we’ve tried to get in touch with you, we will place a call restriction on to your account. This means you’ll only be able to receive inbound calls and dial 999 until you’re switched over. If you try to make an outbound call, it’ll be diverted to our Virgin Media contact centre so you can book a technician visit or arrange for the equipment to be sent to you.
If call restrictions are applied to your account, any alarm or device connected to your home phone will no longer work, so it’s super important that you book your migration to avoid any disruption. If we know or have reason to believe that you have a healthcare alarm or telecare device, we won’t place the restriction on your account – but it is still important that you book your migration to ensure your services keep working.
What if I don’t have a WiFi Hub or broadband services?
That’s okay. You will need a Hub for your phone services to keep working, and we’ll provide you with one at no extra cost. This does not mean we are adding a broadband service to your package.
Not sure about switching? Let us know
We’re switching your home phone services to make sure your connection remains as future proof as possible. If you’d rather change or cancel your services, contact us on 150 from a Virgin Media home phone or mobile, or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone before the date stated on the letter you receive from us.
To talk with our community forum please click here