How to get broadband without a landline
If you're like many UK households, you probably don't use a landline anymore. And if you still own one, it's likely you don't use it as much as you used to. According to our research, over four million homes have disconnected their landline altogether since 2000.
Some types of broadband still need a copper phone line to get to your home, but that doesn't mean you have to pay for a landline if you don't want one.
Similarly, full fibre is now widely available, and it doesn’t need a copper phone line to get to your home at all. However, you can still use a digital home phone service via ‘digital voice’ if you want one. So these days, it's simply a matter of whether you want a landline.
Learn all about the difference between landlines and regular phone lines, and your options, with our guide.
Do I need a landline for broadband?
There's a chance you might still need a copper phone line to get online, as about 15% of households currently can’t get full fibre broadband. But this gap is quickly closing as it enters its final stage of the nationwide rollout.
Connecting to full fibre is the simplest way to ditch your old copper line. But if it’s not available to you yet, that doesn’t mean you still need a home phone for your broadband to work. If you just want broadband, you only need to pay for broadband.
Do I still have to pay line rental?
Line rental is different from paying for a landline service. The most widely available broadband connections (part-fibre packages, for example) still rely on copper phone lines to reach your home, even if you don't use a landline phone at all.
Nowadays, you won't be charged extra for line rental, as it's just part of the overall price you pay for broadband. A dedicated home phone plan would cost you extra, though.
Browse our range of broadband-only deals
Choose between dozens of broadband deals on Uswitch.
How to get home internet without a copper phone line
To get fixed broadband without a copper phone line, you’ll need access to full fibre broadband (also known as fibre-to-the-premises) or Virgin Media's cable broadband. They offer much faster, more reliable broadband connections, with ultrafast and gigabit speeds often available at a relatively similar price.
At the time of writing, full fibre is available to over 80% of households, and its coverage continues to grow via multiple broadband networks. Cable broadband is only available from Virgin Media, which covers around 55% of the country.
What's the cheapest no-landline broadband?
You can often save money by not selecting an additional landline plan from your broadband provider and sticking to its broadband-only offering. But even then, there will still be a range of monthly prices depending on internet speed, provider, and other factors.
However, you may find that if a smaller, more regional broadband provider is available at your home, the price is still noticeably low for fast speeds, and their service is often more tailored and attentive than the big brands'.
These 'alternative' providers still offer an ultrafast, ultra-reliable full fibre service, but often at better value than the big providers. So their service is always worth considering if they’re available at your home.
Not quite ready to switch broadband yet?
It's quite possible you can get internet with no phone line. But this will depend on whether the right broadband network is available in your area.
Broadband renewal reminder
Tell us your contract end date and we'll remind you to save
Contract end date
Terms and conditions apply. Privacy Notice.
Which types of broadband need a copper phone line?
It's quite possible you can get internet with no phone line. But this will depend on whether the right broadband network is available in your area.
| Broadband type | UK coverage | Does it need a phone line? |
|---|---|---|
| Copper ADSL | 99% | Yes |
| Part-fibre | 98% | Yes |
| Full fibre | ~85% | No |
| Cable (Virgin Media) | ~55% | No |
| Mobile broadband | (Check with network) | No |
| Satellite | (Check with supplier) | No |
While ADSL part-fibre broadband technically requires a copper phone line, you don't need to set up a landline service. These phone lines just help to deliver broadband to your home, albeit at a slower, less consistent rate than newer cables.
Other types of fixed-line broadband, like full fibre or Virgin Media's cable network, use cables that can also deliver digital phone line services. So, while the type of cable no longer limits your access to a home phone, it will change how your telephone connects to the network.
Can I get no-contract broadband without a phone line?
Yes, some providers offer 30-day rolling (or no-contract) packages that don't require notice to cancel.
These packages usually come at a higher monthly price than long-term commitments since they offer much more flexibility than a normal broadband contract. But ay provider that offers a no-contract deal will have a broadband-only option.
This means you won't need to worry about paying line rental on a no-contract deal, as any cost for line usage is absorbed into the overall broadband price.
Compare no-contract broadband deals
Browse the full range of 30-day rolling (or no-contract) broadband offers on Uswitch.
Which providers offer broadband with no landline?
All well-known broadband providers offer broadband-only deals. Some of the connections on offer may still need a phone line to get to your home, but you won't be required to pay any extra line rental - it will be treated like any other broadband deal.
If you're looking for a broadband connection with no copper phone line at all, most large providers also offer full fibre broadband deals that connect fibre-optic cables straight to your home.
No phone line is needed for full fibre or Virgin's cable broadband, and these connections are often faster and more reliable than those that still partly use copper cables.
Here are some providers available on Uswitch that offer no phone line deals (subject to availability at your home):
Can you get BT broadband without a landline?
Yes. In addition to its full fibre deals, BT won't charge you extra if you still need a phone line to get broadband at your home. It has a number of broadband-only deals to choose from, even if you can't get full fibre at your home.
More ways to get broadband-only deals with no landline
If you don't have access to either full fibre or Virgin Media's cable broadband, the next-best ways to ditch the copper phone line are mobile and satellite broadband.
Mobile broadband
Mobile broadband may be a good solution if you’re set on getting broadband without a landline and fixed-line broadband doesn't offer what you need.
Mobile broadband on a 4G network typically delivers average speeds of 24Mbps, whereas 5G broadband can reach up to 300Mbps in optimal conditions.
4G speeds would be enough for basic online activities like scrolling the web, using social media, video calling and basic TV streaming. 5G broadband offers similar speeds to some low-level full fibre packages, but the signal isn't as consistent as a fixed line connection.
You can either purchase a mobile internet dongle or a dedicated router from several UK networks. Once a SIM card is inserted, it operates like a mobile broadband router. Then, just connect your various devices to the dongle via Wi-Fi, and you can access the internet without a phone line.
Its biggest disadvantage is reception, as many areas in the UK have weak signal strength, especially for 5G. If you happen to live in one of these so-called ‘not-spots’, then mobile broadband won’t be a good option for you.
Before making mobile broadband purchases, you should always check each network's coverage maps - especially for 5G.
If mobile broadband sounds like it might suit your needs, compare Uswitch's best-selling mobile broadband deals now.
If mobile broadband sounds like it might suit your needs, compare Uswitch's best-selling mobile broadband deals now.
Satellite broadband
Satellite broadband is another option for those who want a broadband connection without any cables. It often serves as a great solution for people in very rural areas where fixed-line broadband is difficult to get to.
Satellite broadband used to be quite slow and unreliable, but it has recently received a boost in connectivity since Starlink satellite internet became available across the UK.
It's much more expensive than most broadband options, but for people in hard-to-reach areas of the country, it's the first satellite connection to deliver average ultrafast speeds of around 300 Mbps.
It provides a similar experience to full fibre, without the cost of installing it in areas that are difficult for providers to reach.
Compare our best broadband deals
Search on Uswitch to find the right broadband package for you and save up to £395 a year.