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Do I need a landline for broadband? While traditional ADSL and fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) broadband connections do require a landline to properly operate, there are now several options that allow you to get broadband without a landline. If like four million other homes in the UK that have completely disconnected their landline since 2000, you’re looking to explore these landline-less options then this is the article for you! Here, we’ve explored different broadband types and whether they require a landline. We’ve also answered whether it’s cheaper to get broadband without a landline or not.
Yes, you can, but this will depend on whether the right kind of broadband network is available to be installed where you live. This is because certain types of broadband can be used without a phone line, whereas others can’t.
Your options will be more limited when picking broadband without a phone line as well, with full-fibre broadband covering just over 20% of the UK and Virgin Media’s cable broadband covering around 52%.
The table below shows the five ways you can access broadband in the UK, along with the amount of coverage they have across the UK and whether they’re available without a phone line or not.
You can use this handy tool from Cable to see what broadband is available in your area, including the best deals, providers and speeds.
Next, we’ve gone through each of these broadband types. We’ve explained what each type of broadband is, along with the pros and cons.
Asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) is a type of broadband that’s available almost everywhere in the UK. Because it’s exclusively delivered by the UK’s copper phone line network, you’ll always need a landline to access the internet on this connection.
If other broadband types are available in your area then we’d recommend hunting around. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a deal at a similar or cheaper price with quicker internet that doesn’t include a phone line.
You can directly upgrade from an ADSL to fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) broadband as most of these also require a landline to work. If you’ve been on an ADSL connection for more than a couple of years then making this upgrading may even work out as cheaper.
FTTC broadband is the most-widely available fibre connection, covering around 95% of the UK and can offer speeds between 30 and 70Mbps (which should be enough for a household containing 3-4 people).
Because this type of connection uses fibre optic cables rather than copper telephone lines, a landline isn’t required. It’s the fastest popular broadband connection type out there, with download speeds of up to 1Gbps a second. In other words, enough speed to download one or two feature-length movies in just a minute.
Full fibre broadband is currently available to 21% of UK households, meaning most broadband customers aren’t yet able to take advantage. Providers that offer full-fibre broadband include the likes of Sky, Zen Internet and Vodafone.
The trade-off with full-fibre broadband is that while it offers the greatest speeds, it also tends to be the most expensive type of broadband.
In the UK, cable broadband is only available through Virgin Media. With cable broadband, you can pick from a range of broadband-only tariffs, so a landline isn’t required.
Virgin Media advertises broadband speeds between 108 and 516Mbps. At the top end, this translates to downloading an entire feature-length film in just a couple of minutes.
While this is the most widely-available fixed broadband network that doesn’t need a landline, Virgin’s network still only covers just over half of the UK. This means that plenty of people won’t be eligible for one of these broadband packages.
And in many cases, Virgin Media’s broadband packages with no phone line can end up being more expensive than ones that include line rental. If this is the case with a deal you’ve found, then it may make more sense to get a landline and just not use it.
As 5G continues to roll out across the UK, this option is beginning to become one of the more accessible ways to get internet without needing a landline. According to Ofcom, 5G’s top download speeds could reach between 10 and 50Gbps, which would make it the fastest broadband connection available in the UK (though this hasn’t actually been achieved yet).
Right now, the number of towns and cities across the UK in which 5G can be taken advantage of is still fairly low – and you need to live in an area with very good phone reception. 4G and 5G broadband options often have limited data and can be more expensive, so aren’t yet a popular choice throughout the UK.
Another option is satellite broadband. This is available anywhere and also doesn’t require a landline. However, the cost can end up being more than paying for broadband with a phone line. Coverage and speeds can also end up being worse, which is why this is a less popular choice.
To get fixed internet without a landline, you’ll need access to full-fibre broadband or Virgin Media’s cable broadband. Right now, these are the only fixed-line broadband services that deliver a signal to your home without the need for phone lines. The clear benefit of this pair tends to be much faster broadband speeds – with ultrafast broadband and impressive gigabit (1Gbps) connections available.
Full-fibre broadband is currently limited to just over 20% of the UK, with Virgin Media’s cable broadband covering just over half. This means that options can be more limited, especially when it comes to bundled deals that include broadband and TV.
When looking at different broadband options, bear in mind that you need to pick a provider that doesn’t use Openreach (with the biggest of these being Virgin Media). This rules out the likes of BT, Sky, EE, TalkTalk, PlusNet and many others.
Another choice for broadband without a landline is mobile broadband. Most major mobile networks offer broadband plans over their 4G and 5G networks that are specifically tailored to home use. These often come with limited data and can be more expensive so won’t suit everyone, but are an option nonetheless.
Not always. Though many people assume that broadband-only packages will automatically be cheaper because you aren’t paying a service charge for your phone line, this isn’t always the case.
Full fibre, cable and 5G connections are more expensive, with this extra internet cost often making the landline-less broadband pricier than a standard ADSL or FTTC connection. There’s a reason why some types of broadband cost more than others though, with broadband connections like full-fibre, cable and 5G usually offering faster download speeds in return for paying a little extra.
It all depends on what you’re after and what you’re happy to pay. The sensible thing to do is compare prices – there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a provider that becomes even cheaper when a phone line is added!
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