You may be aware that in 2025, all UK landlines will be switched from analogue lines to VoIP. VoIP stands for "voice over internet protocol". As the name suggests, it involves making calls over an internet connection, rather than through your phone line or via a transmission tower.
There are already dedicated VoIP phones for landline available, and most providers will send out an adapter to make analogue-only models VoIP-compatible, too. But less and less people use their landlines nowadays, as most of us will make calls on our mobiles.
Can I get VoIP on my mobile?
You probably already make VoIP calls with your mobile- you might just not know it. When you're calling people over apps like FaceTime, Messenger, or WhatsApp, these are technically all forms of VoIP, since the data is transmitted over the internet. The advantage of making VoIP calls like this is that, barring any data charges, they're usually completely free. The disadvantage, however, is that you can only call people through those apps- you can't use them to call a regular phone number. While you can add someone on WhatsApp with their mobile number, you'll only be calling them through WhatsApp if they have the app installed. Otherwise, the call will actually be through your phone network- even though you're making it from the app.
If you've got an Android phone and your provider allows for it, you can switch so that calls go over the internet rather than your phone. Open up the phone app, then tap More; Settings; Calls; and finally Wi-Fi calling. With this turned on, calls will go through Wi-Fi whenever possible, or default to your mobile network if you aren't. Note, though, that this is only possible when you're connected to a Wi-Fi network, and won't work if you are using mobile data.