Landline phones will switch off across Britland in 100 days, no extensions – Openreach
Published
What's this about?
Legacy public switched telephone network service is to be retired on January 31, 2027
The one-panel cartoon
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An elderly couple in a cluttered living room, surrounded by vintage telephone receivers and nostalgic photographs, one of them holding a cell phone with a puzzled expression.
Caption: Welcome to the future, where rotary dials meet 5G.
Read the full 3-panel strip
Based on the original story on theregister.com.
Editor's note
The switchoff of landline phones represents a significant shift in Britain's infrastructure, highlighting the relentless march toward digital dependence. While this move streamlines costs and resources, it also exposes vulnerabilities for those who lack reliable alternatives, underscoring the need for robust safety nets in our increasingly tech-dependent world.
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Read the script
Panel 1
(a) The subject of this story is the public switched telephone network (PSTN), which is a legacy infrastructure for landline phone services in Britain. It is being retired as Britain transitions to digital and mobile communication networks. (b) The irony is that a technology that has been a staple of British life for decades is now being phased out, leaving many people and businesses reliant on landlines with no extension or reprieve. (c) The highlight is the absurdity of a modern-day Britain where the last landline phones are being turned off, and the idea that a technology so fundamental to daily life is being retired without any notice or extension.
Panel 2
*Setting: A small, cluttered home office with an old rotary phone sitting on a desk next to a computer. The room is filled with outdated tech and papers scattered everywhere.* *Old rotary phone sits next to a computer with a sign on it. The phone’s cord is frayed and looped around a lamp.* Desk Worker (muttering)
Old: Do Not Disturb
Desk Worker: Why did I forget to sign up for a digital phone line?
Panel 3
*Setting: A quaint British house with a vintage landline phone receiver hanging from the wall. The house is old-fashioned with a garden outside, and a postman stands at the door with a letter in hand.* Postman (holding up a letter) Old Woman (opening the door, peering at the letter)
Postman: Good morning, miss! You’ve got something from Openreach.
Old Woman: Oh, another bill? I don’t even know what I’m paying for anymore.
Panel 4
*Setting: A dimly lit, cozy living room with a fireplace and an old telephone receiver sitting on a small table. The room is filled with books and family photos. A man in his 60s is sitting in an armchair, holding the letter from Openreach.* Man (holding the letter, looking at it sadly) Man (shaking his head)
Man: This is it, then. The end of the line.
Man: 100 days. They won’t even let us stretch it a bit?
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