The landline switch-off, explained properly

There's no opting out, I'm afraid. The copper network itself is being retired — it isn't a product decision your provider can reverse for you. Everyone moves across; the only choice you have is whether you sort out the inside of your house before or after your sockets go quiet.

No. Your number moves across with you. That's one of the few parts of this that genuinely is handled for you.

Effectively, yes — the phone service runs over the broadband connection. If you've only ever had a phone line and no internet, your provider has to offer you a way to keep a phone service, so ask them specifically what they're providing rather than assuming.

Ring the alarm provider and tell them you're being switched. Older telecare units were designed for the copper line and many won't work reliably over digital. Most providers supply a digital-ready replacement free of charge, but you generally have to ask. Don't leave this one — it's the part of the switchover that actually matters.

The old copper line was powered from the exchange, so it worked when your electricity was off. A digital line runs off your router, so it doesn't. If anyone in the house relies on the phone in an emergency, your provider must offer a battery backup unit free of charge — ask for one, and keep a mobile charged as well.

In most houses, yes — and this is the bit people don't realise. The wiring in your walls is still perfectly good. It just needs feeding from the router instead of from the incoming line. That's a job I do regularly and it's usually done in one visit.

Now, if you've had a letter. The last few months before the deadline are going to be busy for everyone in this trade, and there's no advantage to waiting until your phones have already gone quiet.

It depends on how many sockets you want working and how the house is wired, so I'd rather look than guess. There's no call-out charge and you'll have a price before I start.