Second Ring has launched a budget-friendly landline service designed to free customers from the need to bundle home phone and broadband.
A new telecoms provider, Second Ring, has entered the UK market with a standalone digital landline service that lets customers keep their home phone number without being linked to a specific broadband package.
Across most major broadband suppliers, line rental is now merged into broadband deals, with typical monthly costs ranging from the mid-£20s to around £30 depending on plan and discounts.
Second Ring’s approach is aimed at people who value having a landline but want the ability to secure a cheaper broadband deal separately.
Customers can move their existing landline number over to Second Ring, and once the number is transferred, they are free to select any broadband provider they choose — including low-cost fibre packages or mobile broadband services — without losing access to their landline.
The company is also launching what it calls the UK’s first consumer-focused pay-as-you-go digital landline. With access fees from £2.50 per month, users pay a small ongoing charge to keep their number active and then pay only for the calls they make, rather than committing to high fixed line-rental fees.
Second Ring says the model is suited to households that still need a landline number for practical purposes — such as older relatives, home alarms or security systems — but make very few outbound calls. It also targets customers wanting to avoid broadband bundles and small businesses that require a geographical landline without broadband restrictions.
The digital service works through VoIP technology and is compatible with analogue phones using an adapter, IP phones, or softphone apps on laptops and mobile devices.
The launch comes at a time when the UK is approaching full migration from traditional analogue phone lines to digital voice services delivered over broadband, a nationwide upgrade managed by Ofcom and Openreach.
