Business
Why small UK businesses are ditching landlines for virtual phone numbers
For decades, a fixed office landline was simply part of running a business.
That’s changing fast. Across the UK, sole traders and small firms are dropping traditional lines in favour of a virtual phone number — a business number that works on the mobile they already carry. Here’s what’s driving the shift.
The old network is being switched off
The timing isn’t a coincidence. The UK’s traditional copper phone network (the PSTN) is being retired, and analogue landlines are being phased out in favour of digital alternatives. For a small business, that looming deadline is a natural prompt to ask a bigger question: do we need a physical line at all?
For many, the answer is no. If your team already works from mobiles, laptops and the odd coffee shop, a desk-bound line starts to look like a cost without a purpose.
What a virtual number actually does
A virtual phone number isn’t tied to a single handset or location. Calls to your business number are simply diverted to whatever device you’re using — usually your mobile. You keep a professional presence, without the hardware.
The practical wins add up quickly:
- Work and personal calls stay separate. You hand out a business number, not your personal mobile.
- You’re reachable anywhere. Calls follow you, whether you’re on site, at home or travelling.
- No engineer, no installation. Setup takes minutes, not weeks, and there’s nothing to wire in.
Crucially, a virtual number still looks the part. You can choose a UK phone number with a local area code — an 0161 for Manchester, an 020 for London — so customers see a familiar, credible number rather than a mobile.
Professional features without the phone system
The other draw is control. Modern virtual services bundle in the kind of features that used to require an expensive on-premise phone system: call forwarding, business hours, voicemail, custom greetings and call menus, all managed from an app.
For a growing business, that means you can route calls to the right person, switch off cleanly after hours, and add numbers or users as the team expands — without a contract renegotiation or a visit from an installer.
A lower-risk way to look bigger
Cost plays a part too. Virtual numbers typically run on a straightforward monthly subscription, with no lengthy contracts and no hardware to buy. Providers like Rinkel start from a few pounds per user per month, which makes a professional setup accessible even for a one-person business.
The bigger picture is simple: as the old network winds down and work becomes more mobile, the fixed landline is quietly becoming optional. For many small UK businesses, a virtual number offers the same professional front — with a lot more freedom behind it.
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Pensacola, Florida-area resident Jacob Rockwell joins ‘The Sunday Briefing’ to discuss his concerns over red-light camera surveillance and raises questions about who is liable for camera tickets after disputing his own out-of-state citation.
Florida drivers may soon see fewer high-tech eyes monitoring their highway commutes after state officials ordered local police to strip automated license plate readers from state roads, dealing a blow to private surveillance vendors like Flock Safety while drawing a hard boundary against what Gov. Ron DeSantis warns is an expanding “digital AI surveillance state.”
“If you want to get in your car and you want to go down to Buc-ee’s in St. Augustine, it’s really none of the government’s damn business if you’re doing that, right? What we don’t want in the state of Florida is to have a digital AI surveillance state where everything we’re doing is being tracked at all times,” DeSantis said at a Monday news conference.
“There’s obviously times when I think it’s probably been useful, but where is this data going?” the governor continued. “They claim that the companies aren’t going to misuse it, but no one’s watching that. And I know you can make some money selling cameras, but you really can make a lot of money if you can sell people’s data.”
DeSantis’ comments come as the Florida Department of Transportation announced in a one-page memo Monday that it was revoking existing permits for automated license plate readers within state highway rights-of-way and giving law enforcement agencies 30 days to remove existing devices.
FDOT said the action was prompted by the rapid expansion of automated license plate readers, along with reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance schemes. The license plate readers record vehicle sightings, feed searchable databases and, when agencies choose to share data, can connect searches across jurisdictional lines.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a press conference at Florida International University in Miami on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Getty Images)
Automated license plate readers (ALPRs), which are often small, solar-powered cameras mounted on poles, buildings or police cars, can capture vehicle license plates and locations as drivers pass by. Flock Safety, one of the leading ALPR vendors, has rapidly expanded its business with law enforcement, municipalities and businesses in recent years.
The ACLU says about 120,000 Flock cameras are currently installed nationwide.
“I guarantee you every sheriff in Florida can point to examples where it’s been used appropriately and probably effectively. And I have no doubt that that’s the case. But you also have to say, okay, how could this be misused?” DeSantis said.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss the gubernatorial race, his position on data centers and Florida’s ban on flock cameras.
“We know there was an officer in Florida who was using the LPR data to track, like, an ex-girlfriend or something like that. I don’t think we have really strong penalties at all for that type of misuse,” he added. “So I’ve called for legislation that will protect Floridians from allowing the state to turn it into some type of digital prison, digital surveillance state where somebody knows everything about what you’re doing every day of the week.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Flock spokesperson said, “Flock’s technology is an important public safety tool for law enforcement agencies across Florida, helping officers solve serious crimes, find missing people, recover stolen vehicles and support safer communities. In just the last few weeks in Florida, the technology was used to find missing children, led to the arrest of a murder suspect and assisted in solving numerous other crimes.”
“Rather than banning a critical public safety tool,” the spokesperson continued, “we support thoughtful legislation and strong privacy, transparency and accountability guardrails that ensure technology is used responsibly while preserving law enforcement’s ability to use effective tools to keep people safe.”
Knox County commissioners Larsen Jay and Andy Fox discuss privacy concerns over flock cameras in their area on ‘The Bottom Line.’
DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Florida’s directive mirrors broader pushback across the country. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently halted state funding for Flock cameras, while municipalities across the U.S. have ended or declined to renew contracts with the company.
Public resistance has also escalated into proposed class-action lawsuits and reports of camera vandalism in dozens of states across the U.S.
Fox News’ Kerri Kupec Urbahn contributed to this report.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani states he’s not interested in a ‘back and forth’ with Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming one of his top priorities is keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe.
Bank of America Vice President Erin Piacenti was killed during a high-profile stabbing in New York City’s Times Square on Monday.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) identified Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, New Jersey, as the deceased victim.
Bank of America acknowledged Piacenti’s death in an email obtained by Reuters.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones,” the bank wrote in the email.
After receiving a 911 call shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, NYPD officers found a 49-year-old woman wielding two knives in Times Square.
Officers shot the assailant, who was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Burnham said his government’s first moves were designed to give people ‘breathing space’.
Medtronic (MDT) stock popped Tuesday as its diabetes spinoff Minimed (MMED) rallied, reversing premarket losses, after both lifted their full-year guidance. Medtronic posted organic sales growth of 13.7%, roughly 200 basis points above the midpoint of its guidance, Evercore ISI analyst Vijay Kumar said in a report. Importantly, cardiovascular and medical-surgical sales all topped forecasts, but neuroscience coming in line.…
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