Does a small business still need a landline number?
Not a physical landline. A recognisable business number can still matter to customers, but it can run over VoIP rather than a copper line. An 01 or 02 number is geographic; 03 and 0800 numbers serve different, non-geographic roles.
Research commissioned by Zen Internet and conducted by Censuswide with 2,000 UK consumers found that 35% would not trust an SME that used only a mobile number. It says something about customer perception, not copper. An 01 or 02 number is geographic; 03 is UK-wide and non-geographic; 0800 is Freephone.
You do not need a physical landline to use a familiar business number. A VoIP provider can issue a new number or, where eligible, port the number customers already know so callers keep dialling the same digits. Availability and porting depend on the provider, so arrange the move before cancelling the old service. See keeping your number when you switch for how that works in practice.
This isn't optional forever, either. Openreach is retiring the old analogue and ISDN network, with the current cut-off at the end of January 2027, so any business still on a physical landline needs a plan regardless of whether it wants to keep the number. The full detail, including what to do before the deadline, is in the 2027 PSTN switch-off guide.
Keep the number customers already know if you can. If you're choosing a new one, pick the number type that fits how customers should reach you. The wire is no longer the defining part.
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