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Organisations using Openreach’s legacy Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) need to move to a new service by 31 January 2027. The change is phased, not a single nationwide cutover day, so your provider’s notice and migration plan determine when each line changes. The main risk for IT teams is overlooking equipment beyond desk phones: alarms, lifts, payment terminals and other devices may rely on the old line and need their own upgrade or test.
What is the UK landline switch-off?
The PSTN is the traditional analogue telephone network. As it is retired, digital landline calls generally use broadband through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Digital Voice or another IP-based service. The industry announced the retirement in November 2017, and the transition is being managed in phases by communications providers and network operators—not as one simultaneous national shutdown. UK government guidance
The government cites the legacy network’s end of serviceable life, lack of spare parts and exposure to faults associated with conditions such as storms and heat. It attributes a 45% increase in reported PSTN incidents to Ofcom in 2024, and more than 2,600 major PSTN incidents to Ofcom in 2024/25. Those are network-level figures, not a forecast of incidents at any particular business. UK government guidance
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When is the PSTN switch-off?
The government says all users of the Openreach PSTN must move to new services by 31 January 2027. That is an important deadline, but it does not mean every organisation’s service changes on that date: provider notifications, migration appointments and equipment arrangements are handled separately. Check the date and process for every affected line with the provider that supplies it. UK government guidance
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BT Business says its PSTN, ISDN, ADSL and related Wholesale Line Rental services are due to switch off by 31 January 2027. BT also says some services—including ISDN, Featureline, multiline and certain broadband accesses—cannot be moved automatically through its Protective Migrations programme. Its description applies to BT’s programme; do not assume another provider uses the same process or eligibility rules. BT Business guidance
Will my business phone stop working?
A line may continue to work until its provider migrates it or the legacy service is withdrawn, but relying on that is not a migration plan. Ask your provider for a complete inventory of your lines and services, the intended replacement for each, the migration date, and whether any service requires action rather than automatic migration. A working handset after a change does not prove that every device using the line will still work.
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Ofcom’s figures show why the remaining work deserves attention, rather than assuming the easiest cases are still ahead. Provider data for July 2025 recorded 3.2 million residential PSTN connections (19% of residential landlines), 9.8 million residential VoIP connections (57%) and 4.2 million emulated PSTN connections (24%). These categories total 17.2 million residential landlines; they are not counts of business lines. Ofcom also reported 1.9 million residential migrations from PSTN to VoIP in the year to July 2025: 0.6 million provider-led and 1.3 million chosen by customers. Ofcom, Connected Nations UK Report 2025
Ofcom says migration slowed significantly in 2024 after a temporary pause to strengthen protections for vulnerable customers, and provider-led migrations later restarted after process improvements. It expects a larger share of the remaining PSTN population to consist of complex cases, since providers have largely migrated easier customers first. Resolve uncertain or complicated lines early instead of leaving them until the end of the programme. Ofcom, Connected Nations UK Report 2025
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What equipment will the PSTN switch-off affect?
Look for any device or service that uses a phone line, not just telephone handsets. Government guidance names phones, fire and other alarms, payment terminals, lifts, intercoms and broadband among the examples to review. Business sites may also have fax machines, diallers, modems, CCTV or other connected equipment; establish whether each item actually depends on the legacy line rather than assuming from its type alone. UK government guidance
Do alarms and payment terminals need to be upgraded?
They may, depending on how they connect and what their supplier supports. Ask the alarm company, payment provider, lift maintenance firm or device manufacturer to confirm compatibility with the proposed replacement service and whether a replacement, reconfiguration or separate connection is required. Government guidance specifically advises organisations to check devices with their supplier or manufacturer. UK government guidance
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What happens if power or broadband fails?
Digital voice can change the dependencies of a phone service: the router and voice equipment may need power, and calls may depend on broadband connectivity. Ask the provider how voice and each essential connected device behave during a power or broadband outage, how emergency calls are handled, and what backup or alternative arrangement is actually included in your service.
The government says providers are supplying battery backups and free engineering visits for telecare devices and landlines where needed. That is not a general assurance that every business service includes backup, nor a recommendation that a business-purchased UPS will preserve emergency calling. Confirm the arrangement for your specific provider, equipment and site. UK government guidance
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How do I prepare my business for the digital phone switchover?
- Get the provider’s service list. Request a complete inventory of lines and services, the proposed replacement and migration date for each, and identification of anything that will not migrate automatically. Government guidance and BT Business guidance
- Search your records for hidden dependencies. Check asset registers, invoices, circuit lists, facilities logs and supplier contracts for PSTN, WLR, ISDN, analogue line, fax, dialler, modem, alarm, lift, intercom, CCTV and payment-terminal references.
- Record ownership and impact. For each line or dependent device, note the site, business owner, supplier, operational criticality, migration route, test owner, tolerable outage and escalation contact. This is a practical planning record, not a quoted regulatory checklist.
- Get compatibility confirmed. Ask each equipment or service supplier whether the device works with the specific proposed replacement, and what changes are required. Do not infer compatibility just because voice calls work on the new service.
- Agree how to test and recover. Before cutover, assign someone to validate inbound and outbound calls and the function of every dependent service. Agree who to contact, how faults will be escalated, and what restoration or alternative arrangement is available if a critical service fails.
- Check outage and emergency-call arrangements. Confirm behavior during power and broadband loss, whether backup is supplied, and how emergency calls are supported; record the provider’s answer for the affected site and devices.
- Escalate unresolved cases early. If a device’s dependency, compatibility or migration route is unclear—or the provider says it is not eligible for automatic migration—resolve the issue before the scheduled change.
What should IT leaders compare in replacement proposals?
There is no single replacement product that suits every line. Compare each proposal against the actual device and service it must support:
- Compatibility with every dependent device, including any required replacement or configuration.
- Whether broadband is available at the site and whether the voice service depends on it.
- Continuity during power or connectivity loss, including what backup is supplied and for how long if stated.
- Emergency-call handling and arrangements for vulnerable users or telecare equipment.
- Whether the line is eligible for automatic migration or requires a customer-led move.
- Pre-cutover testing, post-migration checks, fault restoration and escalation arrangements.
Why cutover checks and escalation matter
Ofcom reported concerns about processes in BT’s telecare migration campaign. It later said it had secured improvements to checking, restoration, post-migration checks and staff training. Ofcom said the remediation agreement was not a determination of non-compliance. For organisations with critical connected services, the practical lesson is to make validation and a clear route to escalation part of the cutover plan, rather than treating successful voice calls as the only test. Ofcom’s landline migration information
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