"The UK's analogue phone network, the PSTN, is being retired, with the switch off completing by the end of January 2027. Any service still running over an analogue line will stop working: phone lines, older broadband, and the analogue lines quietly powering alarms, lifts, door entry and card machines. Moving to a digital alternative before the deadline is straightforward; discovering a dependent system after it is not.
What is the PSTN switch off?
The PSTN, the public switched telephone network, is the copper analogue phone system the UK has used for over a century. Openreach is retiring it because the equipment is increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain, and its replacement is digital voice carried over broadband. New analogue lines have not been sold since 2023, and the remaining services are being withdrawn ahead of the final switch off in January 2027.
When is the PSTN switch off?
The programme completes by the end of January 2027. In practice, lines are migrating region by region before then, so your effective deadline may arrive earlier than the national one. Treat 2026 as the year to act, not to plan.
What does the switch off affect?
More than most businesses expect. Beyond desk phones, analogue lines commonly sit underneath fire and intruder alarm signalling, lift emergency phones, door entry and gate systems, CCTV connections, card payment terminals, franking machines, fax lines and telecare devices. These are the lines that catch businesses out, because they were installed years ago, work silently, and appear on the phone bill as line rental nobody questions.
What should my business do now?
Audit first, then migrate. List every analogue line you pay for and identify what each one actually does; your phone bill and your alarm and lift maintenance contracts are the starting points. Then plan the replacement for each: telephony moves to a hosted VoIP system, and special services such as alarms and lifts move to digital or mobile signalling paths agreed with the equipment provider. Finally, check your broadband: if your connectivity still depends on the analogue line, it needs upgrading to a digital product at the same time.
What replaces an analogue phone system?
For most businesses the answer is hosted VoIP: calls carried over your internet connection, managed from a web portal, with handsets, softphones and mobile apps working from the same numbers. Call quality on a properly provisioned connection matches or beats analogue, and features that used to require hardware, such as call routing, recording and voicemail to email, are included. Our business phone systems team runs these migrations for organisations across Birmingham and the West Midlands, including number porting so you keep the numbers your customers know.
What happens if I do nothing?
Services on analogue lines stop working when the line is withdrawn. For a phone line that means missed calls; for an alarm or lift line it can mean a safety and compliance failure. Insurers and maintenance providers expect signalling paths to work, so this is a risk register item, not just an IT upgrade.
Frequently asked questions
Will my phone number change when I move to VoIP?
No. Numbers are ported to the new service, and porting is a standard, regulated process. Plan it with your provider so the switchover happens without downtime.
Does the switch off affect my broadband?
If your broadband is delivered over an analogue phone line, that line is being withdrawn too, and your connection moves to a digital equivalent. Most businesses upgrade connectivity and telephony in one project.
Are alarm and lift lines really affected?
Yes, and they are the highest risk category because failures are silent. Speak to your alarm and lift maintenance providers about digital signalling before booking the line migration.
Is it too early to move?
No, and there is no advantage in waiting. Businesses that migrate in 2026 choose their timing; businesses that wait for withdrawal have it chosen for them.
LeapIT plans and delivers PSTN migrations for West Midlands businesses, from the line audit through to a fully managed VoIP system. If you have not yet mapped what your analogue lines are doing, that audit is the place to start, and January 2027 is closer than it looks.
