What do charities need to know about phone systems, helplines and the PSTN switch-off?

What is the PSTN switch-off?

The PSTN is the copper-based analogue phone network. Openreach is closing it on 31 January 2027 and confirmed that date again in September 2026. New analogue lines are no longer sold. Around 350,000 business premises had still not moved by September 2026 (Openreach, reported by ISPreview).

Lines still on the old network after the deadline will be moved to a temporary "emergency voice access" service with limited features, at a wholesale price from £35 a month per line. It's a last resort, not a plan.

What in a charity is affected?

It's not just phones. Check:

• Helpline and office numbers on analogue lines or ISDN
• Intruder and fire alarm lines
• Telecare and community alarms in supported housing or care settings
• Lift emergency phones
• Door entry systems
• Card machines and franking machines on phone lines
• Broadband that runs over an old phone line

Ask each equipment supplier whether it works on a digital line. Take the free PSTN switch-off check →

What should a charity helpline phone system do?

• Never miss a call: queues, overflow to a second group, and clear out-of-hours messages
• Answer from anywhere: staff and volunteers use a laptop app or mobile app, without giving out personal numbers
• Call recording for safeguarding, training and quality, with access limited to named people and a retention period set in your data protection policy
• Reporting on call volumes, waiting times and missed calls, for funders and trustees
• Keep your numbers: well-known helpline numbers are ported to the new system

Tell callers when calls are recorded, and record only what you need. Recordings are personal data under UK GDPR.

Which platform suits a charity?

Common choices are 8x8, 3CX and Microsoft Teams Phone. Teams Phone suits charities already working in Teams. 3CX is cost-effective for larger teams. 8x8 has strong contact centre and reporting tools for busy helplines. The right choice depends on call volumes, how many people answer calls and your budget.

How to plan the move

1. List every line and what it's used for, including alarms and lifts
2. Check contract end dates and early termination costs
3. Choose the platform and design call flows for the helpline
4. Run the new system alongside the old one, then port numbers
5. Train staff and volunteers, and test out-of-hours routing

How Indigo does this. Indigo Unified Communications supports charity phone systems on 8x8, 3CX and Microsoft Teams Phone, from our Glasgow office. Fully hosted lines start from about £10 per user per month, and for teams of around 30 users or more a system using SIP trunks (phone lines delivered over the internet) is often cheaper, so we price both. New phones run alongside the old system with no downtime, Openreach schedules number ports during working hours, and we send your phone system review within 2 working days. For Erskine, we reviewed legacy phone lines, alarms and faxes ahead of the switch-off. Phone systems for charities →