Is Your Business Ready for the PSTN Switch-Off?
The UK's copper phone network closes on 31 January 2027. Find out what that means for your business in two minutes.
105 days until the analogue phone network closes on 31 January 2027. Is your business ready? →
The PSTN switch-off is BT Openreach's closure of the UK's analogue phone network on 31 January 2027. It affects more than phone calls: alarms, lift emergency lines, door entry, card machines, franking machines and broadband that runs over an old phone line can all stop working if they aren't moved to digital services. Around 350,000 business premises had still not moved by September 2026 (Openreach, reported by ISPreview). Indigo Unified Communications offers a free switch-off check: answer five questions below, and we'll show you what needs to move and help you plan it.
The 2-minute switch-off check
Result A: You're likely to be affected. Act now.
You have services that rely on the analogue network. They need to move to digital before 31 January 2027, and installation slots get harder to find as the deadline approaches. Book a free switch-off check and we'll list everything that needs to move, recommend what to move it to, and plan the switchover so calls, alarms and payments keep working.
Result B: Some things need checking.
You're not sure about some of your lines or devices. That's common: alarms, lift lines and card machines are often set up by other suppliers and forgotten. A free switch-off check will confirm exactly what's on a phone line and what needs to move.
Result C: You look ready, but check your contract.
It doesn't look like your business relies on the analogue network. It's still worth reviewing your phone system and broadband before your contract ends, so you don't roll onto a more expensive rate. We'll remind you three months before your contract end date if you'd like.
Get your results and a free switch-off check
What's included in the free switch-off check
- An audit of every phone line at each of your sites, and what's connected to it
- Alarms, lifts, door entry and card machines: which ones rely on a phone line, and who supplies them
- Your broadband: whether it runs over the old network, and what to replace it with
- A recommendation for your phones: 8x8, 3CX or Microsoft Teams Phone
- A switchover plan with dates, including number porting, so calls aren't interrupted
- Your contract end dates, so you can switch without paying twice
What happens if you don't move in time?
Lines won't simply go dead on 1 February 2027. Openreach has confirmed that lines still on the old network will be moved onto a temporary "emergency voice access" service, with a wholesale price from £35 a month per line, and that migrations with broadband attached won't begin until mid-April 2027 at the earliest (Openreach, reported by ISPreview, 24 September 2026). Retail prices are expected to be higher. It's a stopgap, not a solution, and it leaves alarms, lift phones and card machines at risk.
Why businesses choose Indigo for the switchover
- One team for phones, broadband and IT, so the phone system and the connection it depends on are planned together
- 8x8, 3CX and Microsoft Teams Phone: we recommend the platform that suits how you work
- Numbers kept: we port your existing numbers and schedule the switch so calls aren't interrupted
- We've done it for charities, venues and businesses across Scotland. For Erskine, Scotland's leading veterans care charity, we reviewed legacy phone lines, alarms and faxes ahead of the switch-off as part of a wider cost review. Read the Erskine case study →
- Certified: Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001:2022 and ISO 9001:2015
Frequently asked questions
When is the PSTN switch-off?
BT Openreach will close the UK's analogue phone network (PSTN) on 31 January 2027. Openreach confirmed this date again in September 2026. New analogue lines are no longer sold.
What happens to lines that haven't moved by 31 January 2027?
Openreach will move them onto a temporary "emergency voice access" service with limited features, at a wholesale price from £35 a month per line, with retail prices expected to be higher. Migrations that include broadband won't start until mid-April 2027. It's designed as a last resort, not a long-term option.
Will our alarms and card machines stop working?
They might, if they rely on an analogue phone line. Openreach has highlighted payment terminals, alarms and lift emergency phones as particular risks. Check with each supplier whether their equipment works over digital lines, or ask us to check as part of the free switch-off check.
Will our phone numbers change?
No. In almost all cases, existing numbers can be ported to a digital or cloud phone system. We manage the porting and schedule the switch so calls aren't interrupted.
Is our broadband affected?
It can be. Broadband that relies on an analogue phone line (ADSL, and "fibre broadband" that still needs a landline) has to move to a digital-only service, such as SoGEA or full fibre (FTTP). We check this as part of the switch-off check. Business connectivity →
How long does the switchover take?
For most small and medium businesses, a few weeks from the check to going live, depending on the number of sites and devices, and on installation dates for any new broadband. The sooner you start, the more choice you have over dates.
Don't leave it until January
Book your free switch-off check now, while installation slots are still available.