The 2027 phone switch-off: what it actually means for you

The way landlines work is changing, and many may not realise. Here’s what’s happening, when it’s happening, and what to do about it, in plain English.

If you run a business on a traditional phone line, this affects you. By 31 January 2027, the UK’s old analogue phone network, the PSTN, is being switched off for good, and every landline is moving to a digital connection. That includes the line behind your alarm system, your card machine, your door entry buzzer, even your lift. We’ve pulled together the questions we hear most, with straight answers and no jargon.

What is the PSTN switch-off?

PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network. It’s the traditional copper-wire phone system that’s carried UK landline calls for over a century. Openreach is retiring it, and every landline is moving from copper to a digital, internet-based connection. Your calls will travel over broadband instead of copper wire.

When exactly is this happening?

31 January 2027. The original date was December 2025, but BT pushed it back by over a year to make sure vulnerable customers and telecare users could migrate safely first. That extra time is gone now. 31 January 2027 is locked in.

Why is this happening at all?

Because the old copper network is falling apart. It’s Victorian-era infrastructure trying to do a 21st-century job, and it’s increasingly unreliable. Ofcom’s Connected Nations report found that reported PSTN resilience incidents jumped 45% in 2024 alone. The network isn’t getting safer with age. It’s getting worse.

What’s actually being switched off?

Everything that runs over the old copper network: PSTN itself, ISDN, ADSL, and the rest of what’s known as the Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) network. If it relies on copper rather than fibre or digital voice, it’s going.

Will this affect more than just my phone calls?

Yes. Alarms, EPOS and card machines, door entry systems, CCTV, fax machines, lift emergency phones, even franking machines that update over a phone line all rely on the same copper network. If you haven’t checked what’s plugged into your phone lines, now’s the time.

What replaces the old lines?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP): phone calls carried over your internet connection instead of copper. On the broadband side, that usually means FTTP (fibre straight to your premises) or SOGEA, which replaces FTTC broadband without needing an old-style phone line underneath it.

Will I lose my phone number?

No, not if you plan ahead. Number porting typically takes around 10 working days, so as long as you start the process in good time, you keep your existing number. We’d recommend getting it underway well before the rush, rather than leaving it to the last few weeks.

What happens if I do nothing?

If you haven’t moved by 31 January 2027, BT’s Protective Migrations programme may move your line automatically onto a basic digital service. But it’s not guaranteed for everyone, some services, including ISDN, Featureline, multiline setups and certain broadband connections, can’t be auto-migrated and will simply stop working. Doing nothing is a real risk, not a fallback plan.

Are prices going up if I stay on an old line?

Yes. Openreach, who own the underlying copper network, are raising their wholesale charges to providers in three steps:

•             20% from 1 April 2026

•             A further 40% on 1 July 2026

•             Another 40% on 1 October 2026

That effectively doubles the wholesale cost within a year. Most providers pass that on to customers still on legacy lines. The earlier you move, the more of that you avoid.

10. When should I start preparing?

As soon as you can. We’d suggest starting the move no later than the back end of 2026, since porting and broadband migration both take time to complete properly. Acting early also means you sidestep the price rise landing later in 2026, and you’re not in the queue with everyone else doing it at the last minute.

11. What should a business actually do, step by step?

Start with an audit: list every device connected to your phone lines, because missing even one (an alarm, a lift line, a card machine) can mean an outage after migration. From there, check your broadband speed and reliability, upgrade or replace any connected devices that need it, run VoIP alongside your existing line before you cancel anything, and brief your team before go-live so nobody’s caught out.

12. Is this just in the UK?

No, it’s a global shift. Estonia and the Netherlands have already completed their switch-off. Germany, Japan and Sweden are ahead of the UK in making the same move. The direction of travel is the same everywhere: copper out, digital in.

13. What about vulnerable customers or telecare devices?

Digital phone lines don’t work in a power cut the way old copper lines did, because they depend on your internet connection. Ofcom requires providers to guarantee at least one hour of emergency-call access during a power cut, typically via battery backup or a mobile phone. If you or someone you know relies on a PSTN-based telecare device, a fall alarm, for example, talk to the provider now about a safe alternative.

Ready to make the switch?

Leaving it to the last minute means longer queues, higher prices, and a rushed install. Acting now means you choose when it happens, not Openreach. Get in touch with our UK-based team today. We’ll review your setup, talk you through what needs to move, and keep your number safe through the switch.