PSTN Switch-Off: What It Means for Your Business

Key points

The UK’s old copper phone network is being switched off on 31 January 2027.
Businesses still using traditional landlines or ISDN will need to move to a digital alternative.
The switch-off could also affect alarms, payment systems, lifts, booking systems and door entry.
SIP trunking can connect compatible existing phone systems to the new digital network.
Hosted telephony offers a cloud-based alternative with less on-site infrastructure.
Reviewing your setup now can help avoid disruption and a last-minute rush before the deadline.

The UK’s old copper phone network is being switched off on the 31st of January 2027. If your business still relies on traditional landlines, ISDN or other services connected to the old network, now is the time to check what needs to change.

If you don’t make the switch by then, your landline phones and many other critical business functions may well go offline all at once.

Here’s what you need to know about the PSTN switch-off and the options available to your business.

What is the PSTN switch-off?

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is the old network that has supported traditional landline services for decades. Much of it relies on copper infrastructure, which is now being retired as the UK moves towards newer digital networks.

The copper switch-off means these old connections will no longer support traditional phone services after the 31st of January 2027.

You may also have heard this referred to as the BT copper switch-off, BT analogue switch-off or the Openreach copper switch-off. They all relate to the wider move away from the UK’s old analogue and copper-based telephone infrastructure.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), which businesses have often used to connect multiple copper phone lines, is also being phased out.

For businesses still using these services, this means you’ll either need to transition your landline to a VoIP solution, or ensure your existing hardware is prepared for the new digital infrastructure.

Who is affected by the copper switch-off?

If your business has already moved away from traditional copper-based telephony, you may not need to do anything.

But if you still use traditional landlines or ISDN, it’s worth checking your setup now.

Approximately 350,000 businesses across the country are still reliant on the old lines, which means that, when the deadline comes, there’ll be an unprecedented rush to get a solution sorted.

As you might expect, you do not want to be a part of this rush.

So, it’s time to check your systems, and don’t just check your phones. Depending on your business and existing infrastructure, copper connections may also support:

Payment systems
Booking systems
Alarm systems
Lifts and emergency phones
Door entry and gate controls

If any of these rely on the old network, they’ll need to be addressed before the switch-off.

This is especially important for businesses where taking and receiving calls is business critical. For hospitality organisations, for example, losing phone service could mean losing the ability to take bookings or readily deal with customer enquiries.

What solutions are available to you?

The good news is that the PSTN switch-off doesn’t automatically mean you need to replace your entire phone system.

You have two main options:

Connect your existing system – SIP trunking

If you’ve invested in a phone system that still works well for your business, you may not need to replace it.

SIP trunking allows a compatible phone system to connect to the new digital network using an internet connection or dedicated Ethernet connection. Simply put, it replaces the old copper phone connection with a digital one, while allowing you to continue using your existing phone system.

This can be a good option if your current equipment is compatible, you’ve invested heavily in your existing system, or there’s a particular reason you need to keep your phone system on site.

It does mean you’ll still have a physical phone system to manage, so it’s worth considering whether your existing equipment is likely to meet your needs for the years ahead, or if you’d prefer a cloud-based solution, such as option number two…

Our advice? Don’t wait until January – get this sorted now

If you’re reading this, there’s a chance your phone lines (and potentially other systems) are connected by the soon-to-be-defunct copper phone network.

It’s essential that you take the time to double-check your systems and to ensure you’re not going to be hung out to dry come the 31st.

If you’re unsure, or you’ve got any questions, we highly recommend booking a discovery call with our team. We’re telephony procurement specialists; we charge you nothing and are paid a flat rate by whichever supplier you choose. This means we get paid the same whatever happens and have no biases.

Book your discovery call today – we’ll have a chat about your existing system and let you know what (if anything) needs to change. If it does, we’ll run through your options. What have you got to lose?

Frequently asked questions

What is the copper switch-off, and when is it happening?

The UK’s traditional phone network, the copper lines that have carried landline calls for decades, is being switched off on 31 January 2027. That covers the analogue phone lines (PSTN) most businesses have always used and the ISDN lines that many in-office phone systems run on. After that date, anything still connected to the copper network stops working. Calls move to the internet instead.

How do I know if my business is affected?

If you have phones that plug into a socket on the wall, an in-office phone system fed by ISDN lines, or line rental for individual lines on your phone bill, you are almost certainly on the copper network. The same goes for broadband that runs over a phone line. If you are not sure, that is what our discovery call is for. We look at what you have today and tell you plainly whether it needs to change.

Is it only my phones that could stop working?

No. Copper lines are often connected to things nobody has looked at in years: card payment terminals, booking systems, fire and intruder alarms, lift emergency phones, door entry and gate controls, and CCTV. For a hotel or restaurant that can mean no bookings, no card payments and a lift that fails its safety check, all on the same day. Every one of those needs checking, as well as the phones on the desk.

Do I have to replace my whole phone system?

Not necessarily. If your in-office phone system is reasonably modern, it can usually be connected to the digital network with a service called SIP trunking, so you keep the handsets and equipment you have already paid for. If it is older, or you would rather not run a phone server on site at all, you can move to a hosted phone system that runs in the cloud over your internet connection. Which route is right depends on what you have now, how many sites you run and what you want your phones to do.

What is the difference between SIP trunking and hosted telephony?

SIP trunking replaces your copper lines with a connection over the internet, and your existing phone system carries on as before. It is the lower-cost route if your system is compatible and you are happy with it. Hosted telephony moves the whole phone system into the cloud: no hardware on site, calls from any device, and new sites or staff added without an engineer visit. For most multi-site businesses, hosted telephony is the route we recommend, but we will tell you if SIP trunking is the better fit.

What does PrimeTel do, and what does it cost me?

We are telecoms procurement specialists. On a short discovery call we review what you are using today, including any alarms, lifts, card machines and gate systems on the copper, work out what needs to change, then source and compare the options from our supplier panel so you get the right solution at the best price. It costs you nothing. Suppliers pay us a flat rate whichever one you choose, so we have no reason to push one over another. One more thing: do not leave it until January. Suppliers get busier the closer the deadline gets, and there is Christmas in between.

PSTN Switch-Off: What Happens When the Copper Network Goes Offline?