On the 31st of January 2027, the PSTN copper network will be switched off.
If you haven’t migrated, your traditional phone lines could stop working.
This means that customers will struggle to make bookings, staff won’t be able to take calls, and important connected systems may also be affected, such as:
All gone overnight.
And if you leave it too late? You’ll join the thousands of other businesses in a giant queue trying to get things sorted at once. Don’t leave it; get in touch, and we’ll help you manage the landline-VoIP transition, all at no cost to you.
We start by understanding your current environment, challenges and objectives.
This isn’t a surface-level conversation. We identify what’s working, what isn’t and what success needs to look like, so our goals are clear from the start.
We translate your needs into a clear, structured brief.
Technical requirements, commercial priorities, timelines and constraints are all defined upfront. This means potential suppliers respond properly, and like-for-like comparisons become possible.
We identify the right suppliers based on fit, not familiarity.
Instead of defaulting to known vendors, we build a shortlist based on capability, service quality and long-term suitability for your business.
We manage this process, so you don’t have to.
From supplier engagement and demos to Q&A and proposal analysis, we cut through sales messaging and present clear, comparable options.
We make suppliers compete on a level playing field.
Pricing is benchmarked against the market, terms are challenged and contracts are structured to protect your business, not the supplier’s.
Unlike other consultants, we don’t stop there. We stay involved to make sure your chosen tech delivers.
We’ll be there to resolve issues and ensure your platform performs as expected.
You have two key options depending on what you’re currently using and what your business needs.
If your current system is compatible, you may be able to keep it – SIP trunking allows you to connect it to the digital network and continue business as usual.
This is a good option if you have invested heavily in your existing system or need to retain specific equipment.
Alternatively, you can move your phone system into the cloud, removing the need for on-site phone hardware.
Instead of having an on-site PBX system, you’ll instead have a highly secure, highly flexible host, from which you can make calls and manage your business from the cloud.
The PSTN switch-off is scheduled for 31 January 2027.
After this date, the traditional copper phone network will no longer be available for businesses relying on it, so affected phone lines and services will need to have been migrated to a digital alternative beforehand.
The copper switch-off is the retirement of the traditional copper network used to deliver many telephone services. You may also hear it referred to as the PSTN switch-off, BT copper switch-off or Openreach copper switch-off. Businesses still using these legacy connections need to move to a digital alternative before the January 2027 deadline.
PSTN and ISDN are both legacy telephone technologies being phased out as the UK moves to digital communications.
PSTN traditionally provided individual copper phone lines, while ISDN allowed multiple calls to run over a single connection.
If your business uses either technology, you will need to consider how your phone system will connect to the new digital network.
If your business is still using traditional copper phone lines or ISDN, you are likely to be affected.
Your existing telephone provider may have contacted you about the change, but if you’re unsure what system you have or whether you’ve already migrated, PrimeTel can help you establish where you stand.
If you continue relying on a traditional phone line after the switch-off, your phone service could stop working.
For hospitality businesses, that could mean customers cannot make bookings and staff cannot receive calls. Other systems connected to legacy phone lines, such as alarms, payment systems, lifts, door-entry systems and emergency phones, may also need to be checked.
There are two main options. SIP Trunking can allow you to keep a compatible existing phone system while connecting it to the digital network.
Alternatively, hosted telephony moves your phone system into the cloud, removing the need for an on-site PBX. The right option depends on your existing setup and what your business needs.
SIP Trunking is a way of connecting a compatible existing phone system to a digital network so you can continue making and receiving calls without the traditional copper connection.
It can be a practical option for businesses that have invested in their existing phone system or need to retain specific equipment.
Hosted telephony is a cloud-based phone system.
Instead of keeping your central phone system on a server at your premises, the system is hosted in a secure data centre and managed through the cloud. It can remove the need to maintain on-site telephony hardware while giving your business greater flexibility.
There isn’t one solution that suits every business.
SIP Trunking can make sense if you want to retain a compatible existing phone system, while hosted telephony can be a better fit if you’re ready to move away from on-site hardware. PrimeTel can review your current setup and help you understand which options are available before you commit to anything.
The landline-VoIP transition is the process of moving your business phone service from traditional landlines and the old copper network to a digital phone system that uses an internet connection.
For businesses affected by the PSTN and ISDN switch-off, this transition needs to happen before 31 January 2027. Depending on your existing setup, you may be able to connect your current phone system using SIP Trunking or move to a fully hosted cloud telephone system.
Potentially. If your existing phone system is compatible with SIP, you may be able to retain it and connect it to the digital network. If your system is outdated or no longer supported, moving to hosted telephony may be the more appropriate route.
It can. Some businesses have other equipment connected through traditional phone infrastructure, including alarms, emergency phones, lifts, door-entry systems and payment equipment. As part of the migration process, it’s important to identify everything that currently relies on your existing connections rather than assuming the change only affects your handsets.
No. PrimeTel is compensated by suppliers at a flat rate rather than charging the business for the discovery process. This means PrimeTel can assess your requirements and discuss the available options without charging you for the conversation.
Get in touch. If you’re unsure what type of phone system you have, whether you’ve already moved away from the traditional network or what the PSTN switch-off means for your business, PrimeTel can help you work out what you need to do next.
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