PSTN Switch-Off 2027 — Are you ready?

PSTN Switch Off for UK Businesses

A practical readiness guide for the UK landline switch-off and the 31 January 2027 deadline

Use this page to understand what the PSTN switch off means, which services may be affected at a high level, what continuity questions to ask now, and where to go next for the checklist and migration plan.

PSTN migration checklistMigration guide
Key factsTimelineFAQ
PSTN switch off readiness planning for UK businesses ahead of the 2027 deadline.

Operational readiness only

This hub explains what the PSTN switch off means, what may be affected, and what to review now. Use the child pages for the detailed checklist and step-by-step migration process.

How to use this page

This is the planning pillar. Use it to understand the switch-off, the headline dates, what may be affected, and the continuity questions your business should raise now.

  • High-level readiness and continuity context
  • No provider rankings or vendor shortlist logic
  • Routes visitors into the checklist and migration guide
Business checklistMigration guide
Key fact

Final retirement date

The old analogue network is due to retire by 31 January 2027. That is the main planning deadline for businesses still relying on PSTN, ISDN, ADSL or related WLR-based services.

Key fact

Analogue stop-sell already happened

New analogue phone lines are no longer being sold, so businesses still on older services should treat this as a migration and readiness project rather than a routine renewal.

Key fact

It affects more than voice

Phone lines, line-dependent broadband, alarms, entry systems, payment devices, CCTV, fax and other connected services can all sit inside the review scope.

Key fact

Power resilience matters

Digital voice behaves differently during a power cut. Continuity planning, battery backup and fallback thinking should be part of the readiness review, not left until go-live.

What the PSTN switch off means

The PSTN is the old analogue phone network. The switch-off means businesses still relying on traditional phone lines, or services attached to them, need to move to digital, IP-based services before the analogue network retires. In practice, that turns the issue into a continuity and dependency review, not just a telephony refresh.

Not just voice

Older lines can also sit behind broadband, alarms, access systems, payment services and other site-critical functions.

Operational project

This is usually a coordination job across telecoms, IT, operations, facilities and third-party device suppliers.

Needs early review

The biggest risk is often not the final date itself, but discovering late that a hidden dependency was missed.

Who may be affected

Keep this page high level: the aim is to identify likely exposure areas before you move into the operational checklist.

Traditional phone lines

Any business still using PSTN or ISDN for calls should assume those services need replacing before the analogue network retires.

Line-dependent broadband

Some broadband services still rely on the older line. That turns PSTN planning into a connectivity review as well as a voice review.

Alarms and monitored services

Alarm signalling, monitored systems and similar connected services should be checked carefully for compatibility and continuity impact.

Payment and EPOS devices

Card machines, EPOS terminals and similar devices may still depend on older line setups or legacy assumptions about connectivity.

Door entry, lifts and building systems

Access control, entry systems, lift phones and other facility-linked services can sit outside IT visibility but still depend on the old network.

Power-cut sensitive locations

Any site where landline continuity matters during a power cut should treat resilience and fallback planning as part of PSTN readiness.

PSTN switch-off timeline overview

Keep the timeline concise here. This hub should show the key planning dates without turning into a full milestone page.

2018

Retirement direction announced

The move away from the old analogue network was formally set in motion, giving the market a clear direction toward digital phone lines.

5 Sep 2023

National stop-sell

New analogue products stopped being sold nationally. For businesses, that turned the issue into migration planning rather than line renewal.

2025–2026

Main readiness window

This is the practical period for dependency checks, supplier coordination, site reviews, internal ownership and migration planning.

31 Jan 2027

Final retirement target

Legacy analogue services are due to retire. Any business still relying on affected services by then risks disruption, limited fallback options, or service loss.

Business checklistMigration guide
PSTN switch-off timeline planning for UK businesses.
PSTN to VoIP migration planning and business continuity.

What businesses should review now

Keep this section strategic. The detailed audit belongs on the business checklist page.

Service inventory

Identify which lines, sites and connected services still depend on the old network directly or indirectly.

Business-critical dependencies

Separate low-risk services from anything that would cause operational disruption if it failed or cut over badly.

Compatibility and resilience

Confirm device compatibility, site readiness, power-cut continuity and fallback assumptions before moving further.

Continuity questions

  • Which services would cause immediate disruption if they failed?
  • Have all connected-device suppliers confirmed compatibility?
  • What happens during a router failure or power cut?
  • Do we know who owns the project internally?

Go next to the right page

This hub should not become the full audit sheet or the full migration runbook. Keep the next step clear so intent stays separated and the page architecture remains clean.

Open business checklistOpen migration guide

Frequently asked questions

High-level questions about the PSTN switch off, business exposure and the right next step.

The PSTN switch off is the retirement of the old analogue phone network and related legacy services, with businesses moving to digital, IP-based services instead.

The main retirement deadline businesses should work toward is 31 January 2027. That is the planning date to keep front of mind for affected services.

No. High-level planning should also consider line-dependent broadband, alarms, payment devices, entry systems, CCTV, fax and other connected services.

You may still have hidden analogue dependencies. Partial digitisation does not remove the need for a proper inventory and dependency review.

Not by default. Power resilience and fallback arrangements should be part of the readiness review wherever continuity matters.

Start with the business checklist to map your lines, services, owners and dependencies, then use the migration guide to turn that review into a controlled plan.

Business checklist Migration guide
Next step

Start with the business checklist, then move into the migration guide

This pillar page should orient the work. The checklist should handle the audit detail, and the migration guide should handle the process detail. Keep the journey clean and operational.

PSTN migration checklistPSTN to VoIP migration guideVoIP recommendation quiz