PSTN Migration Checklist for Businesses
An operational readiness page for auditing lines, dependencies, owners, testing and cutover preparation
Use this checklist to prepare your business for the PSTN switch-off by auditing every line, reviewing connected services, assigning internal owners, checking continuity risks, and making sure your migration work starts from a complete operational picture.
Preparation first
Map your lines, devices, owners and testing tasks before you move into live migration planning.
What this checklist is for
This page is for operational preparation. It helps you document dependencies, reduce continuity risk, and confirm what must be reviewed before cutover.
Shortlist digital options
Follow the migration process
Review switch-off readiness
Core readiness checklist
Work through these checkpoints in order so you do not miss line-dependent services, internal responsibilities, or cutover risks.
1. Audit every line and site
List every location, live line, service type, supplier, circuit reference and business use so hidden legacy services do not get missed.
2. Review connected devices
Check alarms, lift lines, payment devices, CCTV, fax, access systems and any service that may still depend on a legacy line.
3. Separate critical from non-critical
Prioritise services that affect safety, payments, compliance, access, emergency contact or operational continuity so planning effort stays focused on real risk.
What you should review next
Once the basic audit is complete, move into the deeper operational reviews below so nothing important is left undocumented.
Number inventory
Document main numbers, DDIs, hunt groups, fax numbers, published lines and any number that must be retained during migration.
Owners and suppliers
Assign one accountable internal owner and one supplier contact for every critical dependency so no service is left without a decision-maker.
Testing and cutover
Prepare validation steps for inbound calling, outbound calling, routing, voicemail, emergency paths, fallback arrangements and post-cutover sign-off.
Checklist questions every business should answer
These questions help turn a basic inventory into an actionable preparation plan that supports migration, testing and continuity.
Preparation areas to complete before go-live
Use these operational workstreams to confirm whether your business is actually ready to move from preparation into execution.
Broadband and resilience
Check connectivity assumptions, line-dependent broadband, router resilience and whether key sites need backup or fallback options.
Power and continuity
Review what happens during a power cut, which sites need backup arrangements, and how emergency or critical calling will still be handled.
Cutover readiness review
Do not move into execution until your inventory, suppliers, owners, test plan, fallback path and sign-off criteria are documented clearly.
Quick readiness summary
Before you move on, make sure these essentials are in place across the business.
Inventory complete
Sites, services, numbers, devices and dependency owners are all documented in one working list.
Testing ready
Validation steps, fallback routes, supplier contacts and sign-off criteria are defined before live migration begins.
Ready to act
Once the checklist is complete, move straight into provider shortlisting and migration sequencing with less guesswork and fewer surprises.
Do not start with provider choice. Start by mapping lines, services, devices and numbers first.
Every critical service should have an internal owner, a supplier contact and a clear escalation path.
The business is only ready when services have clear test steps, fallback arrangements and post-cutover validation.
Move from checklist to action when the basics are complete
When your audit, owners, dependencies and testing plan are documented properly, you are ready to move into provider shortlisting and migration sequencing with far more control.