The UK is retiring its traditional telephone network. If your business still relies on analogue or ISDN lines, this affects you, and it is better to move on your own terms than to be forced at the last minute.
What is actually happening
Openreach is switching off the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and ISDN, the technology behind traditional landlines, and moving everything to digital voice over the internet. The national switch-off is now scheduled for the end of January 2027, and in many areas you can no longer buy new analogue or ISDN lines at all.
What it affects
More than just desk phones. Anything that has quietly used a phone line for years may be affected, including:
- Office phone systems on ISDN
- Alarm and CCTV lines
- Door entry systems
- Card payment terminals
- Lift emergency phones
The good news
For most businesses this is an upgrade, not just a forced change. Moving to a modern cloud phone system usually means lower call costs, the freedom to work from anywhere, and features that old lines never offered, from call recording and reporting to AI that can answer and route calls for you.
We cover all of this on our phone systems page, including the AI call answering behind our own PhonePie.AI platform.
How to prepare
Start by listing everything in your business that might use a phone line, not just the phones. Then check what internet connection you have, because digital voice depends on it; you may want to review your business broadband or leased line at the same time. Finally, plan the move before you are forced into it.
If you are not sure what you are running or where to start, give us a call and we will map it out with you.
