The PSTN switch-off is 31 January 2027: what to do before Christmas if you still have analogue lines.

Phones and lines · 6 min · written 30 October 2026 · by the IT-360 team · sources at the end

What is actually switching off

If your office has a phone that still works when the power goes off, you have an analogue line. Openreach stops supporting it on 31 January 2027. The same applies to ISDN2 and ISDN30, the digital lines most small phone systems were built on. The stop-sell has already happened: you cannot order a new one today. That is why replacements need ordering now, not in the new year.

The four things people forget

• The alarm. Most intruder and fire alarms dial out on an analogue line. The alarm company needs to fit a digital-ready dialler or a SIM unit, and their diaries are full.
• The lift. The emergency line in a lift is a legal requirement; the maintainer has to replace it.
• The card machine. Older terminals dial out on a phone line. Your payment provider will usually swap it free.
• The fax and the franking machine. Both still exist in more offices than admit it. Both move to broadband or go.

What to do before Christmas

Order the replacement connection first, because it has the lead time: full fibre is typically a few weeks, a leased line longer. Move the phones second. A cloud system such as 8x8 ports your numbers and the handsets arrive configured, so the cutover is a Saturday. Deal with the alarm, lift and card machine in parallel, because each involves another company and their diary. Six weeks is realistic for a business with all four.

What it costs

A cloud phone system is charged per user per month. It replaces line rental, call charges and the maintenance contract on the old system. For most businesses we have moved, the new monthly figure is lower than the old one. The one-off costs are the handsets and, if you have one, the alarm dialler. The Connectivity page has an estimator you can run with your own numbers.

Further reading on Insights: An AI on our phone line.

Sources

• Openreach: PSTN and ISDN withdrawal, the 31 January 2027 date and the stop-sell.
• Ofcom: guidance for businesses on the migration to digital voice.
• BT Business: the Digital Voice programme and the revised switch-off date.