- Openreach warns landline phones will stop working on January 31, 2027
- Legacy PTSN system is going digital, so users should switch now
- Openreach remind businesses and consumers alike to check their connections
Openreach has issued a reminder warning that the UK’s legacy landline phone network will be switched off in less than 100 days.
BT’s infrastructure arm, responsible for deploying, maintaining and upgrading most of the country’s networks, has reminded users the copper-based Public Switched Telephone Network (PTSN) network will be retired on January 31, 2027.
There will be no extension to this cut-off, meaning users, both business and consumer alike, will need to ensure their systems are ready for the change.
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Time to switch
The news of the “big switch off”, as Openreach’s advice hub calls it, should not be a surprise, as plans were first announced to shut down the PSTN and ISDN networks by the end of 2025 back in 2017 – with the deadline later extended to 2027.
It notes that the aging landline network is harder to maintain and more vulnerable to faults, whilst also being unable to keep up with the demands posed by modern usage.
Openreach says it has already supported the migration of around 15 million lines off the old copper-based network, and although most of our homes and offices will have already switched to digital-based Internet Protocol (IP) fiber networks, there are a wide range of systems which still rely on PSTN connectivity.
Among the items needing upgrading point-of-sale terminals in shops, fire and security alarms, and personal care alarms for elderly and vulnerable people.
“Businesses and organisations that delay action are making things harder for themselves, noted James Lilley, Director of All-IP at Openreach.
“The straightforward migrations have largely been completed. What’s left are the complex connections that underpin critical operations, requiring careful planning, supplier coordination, and thorough testing. We are urging businesses to act now, audit their remaining analogue services, and work with their communications provider on a migration plan today.”
Openreach’s website notes the move to digital phone lines will help provide users with a more reliable service, better-quality calls and smarter blocking of unwanted calls.
It tells users to not wait until the deadline, and to get in contact with your service provider as soon as possible to get the move going.
Anyone who has not switched by the January 2027 deadline may see limited service after that time, and may be moved to the Emergency Voice and Access Continuity (EVAc) service, a temporary emergency voice-only service which keeps basic voice calls working for a limited time.
An FAQ includes the question “I don’t want broadband. Can I have a phone line only?” but includes only a wishy-washy response – “If you have a phone line but don’t have broadband, your service provider will help you find the most suitable digital option for your needs.”
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Mike Moore
