The 2027 landline switch-off: a guide for York businesses

PSTN and ISDN switch-off, 31 January 2027

On 31 January 2027, the UK’s old copper telephone network will be switched off for good.

Openreach has said there will be no further extension. Any business phone line, alarm, card machine or lift phone still relying on it needs to move to a digital service before then.

Most businesses have already switched. But Openreach reported around 1.5 million lines still on the old network in July 2026, including about 350,000 business premises. Business lines also won’t get the temporary emergency protections being offered to some home users.

This guide explains what is changing, what else in your building could stop working, and how to switch without disruption. We’re Fusion Systems, an IT and business phone systems company based in Osbaldwick, York, and we’ve been helping local businesses since 2005.

What is the landline switch-off?

The switch-off retires the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the analogue copper network that traditional landlines have used for decades. ISDN lines, still used by many older office phone systems, run on the same network and are going too. Calls will instead travel over the internet, using VoIP or a digital landline service.

The key dates:

• 2017: The industry announced the plan, originally aiming for December 2025.
• 5 September 2023: The national “stop sell” began. New analogue lines can no longer be ordered.
• April, July and October 2026: Openreach raised wholesale rental on the old lines in three steps (20%, 40%, then 40%). By October 2026 that roughly doubles the 2025 cost, and most providers pass it on.
• 31 January 2027: The old network is retired. Openreach has confirmed there is no extension.

If you still have an analogue line or ISDN, you’re likely already paying more for it, and the clock is running out.

It’s not just your phones

The biggest risk is equipment nobody thinks of as “the phone line”. Many devices quietly use an analogue line to dial out, and they may stop working on the day without warning. Openreach reported more than 12,000 lift lines and around 500 CCTV lines still needing an upgrade in early 2026.

Check whether any of these in your premises use a phone line:

✓Alarms: fire and intruder alarm signalling to a monitoring centre.
✓Payments: card machines and EPOS terminals.
✓Lifts: lift emergency phones.
✓Entry: door entry and access control systems.
✓CCTV: systems that send alerts or footage over a phone line.
✓Office equipment: fax and franking machines.
✓Care and safety: telecare, warden call and lone-worker alarms.
✓Phone systems: ISDN-based office phone systems.
✓Broadband: connections that run over a phone line (ADSL, or fibre-to-the-cabinet with line rental).

If you’re not sure, ask the company that maintains each system. Openreach’s own advice is: “If your provider hasn’t contacted you, you need to ask why.”

Your options for business phones

There are three main ways to replace an analogue or ISDN phone service. The right one depends on how many people take calls, whether you have an existing phone system worth keeping, and how much flexibility you need.

Moving to VoIP is also a chance to add features that used to be expensive:

• Call menus (“press 1 for sales”), known as IVR
• Calls that follow staff to their mobile, laptop or Microsoft Teams
• Call recording, voicemail to email and out-of-hours routing
• Keeping your existing York 01904 numbers

One thing to plan for: digital phones need power and internet. A small battery backup (UPS) for your router and phone equipment, or a mobile fallback, keeps you reachable during a power cut.

Your switch-off checklist

Work through these steps now, not in January. Number moves and broadband orders can take weeks, and engineers get busier as the deadline nears.

1. Find every line. Go through 12 months of phone bills and list every line and number you pay for.
2. Walk the building. Note every phone socket in use and what’s plugged into it.
3. Ask your maintainers. Write to whoever services your alarms, lift, door entry, card machines and CCTV. Ask whether their equipment uses an analogue line and what the digital replacement is.
4. Ask your phone provider. Get your migration date and options in writing.
5. Choose your phone replacement. Hosted VoIP, SIP trunks or a digital line (see above). Check contract exit terms before you sign anything.
6. Sort your broadband. If it runs over a phone line, move to a service that doesn’t need one, such as full fibre or single-order broadband.
7. Plan for power cuts. Put your router and phone equipment on a UPS, and agree a mobile fallback for critical calls.
8. Move your numbers. Port your existing numbers so customers can still reach you.
9. Test everything. Before the deadline, test every phone and every alarm or device end to end, then confirm the old lines have been ceased.

How Fusion Systems can help

We handle the whole switch for York businesses, so you deal with one local team rather than juggling phone, broadband and equipment suppliers.

✓A switch-off review: we review your lines and bills, and identify every device that relies on an analogue line.
✓Business phone systems: VoIP and IVR call menus as Sangoma partners, keeping your existing numbers.
✓Networks ready for voice: DrayTek-certified (DCNA) engineers set up your router, network and power backup so calls stay clear and reliable.
✓CCTV and connected equipment: we can move CCTV and other connected systems onto your network.
✓Local, certified support: engineers based in Osbaldwick, York since 2005, and ISO 27001 certified.

Related services: business phone systems, VoIP, IVR and IT support.

Landline switch-off: frequently asked questions