On 31 January 2027, the UK’s analogue phone network (PSTN and ISDN) will be shut down. Calls will run over the internet, using IP, rather than over the old copper voice lines.
Openreach has already stopped selling new analogue services, so any change to a line now routes you to digital by default.
If you wait until late 2026, you may pay more and face longer lead times. Openreach has confirmed staged wholesale price rises on legacy copper line rentals during 2026:
Around +20% from April
+40% more from July
and
another +40% from October, which roughly doubles the annual cost by the autumn.
We will plan your move to Cloud Phone Systems and line up the right FTTP or SoGEA access.
The message is simple. Move your phones to the cloud, then check for any remaining lines or devices that still rely on an analogue dial tone.
There is a fixed date. The PSTN and ISDN will be removed on 31 January 2027. Your phones will need to run over IP.
Analogue stop‑sell is already in place. New orders for WLR and related products stopped nationwide on 5 September 2023. Moves and regrades now push you to digital products such as FTTP or SoGEA.
Costs rise through 2026. Legacy copper line rentals increase in three steps, which makes waiting the most expensive option.
If you do nothing. Lines left on the old platform at switch‑off may fall back to Emergency Voice Access (EVAC). EVAC is for emergency calls only, so it will not carry your broadband or any machine signalling until you migrate.
There is still a lot to migrate. Openreach reports that millions of lines remain on the old platform, with more than half a million in business premises, which is why it is urging firms to move now.
Step 1: Check your numbers and access
List the numbers you want to keep, decide who needs a handset or softphone, and confirm the access type at each site. Choose FTTP when available, or SoGEA where fibre to the premises has not reached you yet.
Step 2: Set up your Cloud Phone System
Keep your main numbers, set call menus and hunt groups, add call recording where needed, and give staff the apps or handsets they prefer. This brings better call handling and clearer reporting.
Step 3: Port your numbers and go live
We will port your numbers, test, and cut over with a simple change plan. If you manage several sites, we can schedule the moves in batches to avoid busy periods. (Industry change freezes can affect late‑December work, so plan ahead of time.)
Step 4: Add basic power backup
Old analogue lines could power a corded handset from the exchange. Digital voice needs local power. Ofcom expects providers to give at least one hour of access to the emergency services during a power cut, and for business sites, it is wise to add a small UPS for the router and ONT that carry essential calls.
We will scope the phone system and confirm the right access at each address.
Some devices in buildings still rely on the old dial tone, for example, certain alarms, intercoms, payment terminals or older modems. If you find any, plan an upgrade to IP or cellular and test during a power cut before you sign off on the work. Keep the main focus on phones first, since that is where most benefit lies.
Openreach has already started the phased switch off of PSTN. Contact Modern Networks today to discuss your business’s seamless transition to digital telephone services and fast-fibre broadband connectivity.
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