Openreach warns legacy PSTN phone network will be switched off by January 31, 2027

Openreach has reminded customers that Britain's legacy public switched telephone network will be switched off on January 31, 2027, and says the deadline will not be postponed. The warning, sent this week to communications providers that use its network, says customers still on PSTN connections risk disruption. Systems that rely on PSTN include point-of-sale terminals, alarms and personal care alarms.

Who could be affected

The switch-off could affect businesses and consumers. Beyond plain old telephone service, systems that rely on PSTN connectivity include point-of-sale terminals, fire and security alarms, and personal care alarms for elderly and vulnerable people. The move is part of a wider government scheme to move the UK onto all-digital high-speed networks running on fiber-optic infrastructure, with the legacy phone service and its dependency on copper cabling standing in the way. Many households have ditched landline handsets and use only mobile phones, while those who still want a landline can plug the phone into the back of a broadband router to access Digital Voice service.

Support for households and vulnerable customers

Openreach has been planning the move for the best part of a decade and has pushed back the deadline at least once after the government asked telecoms providers not to force vulnerable customers who use phone-network systems such as TeleCare to switch until fixes are in place. Telecoms analyst Paolo Pescatore said public awareness seems low and called for Openreach and all providers to coordinate a much more cohesive campaign that reaches customers directly, including TV, billboards and newspaper advertising, targeted letters, calls and door-to-door support for older and vulnerable people. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said most people have moved over without major problems, but nobody who relies on their landline or TeleCare should be left behind. She said providers must not give up on people who have not responded and should offer practical, individual support, recognizing that some may be unwell, living with dementia, worried about scams or without anyone nearby to help. Openreach advises consumers to call their service provider as soon as possible to ensure service is not interrupted. Customers without a fiber connection will likely be switched to SOTAP for Analog, where equipment is installed in the local telephone exchange to allow them to continue to use their old phone line as before.

Business migration warning

Openreach has warned that commercial customers delaying migration risk significant disruption and unnecessary costs, and that leaving it until the last minute could make it harder to secure engineering support before the deadline. James Lilley, Openreach Director of All-IP, said businesses and organizations that delay action are making things harder for themselves, that straightforward migrations have largely been completed, and that what remains are complex connections underpinning critical operations requiring careful planning, supplier coordination and thorough testing. He urged businesses to act now, audit remaining analog services and work with their communications provider on a migration plan today. Earlier this year, the firm stepped up charges to service providers and companies still operating legacy business lines, who by now are paying double the rental cost compared with last year.

Sources: The Register