PSTN ends Jan 2027
By January 2027, Openreach will stop carrying calls over the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). If your business still uses analogue phone lines, fax machines, alarms, lift lines or card terminals on a copper line, you need a migration plan — and the time to make one is now.
The PSTN switch-off, explained
The UK's old copper-wire phone network is being retired. Every voice line, and a lot of services that quietly piggyback on those lines, must move to a digital alternative before January 2027.
Hard deadline
Openreach is retiring PSTN and ISDN by January 2027.
Voice goes digital
Every voice line must move to a digital / IP-based alternative.
More than just phones
Alarms, lifts, fax and PDQ terminals on copper lines need attention too.
Not optional
Affected lines simply stop working. There is no extension.
The copper network has reached the end of its life
The PSTN was built for a different era. The equipment that runs it is decades old, increasingly fragile, and almost impossible to source replacement parts for.
Openreach has confirmed that maintaining the legacy network is no longer viable. Modern voice services run over the same fibre and broadband infrastructure that already powers your business — offering better quality, more flexibility, and lower running costs.
Every UK provider is migrating customers to digital voice (often called VoIP, SIP or all-IP). The switch-off isn't a SilverCloud decision — it's a national infrastructure change driven by Openreach and BT.
Key milestones
- Sept 2023 Stop-sell of new PSTN/ISDN lines.
- 2024–2026 Regional withdrawals; migration windows narrow.
- Jan 2027 Full PSTN/ISDN switch-off. Affected lines stop.
Leave it too late and your options shrink
As the deadline gets closer, the network of providers, engineers and hardware vendors all hit the same bottleneck. Acting early keeps you in control.
Install lead times will stretch
Demand is already spiking. Getting an engineer booked — or even a slot in the queue — gets harder every quarter.
Number porting takes time
Porting an existing number to a new provider typically takes 10–15 working days, and it can't be rushed.
Some hardware needs replacing
Older PBXs, alarm panels, lift lines and PDQ terminals may need replacement, not just migration — that means procurement lead times too.
Budgets get harder near year-end
Leaving the switch until late risks bumping into capex freezes, financial year-ends, and stretched supplier capacity.
Get ahead of the rush — and save
Migrating early doesn't just take a problem off your plate. It actively saves you money, time and risk.
Lock in today's pricing
Secure preferential rates on a 24 or 36-month term before peak-demand price increases hit the market.
Better calls, better features
HD voice, call recording, voicemail-to-email, mobile twinning and softphones — included as standard, not bolted on.
No last-minute scramble
Plan, audit and migrate at your pace — not under pressure with a 2027 deadline breathing down your neck.
Resilience and uptime
Digital voice failover, redundant routing, and detailed call analytics built in — so an outage doesn't take down your phones.
Lower running costs
Most customers pay less per line after switching — one bill for voice and broadband, no separate line rental.
One team, one project
We handle the audit, hardware, porting and cutover — you get a single named project lead from start to finish.
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