PSTN Switch Off Hub
Everything you need to know
What is the PSTN switch-off?
The PSTN switch-off is the switching off the UK’s legacy analogue phone network, as part of the transition to next-generation digital services.
The PSTN network is made from copper cables, which is becoming increasingly costly to manage and maintain, and with the UK transitioning to the next generation of digital services, the demand for high-speed and cost-effective services are critical to business growth and infrastructure.
As part of this transition, Openreach is also introducing staged price increases for Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) services throughout 2026:
- April 2026: +20%
- July 2026: +40%
- October 2026: +40%
By October, costs will have effectively doubled compared to earlier this year, increasing the urgency to review any remaining legacy services.
When does it happen?
BT announced its intention to close the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) by the 31st January 2027.
While 31st January 2027 is the final switch-off date, this is not the point at which organisations should plan to migrate.
To avoid disruption, most businesses should aim to complete their transition by October 2026.
As this deadline approaches, demand for migration will increase, lead times are expected to extend, and many industries enter operational change freeze periods.
Starting early helps ensure you can secure the right resources and avoid unnecessary risk.
How will it affect my business?
The WLR withdrawal will affect a wide range of communications products, especially those that use Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) services. Equipment such as lift lines, alarms and CCTV, to door entry systems and ATM’s all potentially affected.
You may be hesitant to move from your legacy services; however, there are great benefits to be gained from migration to new fibre-based solutions that bring improved features, speed and can reduce operating costs. And, there may be cost savings available, so now is the time to get ahead and plan your migration.
If you need assistance, Maintel can conduct an audit of your full estate to identify which technology may be affected and devise a clear, bespoke digital roadmap to make migration seamless.
If left too late, there is also a risk that some services may fall back to limited, voice-only functionality, without support for broadband or critical systems such as alarms and payment services.
What are the benefits of switching now?
To avoid rising costs, fulfilment delays, and potential loss of service, it’s important to act before demand peaks later in 2026.
Services
- Analogue lines
- Business lines
- PSTN lines
- ISDN30
- ISDN30e
- ISDN2
- DSL
- EFM
Potential uses
- Fax machines
- Modems Alarms
- Lift lines
- PDQ machines
If you have an on-site PBX that you wish to retain you may need additional equipment to support your migration from ISDN to SIP. If you have any of these services then please get in touch and we’ll happily guide you through the next phase.
How do I know if my business is PSTN ready?
The secret to managing effective change is to first understand your starting point. If you are unsure, we recommend a thorough audit of your network to understand how many network connections you have and of what type.
Depending on the nature of your business, these could be used for anything from simple voice lines to DSL broadband or even building alarms. Whatever existing WLR services you have, there are several easy migration paths to ensure that your business is unaffected.
At Maintel, we’ll help you discover and audit your existing estate, define your digital roadmap and design a speedy practical plan for implementation. This will help you reduce risk and move to a digital future, without the loss of critical business services.
Taking action early also gives you more flexibility in how and when you migrate, avoiding the pressures seen later in the transition period.
When is the latest I should migrate? and why should I act now?
While the final switch-off is in January 2027, most organisations should plan to complete migration by October 2026.
This allows time for provisioning, testing, and internal rollout, while avoiding the peak demand and change freeze periods seen later in the year.
Leaving migration too late can lead to delays, limited availability, and increased risk of disruption.
How will it affect my industry?
We’ve compiled a set of sector info guides to give you a steer on how it will affect various industries. If you’re isn’t listed here, please get in touch to discuss and we’d be happy to provide some advice.
Migration timelines will vary depending on your industry, particularly where operational freeze periods or peak trading windows apply.
PSTN Case Study: Future-proofing begins with future-proofing communications
With the PSTN switch-off approaching, Croydon College needed a resilient, modern voice solution without losing the Mitel technology their teams relied on daily.
Partnering with Maintel, the college transitioned seamlessly to a SIP-based, fully virtualised voice network across both campuses.
I’m not sure if PSTN affects me? How can I tell?
The WLR withdrawal may affect you or your organisation in more ways than you think. If you have any of the following services, there may be cost savings available, so now is the time to plan your migration.
ISDN Lines
ISDN lines generally connect to a telephone system, installed within a building. The lines can be replaced with an IP based alternative, SIP Trunks, which can then be connected to the existing telephone system.
Single Business Lines
If you simply have a single line for your business, this is a great opportunity to make efficiencies and savings. VoIP services can give you great additional functionality often at lower cost.
Lines for Legacy Services
You may have lines that are used for alarms, emergency lines, fax machines or point of sale terminals. Understanding your requirements will allow us to provide you with advice on the most suitable alternatives.
Lines for Broadband
If you use an analogue line for your broadband connectivity, you will need a replacement connection to stay online. Your overall cost will be reduced because you will no longer need to pay for a separate voice line. With more businesses moving their applications to the Cloud, it is important that your future connectivity can handle the increased traffic.
Healthcare
“We want to ensure our health care community have easy, readily available access to contacting the correct healthcare providers”
How this affects you:
We rely on PSTN connections to ensure the community we serve can easily contact us for their healthcare needs
What if you could:
Improve your patients’ experience of communicating with you by providing next-generation digital services. The introduction of inbound services and self-serve options can simplify how your community can gain information and get the optimal outcome, quickly and efficiently.
With Maintel you can:
Work with a trusted partner with proven credibility within Healthcare to provide seamless, reliable, next-generation communication in all areas of your organisation
Retail
“We have numerous sites across interruption to our trading”
How this affects you:
Our stores are highly reliant on broadband and single line PSTN for customer calls and EPoS
What if you could:
Audit your installed base, establish your exposure to the WLR withdrawal and create a practical migration plan
With Maintel you can:
Work with an expert team to discover your existing services, clarify your business objectives and minimise switchover disruption.
Social Housing
“We depend on our building alarms and monitoring to ensure tenant safety and security”
How this affects you:
Our CCTV and alarm systems utilise PSTN services to deliver round-the-clock monitoring of our facilities
What if you could:
Transition your existing services safely to more modern digital technology and improve the tenant service experience
With Maintel you can:
Seamlessly migrate to alternative digital services supported by a team who have over 20 years of social housing experience
PSTN Series: Blog 1 – The PSTN Deadline Is Approaching – Are You Seeing the Full Risk?
Modern businesses are built upon many layers of technology. Buried deep within lies legacy infrastructure like the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), an ageing copper architecture. This network still underpins critical services and systems, many of which are...
PSTN Series: Blog 2 – Beyond Awareness: Overcoming the 5 Biggest Barriers to Your PSTN Migration
The conversation around the UK’s PSTN switch-off has changed. With the 2023 "stop sell" in effect and the final January 2027 (Vulnerable and Complex use cases) deadline approaching, awareness is no longer the issue. The new challenge is inertia. For many...
PSTN Series – Blog 3: Planning Your PSTN Migration? Here’s What Even the Best Teams Miss
Even the most well-planned technology projects can uncover hidden risks. A PSTN migration is no different. Legacy contracts, undocumented services, and siloed teams consistently derail timelines and inflate costs. Many organisations see this transition as a daunting,...
PSTN Blog 4: Migrating from PSTN – How to Avoid the 5 Biggest Mistakes
Following on from our previous PSTN blogs, the PSTN switch-off marks a shift from a purely technical change to a strategic transformation. Even the most experienced teams can encounter difficulties during the cut-over phase. Unexpected issues arise from planning gaps...
PSTN Blog 5: You’ve Moved Off PSTN – Now It’s Time to Optimise
Completing PSTN migration marks the first milestone. The next is achieving continuous optimisation, ensuring performance, resilience and ROI are reviewed and refined. Post-migration challenges surface once traffic ramps up. A solid post-migration optimisation plan...
PSTN Series: Blog 6 – From Migration to Transformation & Building Momentum Beyond the PSTN Switch-Off
For many organisations, the PSTN switch-off represents more than a network change, it is a defining moment in their digital evolution. As legacy systems are decommissioned, IT and security leaders are discovering new ways to consolidate infrastructure, strengthen...
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