PSTN switch-off 2027: what Norfolk businesses must do

The UK's old copper phone network (the PSTN) is being switched off, and the deadline is close. If your business still has an analogue line or ISDN, something needs to change in the next few months. Here's what's happening, what it affects and what to do, without the scare stories.

The short version

• 31 January 2027 is Openreach's deadline for moving lines off the old analogue network (WLR). It was originally the end of 2025, and Openreach has said there won't be another delay.
• ISDN2 and ISDN30 end on 1 February 2027, with no migration path. If you have an older phone system on ISDN, it needs replacing or connecting a different way.
• Prices for the old lines have been rising sharply. Openreach's wholesale price for analogue lines rose by 20% in April 2026, then 40% in July and another 40% in October, so staying put now costs more as well.
• It isn't just phones. Alarms, lift phones, card machines, franking machines, door entry and anything else that uses a phone line needs checking.

What the 2027 PSTN switch-off actually means

For decades, landlines have run over copper wires using the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Phone calls are moving to the internet instead: "digital voice" or VoIP. New analogue lines and ISDN stopped being sold nationally in September 2023, and the remaining lines are being moved over.

As of late September 2026, about 1.2 million lines still hadn't moved, around 350,000 of them at business premises. Openreach expects the final orders by 31 January 2027, then starts moving any lines that are left over to a basic emergency voice service from February 2027. That service is a last resort: limited, temporary and not something to run a business on.

What it affects

The phones are the easy part. The things that catch businesses out are the devices nobody remembers are plugged into a line:

Phone companies don't know what's plugged into your lines, so this list is yours to work through. The government's advice is to check a device works over VoIP or 4G before buying a replacement.

Where Norfolk exchanges stand

Separately from the copper switch-off, Openreach is building full fibre (FTTP) exchange by exchange. Once full fibre reaches enough premises in an exchange area, it "stop-sells" the old products there, so new orders and changes have to go onto fibre. Its October 2026 build programme lists:

What matters is what reaches your address, which can differ from your neighbour's. We check that for every business before recommending anything.

Power cuts

A copper phone line carries its own power, so old phones kept working in a power cut. Digital lines don't. Ofcom expects providers to offer at least one hour of emergency access during a power cut, free to customers who rely on their landline, such as people without a mobile signal or anyone using telecare.

For most offices, the practical answer is a small UPS (battery backup) on the router, network switch and phones, plus mobile apps so calls can still be answered on staff phones.

Your number stays yours

You don't lose your number when you move. Ofcom's rules say porting a number is free to you, the switch should happen within one working day of being confirmed, and any loss of service while it happens shouldn't last more than a working day. Your 01362, 01603 or 01553 number moves across, and customers won't notice.

A checklist for the next few weeks

1. List every line. Your phone bill shows them. Look for lines you've forgotten about: the alarm, the lift, the fax in the corner.
2. List what's plugged into each one. Then ask each supplier whether it works over a digital line.
3. Check your internet. Phone calls will run over it, so it needs to be steady, especially for uploads. See our guide to leased lines and business broadband.
4. Choose your phone system. For most small and medium businesses that's hosted VoIP: no box in the cupboard, desk phones or apps, and calls that follow you.
5. Plan for power cuts. A UPS for the essentials and mobile apps as a fallback.
6. Book the move before the deadline. Engineers and porting slots get busier as January gets closer.

How we can help

We're a business phone provider in Dereham and a member of the Federation of Communication Services. We'll audit your lines and devices, check what your address can get, port your numbers and set everything up so nothing is missed. Hosted VoIP is from £7 +VAT per user a month, plus £2.50 +VAT per number.

Get in touch and we'll start with a free check of your lines.