The Great British Switch Off: What Businesses Need to Know
The Great British Switch Off will retire the UK’s PSTN by January 2027, replacing it with all-IP infrastructure. This change impacts far more than phones, affecting alarms, payment systems, and critical services. Here we explain why the switch-off is happening, the risks of delay, and how businesses can prepare.
Understanding the PSTN Switch Off
The UK’s Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) switch-off, also known as the ‘Great British Switch Off,’ or the BT Openreach PSTN switch-off, is more than a network upgrade. By January 31, 2027, the century-old copper telephone network will be retired and replaced with all-IP infrastructure. This change affects every organization, from small businesses to public sector institutions, and it reaches far beyond traditional telephony. Security systems, payment terminals, lift phones, alarms and monitoring equipment are all implicated.
The switch-off is being described as the most significant telecoms change in a generation, reshaping not only how UK businesses connect but also how they safeguard critical services. It is not simply about replacing technology; it is about building resilience and laying the foundation for the next decade of communications.
Let’s explore the drivers of the switch-off, the risks of delay, global lessons learned, and how UK businesses can not only adapt but thrive in the new digital era.
Why Is the UK Retiring the PSTN?
The decision to retire the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) comes down to three drivers:
Technological obsolescence: The copper network is fragile, outdated, and incapable of supporting modern, data-intensive communications. Ofcom, the telecommunications regulator, reported a 60% increase in service downtime from PSTN failures in 2023 alone.
Cost of maintenance: Spare parts are increasingly hard to source, and fewer engineers are trained to service legacy systems. Maintaining two networks (PSTN and fibre) is unsustainable.
Strategic modernization: The UK’s £15 billion fibre rollout is laying the foundation for a fully IP-native, resilient infrastructure that supports next-generation technologies like 5G, IoT, and AI-driven communications.
The national “stop sell” policy in September 2023 marked the point of no return. No new PSTN or ISDN, which are digital services running over PSTN copper, can be added, and every business must migrate by January 2027. This milestone was part of the BT Openreach PSTN switch-off program, which requires all businesses to migrate to digital services.
What Risks Do Businesses Face if They Delay Migration?
For companies that delay migration, the risks are severe:
Service shutdown: Devices and systems tied to PSTN will stop working in 2027.
Operational disruption: Retailers unable to process payments or facilities without functional fire alarms risk immediate losses.
Safety and compliance failures: Critical systems like lift emergency phones or telecare devices that go offline create compliance and legal risks.
Bottlenecks and higher costs: Demand for hardware and engineers will spike near the deadline, creating delays and higher costs.
Unlike copper lines, which carried power from exchanges, IP services require local power resilience and failover connectivity. Resilience measures such as UPS backup and failover connections must be in place to avoid outages.
What Lessons Can the UK Learn from Early Movers?
Looking globally, the UK is not alone. Germany completed its switch-off in 2019, Spain followed in 2024, and Nordic countries are nearly fully IP-native. Their experiences show two key lessons:
-
Awareness gaps cause disruption: Many businesses underestimated hidden dependencies, causing last-minute failures.
-
Planning prevents chaos: Companies that ran early audits, phased rollouts, and investment in resilient IP infrastructure made transitions smoother.
The UK delay to 2027 was itself triggered by overlooked dependencies, particularly 1.8 million telecare users whose analogue devices failed during initial trials.
What Benefits Does IP Migration Unlock?
For businesses that approach migration strategically, the switch-off offers real advantages:
Innovation platform: All-IP networks enable AI integration, IoT applications, and advanced collaboration tools.
Enhanced quality: IP voice delivers improved call quality with HD audio.
Flexibility and mobility: UCaaS platforms free staff from desks, enabling hybrid and remote work.
Scalability: Adding users or services becomes a quick software update instead of an engineer’s visit.
Cost savings: Eliminating line rentals and embracing bundled IP services can reduce telecom expenses by up to 30–60%.
The switch-off isn’t just about replacing old lines. It’s a catalyst for digital transformation.
How to Prepare for the PSTN Switch Off
A structured approach reduces risk:
Audit & Assess: Map all devices tied to PSTN-linked systems, including alarms, lifts, fax machines and other hidden dependencies.
Plan & Budget: Plan and test a phased migration, involving IT, facilities, and operations, while building in backup power and secondary connectivity.
Partner & Switch: Select and implement open-standard solutions with trusted partners to ensure interoperability, flexibility, and long-term resilience.
Algo’s Perspective: Closing the Gaps Others Overlook
Many businesses still underestimate how deeply PSTN runs through their infrastructure. The copper network doesn’t just support phones but also alarms, entry systems, lifts, and even payment terminals. Because many of these devices were installed years ago, they are often missing from inventories and only surface when they stop working.
That is why an audit-first approach is critical. By uncovering hidden dependencies early, organizations can plan realistically: confirm which systems can migrate, identify those that need bridging, and replace what cannot be adapted. This preparation reduces disruption and avoids last-minute surprises.
Algo supports this process with SIP-based IP endpoints that keep essential functions reliable in an all-IP environment. Speakers, intercoms, and visual alerters connect directly with platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Cisco. Features such as multicast paging and local redundancy ensure emergency alerts, paging, and access control continue to operate even if a UC platform goes offline. With these tools, businesses modernize without losing the resilience they depend on.
Looking Ahead
The countdown to January 2027 is not just a compliance deadline. It is an opportunity to build communication infrastructure that is more reliable, more flexible, and ready for the future. Organizations that start early will reduce disruption, protect their people, and prepare for innovations such as AI-enabled UC and IoT integration.
With the BT Openreach PSTN switch-off deadline approaching, organizations that act early will not only stay compliant but also unlock the full benefits of IP communications.
