Openreach — the UK's telephone network infrastructure provider — is retiring the entire PSTN and ISDN network. This affects millions of businesses across the country.
What is the PSTN?
The Public Switched Telephone Network is the traditional copper wire telephone system that has connected UK businesses and homes since the 1800s. It powers analogue phone lines, ISDN connections and traditional broadband.
When is it happening?
Openreach has confirmed the full switch-off will be completed by January 2027. Some exchanges are already being switched off early. Your area could be affected before the national deadline.
Who is affected?
Any business using analogue phone lines, ISDN2, ISDN30, ADSL or FTTC broadband will be affected. If your phone system relies on a physical copper line into your building, you need to migrate before January 2027.
Businesses that fail to migrate before January 2027 face serious operational and financial consequences.
Complete Loss of Phone Service
Your phone lines will simply stop working. Incoming and outgoing calls will be impossible until you migrate — leaving customers unable to reach you.
Broadband Outage
ADSL and FTTC broadband runs over PSTN copper lines. When the PSTN goes off, so does your internet connection — taking down email, cloud services and VoIP.
Alarm & Safety Systems Fail
Fire alarms, intruder alarms, CCTV monitoring and lift emergency phones often rely on PSTN lines. These safety-critical systems will stop working without migration.
Card Payment Terminals
Many older EPOS and card payment terminals use analogue lines. If not migrated, your ability to take card payments could be interrupted at the worst possible time.
Lost Revenue & Customers
Every hour your phones are down costs your business money. Customers who can't reach you will call your competitors — and may not come back.
Last-Minute Rush
Millions of businesses need to migrate. Waiting until late 2026 means competing for limited engineer time and risking delays — potentially missing the deadline entirely.
Centric Comms offers two proven migration paths — both fully supported and ready to deploy now. Choose the one that fits your situation.
☁️ Hosted Voice
The complete replacement for your phone system — everything moves to the cloud. No on-site hardware, no copper lines. Just reliable IP voice delivered over your broadband connection.
- Replaces analogue lines AND your PBX hardware
- Works on IP phones, mobile app and desktop softphone
- Hunt groups, auto attendant and voicemail included
- Scales from 1 user to hundreds — pay per user
- Fraud protection and 99.9% uptime guaranteed
- Works with Microsoft Teams via Direct Connect add-on
Best for: Businesses wanting a complete, future-proof upgrade →
🔗 SIP Trunks
Already have an on-site PBX you want to keep? SIP Trunking replaces your ISDN lines with internet-based voice channels — so your existing system carries on working.
- Keep your existing on-site PBX hardware
- Direct ISDN replacement — same numbers, same system
- Lower call costs than ISDN
- Numbers move with you when you relocate
- Scale channels up or down as needed
- Fast deployment — minimal disruption
Best for: Businesses with a newer PBX they want to retain →
We handle the entire process from start to finish — so you can focus on running your business.
Free Assessment
We audit your current phone system, broadband, alarms and any other PSTN-dependent services. We identify exactly what needs to change and give you a clear, no-obligation migration plan.
Choose Your Solution
Based on your setup, budget and requirements, we recommend the right migration path — Hosted Voice, SIP Trunks or a combination. We explain everything in plain English, no jargon.
Port Your Numbers
We keep your existing phone numbers throughout the migration — there's no need to change your number or update your stationery. Low-cost porting with minimal disruption.
Go Live & Ongoing Support
We manage the cutover and stay on hand to support your team. Ongoing UK-based support is included as standard — you're never left to figure it out alone.
Use this checklist to identify what you need to address before January 2027.
Don't leave it too late
With millions of businesses needing to migrate, engineer availability will become scarce in late 2026. We recommend starting your migration now.