The UK's traditional copper phone network, known as the PSTN, is being switched off. According to Openreach, all traditional phone lines will have gone digital by 31 January 2027, and Openreach says that deadline is locked: there's no extension.
How many are still to move
At the end of July 2026, Openreach said around 1.5 million lines were still running on the old copper network, including around 350,000 business premises. That's down from roughly 2.8 million lines in February, so plenty of businesses have moved, but a lot still haven't, with only a few months to go.
It's not just your phones
Openreach asks businesses to check every piece of equipment that uses a phone line, not only the phones on their desks:
- Alarm systems and fire alarm monitoring
- CCTV
- Card payment terminals
- Door entry systems
- Lift emergency phones
Older fax machines may need replacing too. Copper broadband shares the same network, so it's affected as well. Ask the supplier of each piece of equipment whether it will work on a digital line, and what needs to change if not.
What happens if you leave it too late
Openreach says a business still using services on the traditional network may be moved onto an emergency voice-only access service (EVAc), or may lose its service altogether. Providers that keep using the old products also face higher wholesale charges before the network goes. For a business, that can mean losing call routing, queues, voicemail or a card machine at the worst possible moment.
What to do now
Openreach's advice comes down to three steps: review, test, switch.
- Review: list every line you pay for, and what each one is actually used for. Some businesses find lines nobody has used in years, which can simply be cancelled
- Test: check your connected equipment with its suppliers. Openreach also offers free testing in its test labs
- Switch: plan your move well before the deadline, as new connections and equipment changes can take time
- Keep your numbers: in most cases your existing numbers can move with you
How Zopi can help
Zopi's cloud phone system runs over your internet connection, so it isn't affected by the switch-off. We move your numbers across, set up your call routing, queues and voicemail, and you manage everything from the Zopi client portal or the Zopi Phone app. Using a CRM or other business software? We can connect your phones to it too.
Not sure where to start? Call us on 0204 502 1288 for a free check of your lines and what's plugged into them.
Sources
- Openreach warns businesses: just six months left before the UK's old phone network is switched off, Openreach, 31 July 2026
- Switching your business to digital, Openreach
- Time for a "big switch-up" as PSTN switch-off looms, Openreach, 5 February 2026
