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Openreach has told communications providers that the UK’s legacy public switched telephone network is due to close on Jan. 31, 2027, and the date will not be postponed. Customers and businesses still using copper phone lines or equipment connected through them should contact their provider to plan a migration; the source report says some customers may have alternative arrangements, but the right option depends on their connection.
Openreach says the UK’s legacy public switched telephone network (PSTN) will be retired on Jan. 31, 2027, and the deadline will not be postponed. Its warning to communications providers means customers who still rely on the old network, including some businesses and people using care or security equipment, have about 100 days to check how their services will be affected.
Openreach, the infrastructure arm of BT Group, sent the reminder in a letter to communications providers that use its network. It said customers still connected to legacy PSTN services could face disruption when those services are withdrawn at the end of January. The date is a planned network retirement, not a claim that every household’s handset will stop working in the same way: the impact depends on what a customer uses and how it is connected.
The change can affect more than conventional landline calls. The Register’s report identifies point-of-sale terminals, fire and security alarms, and personal care alarms among systems that may rely on PSTN connectivity. Businesses and organizations with analog lines are being advised to audit their services and coordinate migration with their communications provider, particularly where systems support critical operations.
For people who want to keep a home phone, the usual digital arrangement involves plugging a handset into a broadband router for a Digital Voice service. Openreach has also previously said that customers without a fiber connection may be moved to SOTAP for Analog, a service using equipment at the local exchange to let them continue using an existing phone line. The available route will vary by customer and provider, so the report advises people to contact their provider promptly.
Care Alarms and Business Lines at Risk
The deadline matters because a phone connection can be part of a safety or business system, not just a way to make calls. A care alarm that depends on the old network, for example, needs to be checked and tested on its replacement before the PSTN service ends. The source report says earlier delays were made after the government asked providers not to force vulnerable customers using services such as TeleCare to switch before fixes were in place.
Openreach says straightforward migrations have largely been completed, leaving more complex connections that may require planning among businesses, equipment suppliers and communications providers. Late action could mean service disruption, added costs or difficulty securing engineering support before the cutoff. Openreach has also increased charges for providers and businesses continuing to operate legacy lines; according to the report, some are now paying double the rental cost they paid a year earlier.
The issue is also about whether customers know they need to act. Telecoms analyst Paolo Pescatore and Age UK director Caroline Abrahams both called for providers to reach people directly and give practical support, particularly to older or vulnerable customers. Their comments are calls for action, not evidence that every affected customer has already been contacted or that every migration will be trouble-free.
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A Long-Planned Move to Digital Voice
The retirement is part of a wider move toward digital communications infrastructure, replacing a phone service that depends on traditional copper connections. Openreach has been planning the change for much of the past decade. The switchover has already been delayed at least once, including after concerns about vulnerable customers and TeleCare systems.
Many households no longer use a landline handset, but a home phone can still be retained through a digital service. In the reported standard setup, the handset connects to a broadband router rather than the old phone network. Openreach’s SOTAP for Analog option may apply to some customers without fiber, but it is not described as a universal solution.
The Register reported on Nov. 1, 2026, that the deadline was about 100 days away. Openreach’s latest message was directed to communications providers, while its public guidance tells consumers to contact their own provider to check their circumstances and avoid interruption.
“The deadline will not be postponed.”
— Openreach, in its letter to communications providers, as reported by The Register
Who Still Needs to Switch
The source report does not state how many customers or businesses remain on PSTN connections, or how many still need to migrate before the deadline. It also does not provide a complete list of affected providers, locations, devices or individual migration dates. The effect on a particular customer’s service therefore cannot be established from the deadline alone.
It is also unclear how many vulnerable customers have been reached and whether all care alarms and other connected equipment have a tested replacement. Openreach’s statement that the date will not be postponed is its position; the report does not describe a new government order or independent confirmation covering every service and customer. People should check directly with their provider and with the supplier of any alarm or payment equipment they use.
Provider Checks Before January
Customers who still use a landline, care alarm, security system or other equipment connected through a phone line should contact their communications provider now and ask whether it relies on PSTN. They should confirm the proposed replacement, any required equipment or appointment, and how the service will work during a power cut or broadband outage if that is relevant to their needs. Alarm users should also confirm the migration plan with the alarm supplier and test the replacement service before relying on it.
Businesses and organizations should identify every remaining analog connection, including lines used by payment terminals, alarms and operational systems, then agree a schedule with their provider and relevant equipment suppliers. Openreach says complex migrations need coordination and testing, and warns that engineering support may be harder to secure closer to the cutoff.
The next key date is Jan. 31, 2027, when Openreach says the legacy PSTN service is due to be retired. Customers should follow provider instructions and seek help early if they are unsure whether a device depends on the old network.
Key Questions
When is the UK’s legacy landline network due to close?
Openreach says the legacy PSTN network is scheduled for retirement on Jan. 31, 2027, and the date will not be postponed.
Will every landline handset stop working on that date?
Not necessarily in the same way. The change affects services connected through the legacy network. People who want to keep a home phone may be able to use a digital service through a broadband router, but should ask their provider which option applies to them.
What should people using care or security alarms do?
Contact both the communications provider and the alarm supplier to check whether the equipment uses PSTN, arrange a replacement if needed, and confirm that it has been tested. The report identifies personal care alarms, fire alarms and security systems as possible affected services.
What is SOTAP for Analog?
Openreach has previously described SOTAP for Analog as an option for some customers without a fiber connection. It uses equipment in the local telephone exchange to allow continued use of an existing phone line. The report does not say that every customer will qualify.
Who should customers contact about their migration?
Openreach advises consumers to contact their communications provider as soon as possible. Customers with connected alarms or business equipment should also speak to the equipment supplier to confirm compatibility and testing arrangements.
Source: theregister.com
