There are now just 12 weeks until the UK’s copper phone network — the PSTN — is retired on 31 January 2027. If your business still has a traditional landline, ISDN line, or any equipment plugged into a phone socket, this PSTN switch-off checklist gives you a practical, week-by-week plan to get everything moved in time — and keep the phone number your customers already know.
You don’t need to be a telecoms expert. Most small businesses can complete the move in a few hours of actual work spread over a few weeks. The key is to start now, work through the list in order, and avoid leaving anything to the final fortnight — which falls straight after the Christmas and New Year break.
Where Things Stand in November 2026
The UK’s analogue phone network is in its final weeks. Openreach’s latest figures, reported at the end of October 2026, show around 1 million lines still on legacy copper — including roughly 300,000 business premises[1]. That’s down from 1.5 million in July, so migrations are moving quickly — but a large number of businesses are still cutting it fine.
Three things have changed in 2026 that make waiting a bad idea:
- Legacy lines now cost double. Openreach raised wholesale rental for legacy lines by 20% in April, 40% in July, and a final 40% in October[2] — effectively doubling the cost compared with 2025 rates[3].
- The deadline is fixed. Openreach has said plainly that “there is no extension to the deadline”[2].
- The fallback is limited. Lines that haven’t moved may be placed on a temporary service called EVAc, which has limited capacity, can’t be reserved in advance, and may not support the calling features you use today[4][5].
If you want the background on why this is happening, read our guide to the UK PSTN switch-off explained for small businesses. This article is about what to do next.
Your 12-Week PSTN Switch-Off Plan
Work through these stages in order. If you’re reading this later than early November, compress the timeline — but don’t skip a stage.
Weeks 12–11: Audit every line and device
List every phone number your business uses and every device that plugs into a phone socket. Communications providers don’t know which devices are connected to their network, so this job falls to you[7]. Use the equipment checklist below.
Weeks 11–10: Contact your provider and device suppliers
Ask your current phone provider what will happen to each of your lines, and when. Then contact the suppliers of your alarm, card terminal, door entry, and lift phone to confirm whether each one will work on a digital line. Openreach offers free compatibility testing at its test labs if you’re unsure[3].
Weeks 10–9: Choose your replacement and order it
Decide how you’ll take calls in future. For most small businesses, a virtual phone number that forwards to your mobile is the quickest and cheapest option. Order any replacement devices now — lead times will only get longer.
Weeks 9–7: Port your phone numbers
Submit a number porting request for each number you want to keep. With Virtually Local, porting is free and most ports complete within around a week. You can use a new virtual number straight away while the port goes through.
Weeks 7–5: Test everything before Christmas
Make test calls to every ported number from a mobile and a landline. Check that voicemail, out-of-hours routing, and call forwarding all behave as you expect. Have alarm and card terminal suppliers confirm their upgrades are working.
Weeks 5–3: Tidy up listings and set holiday greetings
If anything about how customers reach you has changed, update your website, Google Business Profile, and directory listings. Set a personalised greeting and time-of-day routing for your Christmas opening hours.
Weeks 2–1: Confirm and cancel
Once every number has ported and every device is confirmed working, cancel any remaining legacy line rental so you stop paying inflated prices. Keep a note of your new set-up and who to call if anything goes wrong.
A number can only be ported while it’s still active. If you cancel your old landline before the port completes, you risk losing the number altogether. Always port first, test, and cancel last.
The PSTN Equipment Checklist
Openreach lists alarm systems, CCTV, payment card terminals, door entry systems, lift emergency phones, and fire alarm monitoring among the services businesses must check before the switch-off[6]. Walk round your premises with this table and tick off each item. For more detail on each device, see our guide to how the PSTN switch-off affects alarms, card machines, and lifts.
| Item | How to check | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Main business number(s) | Look at your phone bill for every number you pay for | Port to a virtual number or VoIP service |
| Intruder & fire alarms | Ask your alarm company whether it signals over a phone line | IP or dual-path (IP + 4G) communicator |
| Card payment terminals | Check whether the terminal has a phone cable | Broadband, Wi-Fi, or mobile terminal |
| Door entry / intercom | Follow the cable from the entry panel | SIP or 4G-based entry system |
| Lift emergency phone | Ask your lift maintenance company | GSM/4G or IP lift line |
| CCTV remote monitoring | Ask your CCTV installer how footage is sent | IP-based monitoring |
| Fax / franking machines | Look for a phone cable into the back | Online fax; digital-ready franking machine |
| ISDN phone system | Check bills for ISDN2 or ISDN30 lines | Migrate to IP — unmigrated ISDN will be ceased[6] |
| ADSL broadband | Check your broadband contract or router | Fibre (FTTP) or SOGEA |
Digital lines don’t carry power the way analogue lines did, so devices may need their own battery or network back-up[7]. A virtual number forwarding to your mobile keeps working in a power cut at your premises, as long as your mobile has signal and charge.
Protect Your Phone Number
For most businesses, the phone number is the real asset — it’s on your van, your website, your invoices, and in your customers’ phones. The switch-off retires the copper network, not the number, so you can keep it as long as you port it to a digital service in time.
Porting to Virtually Local works like this:
- Get your new virtual number — it’s live immediately, so you can start taking calls on your mobile straight away.
- Complete a Letter of Authority — a short form that tells your current provider to hand the number over.
- We handle the rest — most ports complete within around a week, and calls then ring wherever you’ve set them to go.
Porting is free, there’s no contract, and you can forward calls to any UK mobile or landline. See our porting page for the details.
Questions to Ask Your Current Provider
Don’t assume your provider will sort everything out. Openreach’s own advice is: if you’re unsure, “do not assume you are safe” — contact your service provider[3]. Ask them:
-
Which of my lines are still on the PSTN or ISDN? Get a definitive list, including any lines used only by alarms or card machines.
-
When will each line be migrated or ceased? If they plan an automatic migration, get the date in writing.
-
What will the replacement cost, and is there a new contract? An automatic migration may put you on a tariff you didn’t choose.
-
Can I port my number away, and is there an exit fee? Check any notice period before you submit a port elsewhere.
Plan Around the Christmas Shutdown
The final weeks before 31 January 2027 include Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year — when many businesses, suppliers, and engineers are closed or running reduced hours. In practice, that means you have fewer working weeks than the calendar suggests.
While you’re at it, use the move to improve how you handle calls over the holidays. With a virtual number you can set a festive greeting, send calls to voicemail on bank holidays, and receive messages by voicemail to email so nothing is missed.
What If You’re Not Ready in Time?
Openreach has said that, from 31 January 2027, customers who haven’t moved may be transferred to EVAc — “a limited last-resort phone service designed to maintain access to essential calls”[4]. It is temporary, capacity is limited, and Openreach charges providers £35 a month for a basic line on it, so you’ll likely pay more for less[4].
EVAc is a safety net, not a plan. We cover it in more detail in what happens to business phone lines after 2027.
The Fastest Route for Small Businesses
If your business mainly needs customers to be able to call you, you don’t need a new phone system. A virtual number does the job of a landline — without the line.
| Legacy landline | Virtually Local virtual number | |
|---|---|---|
| Affected by the switch-off? | Yes | No — already digital |
| Monthly cost | Rising — roughly double 2025 rates[3] | From £4.95 |
| Answer on your mobile | Only with paid divert | Yes, included |
| Voicemail to email | Rarely | Yes |
| Out-of-hours routing | No | Yes |
| Contract | Often 12–24 months | Monthly rolling |
Already have a virtual number? Then the switch-off doesn’t affect it. You only need to check any other devices on your old line.
Getting Set Up Today
You can tick off the hardest part of this checklist — your phone number — in a few minutes:
- Choose a local number in your area code, or start a free port of your existing number.
- Set where calls should ring — your mobile, a colleague, or several phones at once.
- Add voicemail, greetings, and opening hours in the online portal.
For a more detailed walkthrough, see how to replace your business landline before the copper network closes.
The Bottom Line
Twelve weeks is enough time to move a small business off the PSTN calmly — but only if you start now. Audit your lines and devices, talk to your provider and suppliers, port your numbers, and test everything before the Christmas break. Cancel your old line last.
Virtually Local virtual numbers are unaffected by the PSTN switch-off, start from £4.95 per month, and go live in minutes. Porting is free and there’s no contract. Visit our PSTN switch-off page to find out more.
Sources
- ISPreview UK, 30 October 2026. Openreach warn 1 million analogue UK phone lines yet to make digital switch.
- Openreach, 31 July 2026. Openreach warns businesses: just six months left before the UK’s old phone network is switched off.
- Openreach, 5 February 2026. Time for a “big switch-up” as PSTN switch-off looms.
- Openreach, 24 September 2026. Openreach to protect broadband connections as PSTN closure approaches.
- Openreach. Switching off PSTN across the UK.
- Openreach. Switching your business to digital.
- GOV.UK (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology), last updated 28 February 2024. UK transition from analogue to digital landlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be on a PSTN switch-off checklist?
Every phone number you pay for, plus every device that uses a phone line: alarms, card payment terminals, door entry, lift emergency phones, CCTV monitoring, fax and franking machines, ISDN phone systems and ADSL broadband. For each, confirm the digital replacement and test it before 31 January 2027.
How long does it take to move a business phone line to digital?
Setting up a virtual number takes minutes, and with Virtually Local most number ports complete within around a week. Allow extra time for alarm, card terminal or lift phone upgrades, which depend on your suppliers.
Should I cancel my old landline before porting my number?
No. A number can only be ported while it is active. Port your number first, test that calls arrive, and cancel your old line last.
Is it too late to switch before 31 January 2027?
No, but time is short and the Christmas break reduces the number of working weeks. Aim to have numbers ported and devices tested by mid-December.
What happens if my business misses the deadline?
Your line may lose service or be moved to Openreach’s temporary EVAc service, which has limited capacity, costs more and may not support the calling features you use today.
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