What The PSTN Switch Off Means for Your Business (It’s a Good Thing!)

Most organisations have heard something about the PSTN switch-of but it often feels vague, distant, or like “one of those things we’ll deal with later.”

Phones still ring. Systems still work. Nothing appears broken. And that’s exactly why it’s easy to underestimate. The reality is that voice services, alarms, lifts, door entry, care systems and even parts of your internet connectivity may still rely on legacy analogue lines - quietly, invisibly, and often undocumented.

The PSTN switch-off isn’t about changing technology for the sake of it; it’s about understanding what your organisation already depends on, what risks exist beneath the surface, and making sure nothing critical fails when the old network finally disappears.

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is being switched off. This means that if you’re a business customer with any analogue lines, traditional phone lines, or broadband running over certain copper connections you will need move to fully a digital replacement service well in advance of the PSTN being switched off by 31 January 2027. 

They will stop working unless they’re upgraded / replaced with 'all IP' variants. 

For care homes and similar environments, the PSTN switch-off affects far more than just phone lines. Many services from call systems and admin platforms to IPTV, iPlayer, CCTV, Wi-Fi, and cloud tools rely on strong, modern internet connectivity.

Some sites are still unknowingly running legacy services over older analogue lines. We offer a free connectivity audit to check whether you’re fully on IP and full fibre (broadband and dedicated internet access), getting the speeds and resilience you need.

Even if you are, we may be able to add value, improve performance, or reduce costs helping your connectivity work harder for you...

Our team has worked in the BT partner channel for over 18 years. Whether you are a BT customer or not we can help.

Why is the old network being closed?

Simply put:

• It’s now outdated and less reliable

• It can’t support modern digital services as well as modern connections

• Most communication now happens over IP and data networks

The future is digital – and the infrastructure needs to match.

What does this mean for your business?

In many cases, moving away from PSTN actually brings clear benefits, including:

• More reliable connections

• Much faster speeds with full fibre 

• Better call quality using hosted / cloud voice

• Greater flexibility for remote and hybrid working

• In many cases it can mean one connection for voice, data, and cloud services

Instead of separate phone lines and broadband, everything runs over a single, future-proofed digital connection.

How Connection Worx helps

We make the transition simple and stress-free. We can can review what you have and let you know options available.

If you’re already BT customer, we can:

• Send you a BT disclosure form

• Have our back-office team check what’s in place at the moment

• Identify upgrade options available at your location

• Explain everything in plain English, no jargon, no pressure

We’ll help you understand what needs to change, when it needs to happen, and what may be best option for your business.

Let’s check your options

You don’t need to figure this out alone. Reach out to Connection Worx, and we’ll review your current setup and talk you through the best next steps to keep your business connected, compliant, and future-ready.

Checklist

Use this to sanity-check whether your phones and connectivity are “future-ready” for an all-digital voice world.

(This a quick but practical readiness check. Print it out. Tick what you know, circle what you don’t.)

A) What voice services do we rely on today?

☐ Main incoming phone number(s) and lines are documented

☐ Extension/handset count is known (approx. is fine)

☐ Any “critical voice” areas listed (reception, nurse/carer station, manager office, on-call)

☐ Out-of-hours / on-call routing is documented (who, when, how)

☐ Voicemail / call recording needs are understood (if any)

☐ Check if our voice is already cloud hosted / VoIP, or still on physical phone lines?

B) What “non-obvious” systems use phone lines?

☐ Alarm line(s) / lift line(s) identified

☐ Door entry / intercom / gate systems checked

☐ EPOS / card machines checked (if applicable)

☐ Fax / franking / legacy devices checked (if any)

☐ Telecare / pendant / monitoring services checked (if used)

☐ Any clinical/assistive tech that dials out identified

If you’re unsure on any of these: that’s normal it’s exactly why an audit helps.

C) Connectivity basics (the foundations)

☐ Primary internet connection type is known (FTTC/SoGEA/FTTP/Dedicated leased line such as BTnet)

☐ Backup connectivity exists (4G/5G, secondary line, or failover)

☐ Wi-Fi coverage is adequate in key areas (reception / offices / rooms)

☐ Router/firewall is business-grade and still supported

☐ We know who supports our internet/IT when there’s an issue

D) Resilience & safety (what happens when things go wrong?)

☐ We have a plan if the internet drops (even briefly)

☐ We know how quickly faults are typically fixed today (SLA / response times)

☐ Power resilience considered for networking/voice kit (UPS for key equipment)

☐ Staff know the “what to do if phones go down” process

☐ Emergency contact routes are understood (fallback mobiles / divert plans)

E) Decision readiness (what you need before you change anything)

☐ We can name the top 3 priorities (e.g., continuity, simplicity, cost control)

☐ We know what “good” looks like (less downtime, better call handling, resilience)

☐ We’re clear who signs off (manager / owner / finance / IT)

☐ We want a plan that minimises disruption to residents & staff

☐ We want any change staged (not just “rip and replace”)

Your next steps (choose one)

If you circled 3+ items you’re unsure about:

✅ We can do a Voice Readiness Mini-Audit (no commitment, no pressure)

Outcome: a simple “Red/Amber/Green” status + what to do next.

If most are ticked and you’re ready to act:

✅ Request a migration plan from us (options + timescales + support approach)

Get in touch, Connection Worx are here to help.