Phone setup
PSTN Switch-Off 2027: A Checklist for Trade Businesses
If customers still reach your trade business through an analogue landline, the PSTN switch-off is a reason to check the whole enquiry route—not simply order a new handset.
What is the 2027 PSTN switch-off?
Ofcom says BT plans to retire its old landline network by 31 January 2027. It distinguishes that timetable from other network operators’ arrangements, so confirm your own service rather than assuming every UK connection changes on the same day. Read Ofcom’s switchover guidance.
Openreach’s July 2026 business update urged providers and customers to prepare. Its business guidance highlights analogue-connected equipment as well as phones. The useful next step is an inventory, not a last-minute rush to buy a package. Read the dated business update.
The move to digital voice should not be confused with removing every copper broadband connection. The service being retired, the replacement available at your address and the equipment involved need checking with your provider.
List what actually uses the line
A small plumbing or electrical firm may have one published number but several dependencies. The phone in the office is only the obvious one. Ask the relevant suppliers about alarms, older payment equipment and other connected devices rather than assuming they will work through an adaptor. Openreach’s business checklist explains the wider scope.
Download a phone-service inventory (CSV)
For each line or device, record the service provider, account owner, purpose, published number, replacement plan and test result. Keep passwords, alarm codes and payment-card details out of the sheet. Give someone responsibility for obtaining a definite answer where compatibility is uncertain.
Protect the number customers already know
Before agreeing a change, ask who owns the number, whether it can be retained, who handles any transfer and whether there will be a period of disruption. Obtain the process from the provider before cancelling the old service. A number transfer and a call-forwarding rule are separate things.
Check every place the number appears: your website, Google Business Profile if you have an eligible one, vehicle signage, invoices and saved customer contacts. Keeping it may avoid a communication problem, but do not treat a sales promise as confirmation that every feature will transfer unchanged.
If you want unanswered enquiries to go elsewhere, agree that rule as part of the plan. Our guide to keeping your number and forwarding missed calls explains the questions to ask.
Test the complete enquiry journey
Use a colleague’s ordinary phone to make normal test calls. Check the situations customers actually encounter, rather than stopping after one successful ring.
| Situation | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| You answer | The right phone rings and speech is clear in both directions. |
| You cannot answer | The agreed destination receives the call after the expected delay. |
| You are already on a call | The caller gets the agreed busy or overflow treatment. |
| The business is closed | The greeting and next-step expectations match your hours. |
| A message is left | The right person can find it and identify the callback action. |
| A provider-managed fallback is activated | The responsible people know where enquiries go and how service is restored. |
Do not make routine test calls to emergency services. Agree any specialist or safety-critical testing with the provider and device supplier.
Plan for power and broadband failures
Digital landlines depend on mains electricity and need appropriate backup to work through a power cut. Ofcom advises people with connected devices or particular reliance on a landline to discuss their needs before migration. Business resilience arrangements should be confirmed for your actual service. See Ofcom’s power-cut advice.
Ask what a broadband fault would do to incoming calls. A fallback may involve a provider feature, another connection or a mobile destination, but mobile coverage and charging still need checking. Record who can activate the fallback; a plan nobody can access during an outage is not very useful.
Common questions
Does switching to digital voice automatically organise my enquiries?
No. Phone delivery and enquiry management are different steps. You still need an owner, the customer’s context and a clear next action.
Can every alarm or payment terminal stay as it is?
Do not assume so. Ask the supplier to confirm compatibility and testing for the particular device and replacement service.
Do I need a large new phone system?
Not necessarily. Start with the lines, features and continuity arrangements your business needs. Compare suitable options with your provider before committing.