Openreach confirms UK PSTN switch-off date for January 2027

Openreach announced that the legacy public switched telephone network service will be retired on January 31, 2027. The company stated that the deadline for switching off the legacy phone network will not be postponed. Openreach issued a warning to communications providers via a letter circulated this week regarding the upcoming switch-off. Customers still on legacy connections are at risk of disruption when these are retired. The switch-off could affect businesses and consumers alike, including those using point-of-sale terminals, fire and security alarms, and personal care alarms for elderly people.

The move is part of a wider government scheme to get the UK onto all-digital high-speed networks running on fiber-optic infrastructure. For those who still want a landline, the changeover means plugging the phone into the back of a broadband router to access a Digital Voice service. Customers without a fiber connection will likely be switched to SOTAP for Analog, where equipment is installed in the local telephone exchange. Openreach warned that commercial customers delaying migration risk significant disruption and unnecessary costs.

Openreach has been planning this move for the best part of a decade. The firm previously pushed back the deadline at least once after the government asked telecoms providers not to force vulnerable customers to switch until fixes were in place. Telecoms analyst Paolo Pescatore stated that Openreach and all providers need to coordinate a much more cohesive campaign that reaches customers directly. Openreach has a webpage with information regarding the switch-off that advises consumers to call their service provider as soon as possible.