You'll have seen the headlines: BT / Openreach are switching the PSTN copper network off by January 2027. Here's the version without the marketing.
What's actually happening
- Analogue phone lines (the ones your alarm panel, lift line and fax machine plug into) — gone.
- Old "ISDN" lines used for business voice — gone.
- Standard FTTC broadband (fibre-to-the-cabinet over copper) — mostly fine until the underlying line type retires; varies by exchange.
It's not "the internet goes off." It's "the copper-based phone service goes off."
Who needs to act now
If you have any of these you should be on a migration plan before October 2026:
- A traditional ISDN or analogue phone line for inbound calls
- A monitored alarm or lift line on a PSTN connection (these often slip the net — alarm companies are not always proactive)
- A "GSM gateway" or "PSTN failover" device anywhere on site
- Door entry or intercom systems that dial out
Who can probably ignore the panic
- Already on VoIP with us → you're done; nothing to do.
- Already on FTTP broadband with cloud phones → nothing to do.
- Single-site office with FTTC broadband and no analogue phones → check your alarm, otherwise you're fine.
What we're doing for customers
For everyone on our books we've done a copper-dependency audit; you should have an email from us with the verdict in the last 30 days. If you didn't get one, email your account manager today. We'd rather find a missed alarm line in May 2026 than December.
The realistic timeline
| Month | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Now → Oct 2026 | Order migrations; engineers' diaries fill up |
| Oct → Dec 2026 | Industry rushes; expect delays + price rises |
| Jan 2027 | Switch-off starts in earnest, regionally phased |
| Through 2027 | Anyone still on copper gets force-migrated or disconnected |
If you're on London ICT's voice service this is mostly background reading. If you're not — let's have a 15-minute call before the rush.