- Openreach is retiring the analogue PSTN through an all-IP migration the company expects to complete in 2027.
- Ofcom requires communications providers to identify and protect customers who rely on their landline, including telecare users.
- A digital voice line does not work in a power cut unless battery back-up is provided for the router.
- Telecare pendants, alarms and some medical devices may use the analogue line and need checking before migration.
- Your communications provider should contact you before moving your line and can arrange extra support if you are vulnerable.
Check whether anyone in the home relies on telecare or an alarm, tell your telecare provider and broadband provider, ask about battery back-up if you are vulnerable, then plan the move before the 2027 switch-off.
Last reviewed: June 2026
What the switch-off means for your home
Every home with a traditional landline is affected by a single national change: the copper telephone network is being switched off. Openreach is retiring the Public Switched Telephone Network and moving every line to internet protocol, an all-IP migration the company expects to complete in 2027. In practice your phone moves from the socket in the wall to the back of your broadband router, and the call travels as data rather than over the old copper circuit. For most households this is straightforward, but a few things need attention first.
The change is not something you have to organise from scratch. Your communications provider is responsible for the voice service and should contact you before moving your line. What you do need to do is think about anything connected to the line that is not an ordinary phone, and flag if anyone in the household depends on the landline for safety. This checklist works through those tasks in priority order so the most important ones are done first.
It is worth understanding why the change is happening at all. The copper PSTN is decades old, increasingly difficult to maintain and built around technology that is no longer manufactured, which makes faults slower and harder to fix as parts become scarce. Moving voice onto internet protocol puts it on the same modern, supportable infrastructure that already carries broadband. The single most important difference for a household is power. The old line carried its own current from the exchange, so a basic corded phone kept working in a power cut; a digital voice service depends on your router, which needs mains electricity, so it will go dead in an outage unless a battery back-up unit is in place. That single fact drives most of the precautions in this checklist.
Start with telecare, alarms and vulnerability
The first thing to check is whether anyone in the home relies on the landline for personal safety. Telecare pendants, fall alarms, careline buttons and some monitored medical devices have often used the analogue line to call for help. If one of these stops working when the line is migrated, the consequences can be serious, so these come before everything else. Contact the telecare or alarm provider, tell them about the switch-off, and ask whether your device is digital-ready or needs replacing.
If anyone in the home is elderly, has a disability or otherwise depends on the phone, tell your communications provider as well. Ofcom requires providers to identify and protect customers who rely on their landline, which can include arranging a battery back-up unit so the router and phone keep working during a short power cut, or providing a tested alternative for calling 999. Raising this early gives the provider time to put the right support in place before your line moves.
Telecare devices deserve particular care because many of them signal silently and only prove they have failed at the worst possible moment, when someone presses the button in an emergency. Some older units dial out over the analogue line using tones that a digital line may not carry reliably even if a dialling tone appears to be present, which is why checking with the device supplier matters more than testing the phone yourself. The telecare provider can confirm whether the unit is on a list of devices known to work on digital lines, arrange an upgrade where it is not, and in many areas test the device end to end once the line has moved. Treating the telecare check as a separate task from the broadband move, and not assuming one covers the other, is the safest approach.
PSTN switch-off consumer action plan by priority
The table sets out the actions in the order to tackle them, who to contact and the reason each one matters.
| Priority | Action | Who to contact |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check telecare or careline alarm | Telecare or alarm provider |
| 2 | Flag any vulnerable household member | Broadband and phone provider |
| 3 | Ask about router battery back-up | Broadband and phone provider |
| 4 | Check burglar alarm and other connected devices | Alarm or device installer |
| 5 | Confirm migration date and number keep | Broadband and phone provider |
Check other devices and your broadband
Once safety devices are covered, look at anything else plugged into the phone line. Monitored burglar alarms, some older fax or card machines in home offices, and a few specialist devices may use the analogue line and need checking with the installer. A standard cordless or corded phone usually just plugs into the router after migration, but if you are unsure how a particular device will behave, ask the company that supplied it rather than assuming it will carry on working.
Your broadband connection becomes the path your calls travel over, so it is worth confirming that your service can support digital voice. If you only have a landline and no broadband, your provider can explain the options for keeping a phone service after the switch-off. When the move happens, your provider should let you keep your existing number, which matters if it is widely shared, so confirm number continuity as part of the migration.
It is easy to overlook devices that quietly piggy-back on the phone line. Lift and stairlift emergency autodiallers, sheltered-housing door entry systems, some health monitors and even certain payment terminals can all signal over the analogue line, and a few sit in cupboards or risers where they are never seen day to day. Equipment that protects safety, such as a lift autodialler that must reach a monitoring centre under the BS EN 81-28 standard for remote alarm systems, should be checked with whoever maintains it well before the line moves. For ordinary household electronics the rule of thumb is simple: if a device plugs into the phone socket and you do not know how it will behave on a digital line, ask the supplier rather than waiting to discover a problem after the change.
Plan the timing and what happens next
You do not have to act on a single fixed day, but it helps to be ready before your area migrates. The all-IP migration is expected to complete in 2027, and providers move customers in phases rather than all at once. Your provider should contact you ahead of your move with a date and instructions; if you have flagged a telecare device or a vulnerable household member, the support should be arranged before that date. Keeping a note of who you contacted and what they confirmed makes it easier to follow up if anything is unclear.
If you do nothing, an ordinary phone will usually still work after migration because the provider moves the line for you. The risk is concentrated in the devices that are easy to forget: a telecare pendant, a monitored alarm or a medical device that quietly depends on the old line. Working through the priority list above, starting with safety and finishing with the routine broadband confirmation, is the surest way to reach the deadline without a connected device failing when you least expect it.
Keeping a record and knowing your rights
A short written record turns this checklist from a one-off task into something you can rely on later. Note the date you contacted each company, the name of the person you spoke to, any reference number, and exactly what they confirmed: whether a telecare device is digital-ready, whether a battery back-up unit has been arranged, and the date your line is due to move. If a provider promises support because someone in the home is vulnerable, ask for that promise in writing. This record is what lets you hold a provider to what it said, and it is invaluable if a device unexpectedly stops working after the change.
The protections around this transition sit in regulation, not in any single company's goodwill. Ofcom requires communications providers to identify and protect customers who rely on their landline, and GOV.UK publishes guidance on the switch-off and on safeguarding landline-dependent and telecare users. If you feel your provider is not taking reasonable care, you can complain to the provider first and then escalate to the relevant alternative dispute resolution scheme if the complaint is not resolved. Knowing that these obligations exist means you can ask for the right support with confidence rather than hoping it is offered.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to do before the PSTN switch-off?
Check whether anyone in the home relies on a telecare pendant or alarm, tell the telecare provider and your broadband provider, and flag any vulnerable household member so extra support can be arranged. Then check other connected devices such as monitored burglar alarms, lift autodiallers and home-office equipment, and confirm your migration date and that you can keep your number.
How do I check if my alarm system uses PSTN?
Ask the company that installed or monitors the alarm, because they can confirm how it signals to their monitoring centre and whether it uses the analogue line. If it does, they can tell you whether the unit is digital-ready or needs an upgrade before your line migrates. Do not assume an alarm will keep working without checking, as some units dial out over the line in ways a digital service may not carry reliably.
Who should I contact first about PSTN switch-off?
Contact your telecare or alarm provider first if anyone in the home depends on a careline pendant or monitored alarm, because those protect personal safety. Then contact your broadband and phone provider, especially to flag a vulnerable household member, since Ofcom requires providers to identify and protect customers who rely on their landline. Keep a note of each contact and what was confirmed.
What happens if I do nothing before the switch-off?
An ordinary phone will usually still work because the provider migrates the line for you. The real risk is to devices that quietly use the old line, such as a telecare pendant, a monitored alarm or some medical equipment, which can stop functioning when the analogue line is retired. A digital line will also go dead in a power cut without battery back-up, so checking those points in advance avoids an unexpected failure.
Where can I get help with PSTN switch-off?
Your communications provider is the main point of contact and should explain your migration and any support you need, including battery back-up if you are vulnerable. Ofcom and GOV.UK publish guidance on the switch-off and on protecting landline-dependent customers, and your telecare or alarm provider can advise on specific connected devices. If a provider is not taking reasonable care, you can complain and escalate the complaint if it is not resolved.
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