Major telecoms provider issues stark warning - 'there's no time left'

A major network infrastructure provider has warned businesses that they risk higher costs and losing their service entirely as an important deadline approaches. In 12 months' time, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) - an analogue system which has been used for more than a century and impacts all services powered by copper lines, including ISDN, and ADSL and FTTC broadband - will be switched off as providers move to more effective, modern tech.

For a long time, copper wire has been the backbone of telecommunications in the UK, embedded in hospitals, schools, and emergency services, and connected to and powering systems such as card machines and smart meters. During this time, most phone calls in the country have been handled by BT’s copper-based PSTN. But the PSTN has become outdated, and skills and parts are increasingly tricky to source, making it difficult to maintain, Openreach says. Meanwhile, digital services like Voice over IP (VoIP), where voice calls are transmitted the same way your broadband works, are seeing rapid adoption.

BT Group, Openreach’s parent company, previously announced it will retire the PSTN network by January 31 2027, and Openreach has been working to withdraw any of the products that work over it, which come under the umbrella term:Wholesale Line Rental (WLR).

Openreach says it has resolved all technical barriers to moving over to the new tech, including protections for vulnerable telecare users.

With the deadline locked, the firm has shifted its focus to urgently withdrawing legacy copper products. The company notes that there are still some 2.8million lines on the PSTN network that have yet to be migrated.

More than half a million of these are serving business premises, Openreach says.

Communications providers (known as CPs) and businesses that fail to move over to the new tech will face considerable price rises over time as part of a tiered price increase for WLR products, before losing service altogether as the aging tech is wound down.

The increases are as follows:

• April 1, 2026: Prices rise by 20%.
• July 1, 2026: Prices rise by a further 40%
• October 1, 2026: A final 40% increase, effectively doubling the rental cost of legacy lines compared to 2025 rates

Openreach previously confirmed a special pricing offer on migrations to SoGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access), the type of broadband connection that the audio for calls is carried over, instead of the old (PSTN).

The company says in some cases, it is already cheaper to be on new All-IP products than to remain on old WLR services, even before the price increases.

Openreach says many larger CPs have already migrated much of their customer base, though several smaller or specialist providers haven't managed to transition as quickly.

The company warns that firms that stay with these providers face unique risks tied to equipment failure, and it's not just phones that need to be migrated.

Critical hardware, including fire alarms, burglar alarms and payment terminals, must also be switched over. 

Openreach is urging any businesses who think they may be impacted by the PSTN phase out to take the following three steps:

1. Review your assets: Businesses should start by reviewing their connectivity estate to identify any equipment still relying on PSTN. If you are unsure, contact your service provider; do not assume you are safe.
2. Test: Testing this equipment can be done for free at Openreach’s test labs, ensuring compatibility with All-IP networks.
3. Switch: Finally, businesses should switch to a digital solution as soon as possible. Openreach is offering a range of resources to help businesses through the transition, including support for edge cases and temporary solutions if needed. Businesses still unsure how they are impacted by the switch-off should contact their service provider.

You can find more information on the Openreach website.

James Lilley, Director of All-IP at Openreach, said: "There’s no time left to stall. We’ve spent the last year ensuring telecare customers can be migrated safely through our 'Prove Telecare' service, removing the final barrier to the switch-off.

"Now, the reality is simple. The PSTN analogue network is obsolete, becoming harder to maintain and significantly more expensive to run.

"We are passing those costs on to providers who continue to sell legacy products. If your business is still on this copper service, you will start to pay a premium for a service that will be switched off in 12 months.

"Most major Communications Providers moved their customers to digital long ago. If your provider hasn't contacted you, you need to ask why."