Around 300,000 business premises still rely on copper phone lines. With the UK landline switch-off approaching, companies need to check their phones, payment systems, alarms and other connected equipment.
The UK’s traditional landline network is due to close on 31 January 2027. For small businesses, the change involves more than replacing an old office telephone.
Around one million copper-based lines were still active across the UK at the end of October 2026. About 300,000 of these served business premises, according to Openreach. The company warned that many remaining connections are among the hardest to move because they support equipment beyond ordinary phone calls.
Businesses that leave the checks until the last minute could face disrupted services, unexpected equipment costs and higher charges for keeping older lines.
What Is the UK Landline Switch-Off?
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is the traditional telephone system that carries calls over copper lines. It has supported UK landline calls for decades, but the network is now being retired.
The replacement is digital voice technology. Instead of relying on the old telephone network, calls travel over an internet connection through services such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
The change also affects older services such as ISDN. Businesses using these connections will need to move to suitable digital alternatives before the relevant services are withdrawn.
The switch-off is an industry-led programme, rather than a government requirement to buy a particular phone package. The deadline was previously set for December 2025 but was moved to 31 January 2027 to give providers more time to prepare customers, including people who depend on telecare equipment.
Openreach’s latest figures show how quickly the remaining lines have been falling. It reported around 1.5 million lines in July 2026, about 1.2 million in September and approximately one million at the end of October.
That reduction is significant, but the remaining connections include complex business systems that may need testing or replacement before they can move.
Which Business Equipment Could Stop Working?
An ordinary telephone is only one possible connection to the old network. Many businesses have equipment that uses a phone line without anyone regularly checking it.
Openreach has identified several types of equipment that may still depend on copper connections, including:
- Card payment terminals and cash-handling systems: Older equipment may use a traditional telephone connection to process payments.
- Fire and intruder alarms: Some systems use phone lines to send alerts to monitoring centres.
- Lift emergency phones: Emergency communication equipment may depend on an analogue line.
- Door entry systems and automated gates: Older access controls may use copper connections to communicate.
- CCTV and remote monitoring: Some systems send information through older telephone connections.
- Industrial monitoring equipment: Certain sites use legacy lines to monitor machinery, buildings and energy systems.
- Fax and franking machines: Older office equipment may need an alternative connection or replacement.
The risk is not limited to equipment that looks old. A business may have a modern alarm panel connected to an older communication device or a payment terminal that still uses a telephone socket.
Openreach warns that some of the remaining business connections need more detailed checks, particularly where several suppliers or sites are involved.
What Happens If a Business Does Not Switch in Time?
Openreach says customers who have not moved to a digital service by the deadline may be transferred to Emergency Voice Access (EVAc).
EVAc is a temporary, limited phone service designed to maintain access to essential voice calls after the traditional network closes. It is a last-resort measure, not a full replacement for a normal business phone service.
The protection can apply to eligible residential and business customers. Openreach has also said it will preserve linked broadband connections where technically possible.
However, businesses should not assume that this arrangement will keep all their services running. EVAc is not a substitute for a complete digital phone system, and it does not guarantee that connected equipment such as alarms, payment terminals or access controls will continue working.
Openreach has confirmed wholesale monthly charges of £35 for EVAc on WLR3 Basic and £38.60 on WLR Premium. These are charges to communications providers, not necessarily the final prices a business customer will pay. The service is also intended to be temporary.
The safest option is to arrange a proper migration with your provider rather than rely on the fallback service.
Staying on an Old Line Is Becoming More Expensive
There is also a financial reason to act before the deadline.
Openreach increased rental prices for its Wholesale Line Rental products in stages during 2026. The final increase took effect on 1 October, bringing the basic rental price to twice its 2025 level. The company has also announced further price increases from February 2027.
These charges apply within the wholesale telecoms market, so the amount a business pays depends on its provider and contract. However, the changes make it more expensive for providers to maintain older services.
Openreach has also introduced migration offers to encourage providers to move customers to digital alternatives. Businesses should ask their provider whether any connection discounts or installation support are available.
Six Steps Businesses Should Take Now
The best way to prepare is to check every connection before agreeing to a migration date. These are the main steps to follow.
1. Contact your phone provider
Ask whether your business is still using a traditional copper line. Request a migration plan in writing and confirm the date, replacement service, installation requirements and any extra charges.
Do not assume that your provider knows about every device connected to your premises.
2. Check every phone-line connection
Walk through your premises and identify anything connected to a telephone socket or old communication line. Include alarms, payment terminals, lifts, gates, CCTV, fax machines and monitoring equipment.
If you operate several locations, repeat the check at each site. Keep a record of the equipment and the supplier responsible for maintaining it.
3. Speak to equipment suppliers
Contact the companies that installed or maintain your alarms, payment terminals, lifts and access systems.
Ask whether the equipment will work with the proposed digital service. If it needs an adapter, replacement or separate connection, arrange this before the migration.
Do not assume that an ordinary phone adapter will make every device compatible. Safety and monitoring equipment may need specialist testing.
4. Check your broadband and power arrangements
Digital phone services normally depend on broadband and electricity. If either connection fails, your phone service may stop working unless you have suitable backup arrangements.
Ofcom requires providers to protect access to emergency services during power cuts. Customers who depend on a landline and have no working mobile phone or reliable mobile signal must be offered a free backup solution lasting at least one hour.
That protection is for emergency calls. It does not mean your entire business phone system, internet connection or connected equipment will keep running.
Businesses that cannot afford an interruption should consider battery backup, a mobile fallback and a separate resilience plan for important systems.
5. Confirm your business number and call handling
In many cases, businesses can keep their existing telephone number when moving to digital services. Confirm this with your provider before the change.
Also check how calls will be handled if your business has several departments, staff working remotely or a shared reception number. A digital service may offer useful features, but you need to understand what is included in the package.
6. Test everything after installation
Once the new service is installed, make test calls and check the equipment connected to it.
Ask suppliers to confirm that alarms can still contact their monitoring centres, payment systems can process transactions and emergency phones work correctly.
Keep written confirmation of the tests and any outstanding work. This gives you a record if a problem appears later.
Why Small Businesses Should Not Leave It Until January
The biggest risk is not necessarily a nationwide phone failure on one particular morning. It is an individual business discovering that an important piece of equipment still depends on a connection that is being withdrawn.
A shop could lose an older payment connection. An office might find that its alarm cannot contact a monitoring centre. A commercial building could have problems with lift emergency phones or access controls.
These issues can take longer to resolve than changing an ordinary telephone. Equipment suppliers may need to inspect the system, arrange replacement parts or test a new connection.
Openreach has warned that the remaining migrations are often more complicated than the straightforward line changes already completed. That makes early planning especially important.
For small businesses, the practical message is simple: identify every device using the old network, speak to the people who maintain it and agree a migration plan with your provider.
Where to Get Help
Businesses can start with their existing telephone or broadband provider. They should also contact the suppliers responsible for alarms, payment terminals, lifts and other connected equipment.
Openreach publishes information about the switch-off and the services available to communications providers. Ofcom also explains what customers should expect from providers, particularly around emergency calls and power-cut protection.
Useful resources include:
- Openreach’s PSTN switch-off guidance.
- Openreach’s business migration information.
- Ofcom’s guidance on digital landlines and power cuts.
- The UK Government’s PSTN Charter, which sets out commitments made by communications providers to protect vulnerable customers.
The Bottom Line
The UK’s old telephone network is due to close on 31 January 2027. Around 300,000 business premises were still using copper-based lines at the end of October, and some of the remaining connections support equipment that businesses rely on every day.
Replacing an office phone may be straightforward. Checking alarms, payment terminals, lifts and other connected systems can take much longer.
Businesses should not wait for the final weeks. Contact your provider, check every connection and test the replacement service before the old network closes.
This article is for general information only and is not technical or legal advice. The compatibility of equipment and migration arrangements depend on the provider, system and premises. Businesses should confirm requirements with their telecoms provider and equipment suppliers.
