January 2027. Your phone lines are switching off.
BT is shutting down the UK's traditional phone network permanently. Every analogue phone line, every fax machine, every bit of broadband that runs through a phone socket — gone. 82% of small businesses aren't ready. You've got 10 months to sort it. Dave can help.
The PSTN switch-off in plain English.
PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network. It's the copper phone line infrastructure that's connected British businesses and homes since the 1800s. BT has confirmed it's switching the whole thing off in January 2027. Not upgrading it. Switching it off.
If your business uses any of these, you're affected:
- A landline phone that plugs into a wall socket
- A fax machine (yes, 7% of UK businesses still use them daily)
- Broadband delivered through a phone line (ADSL)
- A card payment terminal that dials out through a phone connection
- An alarm system, lift emergency phone, or CCTV that uses a phone line to report
This isn't a rumour or a maybe. Openreach (the company that maintains the physical network) has already stopped taking new PSTN orders as of September 2023. The switch-off has been rolling through exchanges across the country since 2025. Come January 2027, the network goes dark.
It's not just your phones.
Most business owners hear "phone line switch-off" and think about their desk phones. Fair enough. But the PSTN runs deeper than that.
The thing that catches people out? Their broadband. If your internet comes through a phone line (ADSL), that connection dies with the PSTN. You'll need to move to full fibre or a dedicated business connection. If you haven't checked, now's the time — because the January 2027 deadline doesn't come with a grace period.
Then there's the invisible stuff. The alarm system that calls the monitoring centre when someone breaks in at 3am. The lift emergency phone that connects to a response team. The card machine in the corner of the shop that dials out to process payments. All of these rely on PSTN infrastructure, and all of them will stop working.
A Bristol retail business Dave spoke to last month had no idea their fire alarm reporting ran through a PSTN line. They'd been told by their alarm company "everything's fine." It wasn't. That's the kind of gap that doesn't show up until the line goes dead.
/The numbers
Worse than you'd expect.
The uncomfortable truth? Most businesses have heard about the switch-off. They just haven't done anything about it yet. It sounds like a telecoms problem, so it goes on the "someone else will sort that" pile. But "someone else" isn't sorting it. And January 2027 isn't moving.
If you're not sure whether your business is affected, you almost certainly are. Over 80% of UK SMBs still have at least one service running on the old copper network. That's not a scare statistic. It's an Ofcom finding from their 2024 Connected Nations report.
0%
Of UK small businesses haven't started preparing for the PSTN switch-off
0M+
Business phone lines still on the old network
0%
Of UK businesses still use fax machines daily — all need migrating
0
The deadline. It's not moving.
Getting you sorted before the deadline.
Dave's approach is three steps. He audits what you've got, tells you what needs to change, and handles the migration. No jargon-heavy proposals. No "digital transformation" waffle. Just a clear plan.
Telecoms audit
Dave reviews every phone line, broadband connection, and PSTN-dependent device in your business. The alarm system, the card machine, the fax nobody uses but nobody's cancelled — all of it. He'll tell you exactly what's affected and what isn't.
Migration plan
Based on the audit, Dave recommends the right replacement for each service. Your desk phones move to VoIP (internet-based calling — same phone number, better features, usually cheaper). Your broadband moves to full fibre or a dedicated leased line. Your alarm and security systems get updated to IP-based reporting.
Managed switchover
Dave handles the migration. He coordinates with Openreach, your alarm company, your broadband provider — whoever needs to be involved. You don't chase three different suppliers trying to align installation dates. Dave does.
The goal is for your business to wake up one morning on new telecoms infrastructure and barely notice the difference. Except the phone bill's usually lower. Dave's already migrated businesses across Bristol — the ones who left it late were fine, but the ones who started early had more options and better deals on fibre installation.
Telecoms that actually work for your business.
The PSTN deadline is the catalyst, but Dave's telecoms service doesn't end in January 2027. Once you're migrated, you've got a modern communications setup — and that opens up options your old phone lines never offered.
VoIP phone systems
Cloud-based phone systems that work from anywhere. Your office number rings on your mobile when you're out. Calls transfer between team members without putting anyone on hold for 4 minutes. Voicemails arrive as emails. And the whole thing costs less than your current BT line rental — typically £8–15 per user per month versus £25+ for a traditional line.
Business broadband
Not all broadband is equal. Dave sources business-grade connections with guaranteed speeds and priority fault repair (typically 6-hour fix vs 3-day residential response). If your current broadband drops out every time it rains — and you'd be surprised how often that's literally the cause — there are better options.
Ongoing telecoms support
Your phone system is part of your IT infrastructure now. That's how the modern world works. Dave manages it alongside your IT support, so when something goes wrong with your phones, you call the same person you'd call about your laptop. One number. One relationship. Sorted.
The businesses that start early get better deals.
Book a 30-minute telecoms review with Dave. He'll assess what you've got, tell you what's affected by the switch-off, and give you a clear plan. No commitment. No hard sell. Just honest advice from someone who's already migrated businesses across Bristol and knows where the hidden dependencies are (it's almost always the alarm system).
If you're not sure whether you're affected, the quickest way to find out is a conversation. And if it turns out you're already sorted? Dave will tell you that too.