The UK phone network is closing
Every phone line in Britain goes digital on 31 January 2027.
That is about 4 months away. Openreach is retiring the analogue network and ISDN with it — so every business still on a traditional line has to move, and the ones who leave it late will be moving in a queue.
It isn't only the phones
The switch-off catches anything plugged into an analogue line. We find these in Northampton businesses every week, and they are usually the last thing anyone checks:
A free review finds them before the deadline does.
What you get instead
A phone system that runs over the internet you already pay for, with no equipment on your wall.
Keep your number
Your existing business landline number moves across with you. Nobody has to learn a new one, and your printed material stays correct.
A local 01604 number
Or add one. A Northampton number still matters to Northampton customers, wherever the calls actually ring.
Voicemail to email
Messages arrive in your inbox as audio, so they get dealt with rather than sitting on a handset nobody checks.
Menus that route calls
Press 1 for sales, 2 for accounts. Set up properly once, so callers reach the right person instead of the nearest desk.
Call recording and monitoring
For training, for disputes, and for the times somebody needs to hear exactly what was agreed.
Out of hours to mobile
Calls follow you when the office is shut, on the rules you choose rather than all of them all the time.
Works from anywhere
A handset at home behaves exactly like the one on the desk, as long as there's an internet connection.
No box on the wall
No on-site PBX to buy, house, power or maintain. The system lives in the cloud and we look after it.
VoIP questions
What is actually being switched off?
The PSTN — the analogue telephone network that has carried UK phone calls for decades — along with ISDN. From 31 January 2027 every phone line in the UK is digital, with calls carried over the internet. It is not optional and it is not only about phones: card machines, door entry systems, lift lines and alarm systems on analogue lines are all affected.
Do I need a new internet connection?
Usually not. VoIP runs over the connection you already have. We check your broadband is up to the number of concurrent calls you make before we recommend anything — and if it isn't, we'll say so rather than sell you a phone system that stutters.
Will I lose my number?
No. Your existing numbers port across. That is normally the part people worry about most and it is the most routine part of the job.
What about Microsoft Teams?
Teams can be given full phone-system features, so calls come and go through the same app your staff already have open. It suits some businesses very well and others not at all — it depends on how your people actually work, which is what the review is for.
How much does it cost?
It depends on how many users and handsets you need, so we quote rather than publish a number we'd have to caveat. Call 01604 931 212 and we'll give you a straight figure.
Find out what needs moving
A free review of your lines and what's on them, and a straight quote. No obligation.