Cader NetworksPSTN switch-off 2027 for Welsh businesses: what needs planning beyond the phone
The phone line going is the easy part. Alarm panels, lift autodiallers, card machines and legacy PBX systems that share the same copper line are where migrations actually go wrong if they are not planned. We audit what is on your line, then migrate all of it in the right order.
The phone is rarely the only thing on the line
Every UK copper phone line, including ISDN business lines, is being retired by January 2027. For a business, the phone itself is usually the least of the concerns. What else is quietly using that same line is where the planning actually needs to happen.
What's on your line, beyond the phone
Fire and intruder alarm panels that dial out to a monitoring centre, lift autodiallers, older card machines, fax lines and some EPOS systems can all be sharing the same copper connection as the office phone. We audit the site to find everything dependent on the line before touching anything.
Legacy PBX and SIP trunk migration
Where a business runs an on-premise PBX, we assess whether it can take a SIP trunk in place of ISDN or analogue lines, or whether moving to hosted VoIP outright makes more sense. Either way, existing extensions and numbers carry over.
Planning migration without disrupting trade
We stage the migration, test failover and call quality before the old line is cut, and for multi-site businesses coordinate a single schedule across every location rather than leaving each site to sort itself out.
- Full site audit: phones, alarms, lifts, card machines, fax
- SIP trunk or hosted VoIP migration for existing PBX systems
- Staged cutover with failover tested before the old line goes
- Coordinated migration schedule for multi-site businesses
- Number porting so nothing changes from the customer's side
Commonly found on a business line
- Fire and intruder alarm panels
- Lift autodiallers and care-line alarms
- Older card and PDQ payment terminals
- Legacy PBX and ISDN trunk lines
Everything else Welsh businesses need
What businesses ask about the switch-off
Does our alarm system need anything special?
Yes, usually. Fire and intruder alarm panels that dial out over the phone line (to BS 5839 and BS 8243 standards) typically need a digital communicator or an IP-based signalling path once PSTN goes. We identify anything dialling out on your line during the audit and plan the alarm side alongside the phones.
Can our existing PBX system work with VoIP?
Often, yes, with a SIP trunk replacing the ISDN or analogue lines feeding it. Some older PBX hardware cannot take a SIP trunk at all, in which case moving to hosted VoIP outright is usually simpler than trying to keep ageing hardware alive.
What about card machines and payment terminals that dial out?
Older PDQ machines that dial over a phone line need moving to an IP-connected or mobile-connected terminal before the switch-off. We flag these during the site audit rather than leaving them as a surprise near the deadline.
Can you migrate a multi-site business on one coordinated date?
Yes. For businesses with several locations we plan a single migration schedule across all sites, so numbers, alarms and phone systems move in a controlled order rather than each site being handled ad hoc.
How far in advance should we start planning?
As early as practical. Port queues and engineer availability tighten as January 2027 approaches. Businesses with alarm panels, lifts or multiple sites benefit most from starting the audit well ahead of the deadline rather than waiting.
Get your business PSTN migration planned.
Tell us what is on your line, phones, alarms, card machines, and how many sites. We will come back with a migration plan.