PSTN switch-off
Everyone remembers the phones. The things that catch businesses out are the lines nobody has looked at in a decade, and some of them are safety-critical.
Why this is the risky part
If your desk phone dies you know within minutes. If a monitored alarm loses its line, or a lift emergency phone goes dead, you may not find out until the moment you need it. That is what makes this the part of the switch-off worth doing first.
Lifts must have a means of calling for help that works when someone is trapped. Almost all of them use an analogue line. Migration usually involves your lift maintenance company as well as your telecoms provider, which means two lead times, not one. Start this one first.
Critical in care homes and supported housing. The industry has developed IP and mobile-connected alternatives, and Openreach runs a specific service for proving telecare before migration. This is not a swap to do casually or at the last minute.
Monitored systems that dial a receiving centre. If the line goes, the monitoring goes with it, often without an obvious alert. Your alarm company will know whether the panel supports IP or needs replacing.
Common in flats, care settings and shared buildings, where an entry panel dials out to a phone. Frequently forgotten because it is nobody's specific responsibility.
Older terminals that dial for authorisation rather than using broadband or mobile. Newer devices are usually fine, but it is worth confirming rather than discovering on a Saturday.
Franking machines, any remaining fax line, and some CCTV backhaul still sit on analogue. Low drama individually, but each one is a line that will stop.
How to find them
Most businesses have more analogue lines than they think, because they were added over years by different people for different reasons.
We do this audit as a matter of course, because the alternative is finding out in January.
Common questions
Almost certainly. Lift emergency communication is a legal requirement and is nearly always delivered over an analogue line. It will stop working when the PSTN is withdrawn. Because the solution usually involves your lift maintenance company as well as your telecoms provider, it has the longest lead time of anything on the list and should be dealt with first.
Not if it dials out over an analogue line, which many older systems do. Some panels support IP or mobile connectivity already, some can be upgraded, and some need replacing. Your alarm company can tell you which category yours falls into, and it is worth asking now rather than later.
These need a planned migration rather than a swap. The major telecare providers have developed IP and mobile-connected alternatives, and Openreach launched a dedicated service for proving telecare connections before migration. If you run a care home or supported housing, this should be at the top of your list alongside lift lines.
Older terminals that dial for authorisation will be affected. Most modern terminals use broadband or a mobile connection and are unaffected. It takes one call to your payment provider to confirm which you have, and it is worth doing before a busy trading period rather than during one.
Start with your bill, because every line you pay for appears on it. Then walk the building looking for anything plugged into a phone socket, and ask your lift, alarm and payment providers directly. We carry out this audit for customers as standard, since the lines people forget are exactly the ones that matter.
We audit what you actually have, including the lines nobody remembers ordering, and tell you what each one needs.
