The UK's traditional analogue phone network (PSTN) and ISDN reach end of life on 31 January 2027. New PSTN lines have been off sale since 5 September 2023, and our blog on PSTN switch-off dates explains the full timeline. Government guidance on moving landlines to digital technologies lists fire and other alarms, lifts, intercoms, payment terminals and broadband among the business equipment that can rely on the PSTN. It also notes that communications providers are advising all business customers to migrate at the earliest opportunity.
If you run a flexible workspace, serviced offices or coworking space, or you own and manage commercial property, the switch-off reaches well beyond your phone system. A lot of the copper still in use sits in the building itself, in lifts, alarm panels, door entry systems and shared reception areas. These systems usually sit with you as the operator or landlord, so they belong at the top of your plan.
You've still got time to plan the move on your own terms. In this blog, we look at the building systems to check, how to prioritise them across your portfolio, and how the switch-off can help you create better-connected, future-ready buildings for your members and occupiers.
Why the switch-off matters to flexible workspace operators
Your members and occupiers expect WiFi, phones, door entry and meeting rooms to work from the day they move in. Your building teams rely on lifts, alarms and access control running quietly in the background. As we explain in the PSTN switch-off is more than just telephones, any device that uses an analogue line needs checking, and in a multi-occupier building that list can be longer than you'd expect.
Planning early helps you:
- Protect the tenant experience with reliable, always-on connectivity.
- Keep life-safety systems and building operations running throughout the migration.
- Budget for upgrades in advance, instead of paying for emergency remediation.
- Schedule work around your members and occupiers, so their day carries on as normal.
Building systems to check
Start with the systems that live in the building fabric and shared spaces. These are the ones most likely to be missed in an occupier-by-occupier review.
| Building system | Why it matters to you | Recommended action |
| Lift emergency phones | Older lifts often use an analogue auto dialler that needs a dial tone to call for help | Test each lift's emergency communication with your lift maintenance provider and plan a digital alternative |
| Fire and life-safety signalling | Signalling to an alarm receiving centre can use the PSTN as one of its paths | Confirm the signalling path with your alarm provider and upgrade before the line moves |
| Security and intruder alarms | Monitored alarms can dial out over a copper line | Include every monitored panel in your audit, including plant rooms and car parks |
| Access control and door entry | Older systems can use dial-up connections for remote monitoring and management | Audit door entry across the portfolio, including entrances outside occupier spaces |
| CCTV monitoring | Remote monitoring can run over analogue lines or ADSL broadband | Check how each site sends footage and alerts, and move it to a digital connection |
| Building management systems (BMS) | Some BMS use a modem on a copper line for remote access and alerts | Ask your BMS provider how each system connects, and plan the move with them |
| Legacy broadband | ADSL and PSTN-based FTTC also reach end of life on 31 January 2027 | Upgrade to full fibre, SoGEA or a leased line |
| Tenant telephony and payment terminals | Reception phones, café tills and occupier lines can all rely on the PSTN | Move to a cloud phone system and digital-ready payment terminals |
Lines can also move to digital during an unrelated engineering visit. When you audit every line now, you decide when and how each system moves, and you can test it straight afterwards. If your portfolio includes residential blocks or supported housing, our guide for housing organisations preparing for the PSTN switch-off covers telecare and warden call systems.
How to plan your migration across a portfolio
A clear, building-by-building plan keeps the work manageable and gives your teams and occupiers plenty of notice.
- Audit every line, covering building services and shared areas as well as the lines your members and occupiers use. Our PSTN switch-off step-by-step planning tool can help you structure it.
- Put life-safety and security systems, such as lift phones and fire alarm signalling, first in the queue.
- Check your leases and maintenance contracts so everyone knows who's responsible for what.
- Give each building a migration date and an owner. You can move sites at different times, as long as each one has a clear plan.
- Agree a test with each provider so you know your lifts, alarms and door entry work on the new connection.
Responsibility varies from lease to lease, but this is how it usually splits in a flexible or multi-occupier building.
| System | Usually looked after by | What to check |
| Lifts, fire alarm signalling, door entry and BMS | Landlord or building operator | Maintenance contracts and who holds each line |
| Shared-area CCTV, reception phones and payment terminals | Landlord or building operator | Which lines serve shared spaces and amenities |
| Phones, broadband and devices inside a leased space | Occupier | Lease terms and any services you provide as part of a flexible package |
| Services in serviced or managed offices | Operator, as part of the package | Every line you supply to members, including meeting rooms |
Use the switch-off to create future-ready buildings
Every building you migrate is a chance to improve the experience for the people who use it. A building with modern, tested infrastructure is easier to market to occupiers and their agents, and our blog on helping landlords attract occupiers looks at why connectivity matters so much in letting decisions.
While the work is under way, it's worth looking at the wider upgrades you could bring in at the same time.
| Upgrade | What it gives you and your occupiers |
| Full-fibre connectivity | Fast, reliable full fibre or dedicated leased lines that replace legacy copper broadband |
| Managed WiFi | High-density managed LAN and WiFi that members can use from day one, monitored and supported for you |
| Cloud communications | Hosted phone systems and Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams for receptions and occupiers |
| Smart building and IoT services | IoT connectivity for sensors and connected devices, giving you better insight into how your spaces are used |
| Integrated building management | A single view of connectivity and WiFi across your portfolio through our Gateway platform |
Our blogs on solving IT challenges in hybrid workspaces and the tech essentials every managed office operator needs cover these areas in more detail.
How we help workspace operators and landlords
Wavenet Connected has supported commercial landlords and building operators for more than 15 years, across over 7 million sq ft of office space. We work with landlords and operators including Workspace, Landsec, British Land and Sohoworks, and we can support your PSTN migration from the first audit to the final test.
We can help you with:
- Estate-wide PSTN audits and building readiness assessments.
- Discovering the critical services that rely on analogue lines.
- Migration planning and project delivery, building by building.
- Multi-site connectivity programmes.
- Managed network and communications services, through a fully managed, hybrid or self-service model.
- Smart building enablement.
For lift lines, alarms and door entry, we design resilient connectivity for each site, often using 4G or 5G connectivity alongside your existing signalling equipment. You'll find all our digital alternatives on our PSTN replacement services page and everything else in one place on our PSTN switch-off hub.
Your PSTN readiness checklist
Work through this list before your next technology review, or before you speak to us.
- Name the person responsible for auditing PSTN-dependent building systems across every asset you own or operate.
- List every lift, alarm panel, door entry system, CCTV system and BMS that might use a copper line.
- Check which broadband services in your buildings use ADSL or PSTN-based FTTC.
- Confirm who's responsible for each system in your leases and maintenance contracts.
- Set a date to finish your audit well ahead of 31 January 2027.
- Decide, building by building, whether a fully managed, hybrid or self-service model fits best.
Book a free building connectivity and PSTN readiness assessment
We'll give you a tailored review of your portfolio, covering:
- The buildings affected by the switch-off.
- The critical analogue services at risk in each one.
- Opportunities to modernise your connectivity.
- A recommended migration roadmap.
- Indicative timelines and investment.
Call us on 0333 234 0011 or contact us to book your assessment.
Frequently asked questions
When is the PSTN switch-off?
The PSTN and ISDN reach end of life on 31 January 2027. New PSTN lines have been off sale since 5 September 2023, so it's best to plan your buildings' migration as early as you can.
Which building systems does the PSTN switch-off affect?
Any system that uses an analogue line. In commercial and flexible workspace buildings, that often includes lift emergency phones, fire and intruder alarm signalling, access control and door entry, CCTV monitoring, building management systems, payment terminals and legacy broadband. Government guidance lists alarms, lifts, intercoms, payment terminals and broadband among the business devices to check.
Who's responsible for PSTN-dependent systems in a flexible or multi-occupier building?
Systems in shared areas and the building fabric, such as lifts, alarm signalling and door entry, usually sit with the landlord or building operator. In serviced and managed offices, the operator usually looks after the services it supplies to members too. Occupiers typically look after the lines and devices in their own space. Check your leases and maintenance contracts to confirm who's responsible for each system.
Will lift emergency phones work after the switch-off?
Lift phones that rely on an analogue line need a digital alternative before the line moves. Your lift maintenance provider can confirm how each lift connects, and we can design resilient connectivity, such as 4G or 5G, to support the new set-up.
What happens to broadband in my buildings?
ADSL and PSTN-based FTTC broadband reach end of life on 31 January 2027, alongside the PSTN. Full fibre, SoGEA and leased lines give you a digital replacement, and moving now gives your occupiers faster, more reliable connectivity.
Can I migrate my buildings at different times?
Yes. A building-by-building plan lets you start with the sites that have the most critical systems and schedule the rest around your occupiers, as long as every building moves before 31 January 2027.
What's included in the free building connectivity and PSTN readiness assessment?
We review which of your buildings are affected, the critical analogue services at risk, opportunities to modernise your connectivity, a recommended migration roadmap, and indicative timelines and investment.
