Picture a hotel manager being asked for a list of the building's phone lines. The reception desk comes to mind. Perhaps the office upstairs. The little panel inside the lift probably doesn't.
Yet that panel may have its own way of calling for help. Elsewhere in the same building, a fire or intruder alarm, door-entry system or payment terminal may still depend on a traditional telephone line. In a care setting, the list could include equipment whose connection matters to someone's safety.
That is the less visible side of the UK's move to digital calling. The important question is not simply, “Have we upgraded the phones?” It is, “What else is using the line?”
What is changing in January 2027?
Openreach plans to retire the Public Switched Telephone Network, or PSTN, on 31 January 2027. This is the old network that carries traditional analogue phone services. Calls on replacement services usually travel through a digital connection instead. Openreach estimated in July 2026 that around 350,000 business premises were still connected to its legacy network. Openreach's switch-off guide and business update set out the timetable.
There is an important distinction here: retiring the PSTN does not mean that every copper cable or every broadband service stops working on that date. Nor does one date describe every provider's arrangements. The practical step is to ask your communications provider which of your services are affected and when they will change. Government guidance makes this distinction clear.
For most everyday calls, the move can be straightforward. The complication is that a line might belong, operationally, to someone other than the person who manages the office phones.
Follow the line, not the organisation chart
A facilities contractor may look after the lift. A separate company may maintain the alarm. The card terminal may belong to a payment provider. The telephone bill may sit with finance. Each sees one piece of the system; no one may hold the whole picture.
Openreach lists lift phones, alarms, CCTV, payment terminals, telecare and door-entry systems among the devices to check. That does not mean every such device uses an analogue line. Many already use digital or mobile connections. It means the label on the device cannot tell you how it communicates. GOV.UK also advises checking with the equipment supplier or service provider.
Think of this as a small piece of detective work. Look at line bills, service contracts, installation records and the physical equipment. Ask each supplier what the device uses now, what will change, and who will confirm that it works afterwards. Do not disconnect a line because nobody recognises its number.
Five questions for a useful site walkaround
- Which devices can place or receive a call without a person picking up a handset?
Start with lift emergency communication, alarms, door entry, payment equipment and any health or care devices.
- What connection does each device actually use?
Ask the maintainer or manufacturer to confirm the current route. A familiar-looking phone socket is a clue, not proof.
- Who owns the next step?
Record a named person for the telecoms service, the device, the receiving or monitoring centre, and the final test.
- What happens if the power or broadband fails?
Digital voice equipment generally needs local power. A replacement should be assessed as a complete path: device, power supply, network or mobile signal, and the place that receives the call.
- How will you prove the change worked?
Agree a supervised test with the relevant supplier or monitoring centre, then keep the result with the site records. For a safety-related system, do not improvise a test by pressing an emergency button during normal operation.
The last question matters because “the new box has been installed” is not the same as “the right person receives the right alert”. The test should cover the real journey of the call or signal and any relevant failure conditions, as specified by the specialist responsible for that system.
A connection is only as resilient as its weakest link
An old corded telephone could often draw power from the analogue line. A digital phone normally depends on equipment at the premises that needs electricity. Ofcom's consumer guidance and GOV.UK both explain why power cuts need thought during migration.
For a business, that thought needs to extend beyond a desk phone. A battery on a router is of little help if the device, network switch or monitoring equipment elsewhere in the building loses power first. A mobile alternative needs dependable signal where the device is installed, not merely outside the front door. The right arrangement depends on the system and the site; the equipment specialist and communications provider should agree it together.
This is especially important where a service supports people who may need help. The switchover is a prompt for a careful conversation, not a reason to rush an untested replacement. If telecare or another lifeline device is involved, tell both the line provider and the device provider before any change. Ofcom advises this explicitly.
The best outcome is quite ordinary: a short, accurate list of critical connections; a named owner for each; a plan agreed with the right suppliers; and evidence that the changed service works. It may reveal that some devices were already ready. It may uncover one forgotten line that needs attention. Either finding is useful.
The lift panel is a good reminder of why this matters. Most days, nobody notices it. On the day somebody needs it, everybody would want to know that the call gets through.
Phone Guys can help you map the communications and connectivity side of that picture and coordinate with your equipment specialists. If you are unsure what a line serves, tell the Phone Guys Concierge the kind of equipment involved or call 03300 557 595. Keep line numbers, bills and equipment labels out of the public Concierge conversation; a colleague can arrange an appropriate private route if those details are needed.