By 31 January 2027, Openreach will permanently switch off the UK’s old analogue phone network (PSTN and ISDN). If your business still uses a traditional phone line, you’ll need to move to a digital (VoIP) system before then — and it isn’t just phone calls affected. Alarms, card machines, fax lines and CCTV that rely on the same network could stop working too.
Ocean Telecom has been guiding Shropshire and North Wales businesses through phone system migrations for over 27 years. We’ll help you move before the deadline, with no disruption and no surprises.
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) are the old copper-wire networks that have carried UK phone calls for decades. Openreach is retiring both networks completely by 31 January 2027, replacing them with fully digital, internet-based technology — VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
This isn’t optional, and it isn’t happening all at once. Many telephone exchanges have already stopped selling new PSTN and ISDN lines, and some areas are being migrated ahead of the final deadline. If your business hasn’t planned its move yet, now is the time.
What's Affected & How We Help
Every business on a traditional line needs to move to VoIP before the January 2027 deadline. We assess your current setup, recommend the right system for how your business actually works, and manage the whole migration — including porting your existing number across with no downtime and no disruption to live calls.
VoIP relies on a stable internet connection, so your broadband needs to be ready too. We check your current connection, recommend upgrades where needed (including full-fibre FTTP or SoGEA), and can build in automatic failover to mobile or a backup line, so you never lose calls if your main connection drops.
Many businesses don’t realise how many devices rely on the same copper network as their phone line. We audit every connected device across your premises — alarms, PDQ machines, fax lines, lift phones, CCTV — and make sure each one has a compatible digital replacement in place before the switch-off affects it.
If you operate across more than one site or run multiple lines for different departments, we plan the migration across your whole business at once — as part of our wider managed IT support for multi-site businesses. So nothing gets missed, and every location moves in a coordinated way.
We offer two core routes, both on 30-day rolling contracts.
Move your existing number and phone system to VoIP before the deadline — the minimum you need to stay compliant and connected.
Everything in Phone Line Migration, plus a complete audit and upgrade plan for every device on your premises that relies on the old network.
Saving you money
We assess what you actually need before recommending anything — no oversized system, no paying for capacity you won't use.
Backed by experts
Our team has managed hundreds of phone and connectivity migrations across Shropshire and North Wales.
No missed deadlines
We plan your migration with time to spare — not a last-minute scramble before January 2027.
Before we recommend anything, we assess your current lines and connected devices properly. We’ll tell you exactly what needs to move before 2027 and what doesn’t — we won’t sell you a system bigger than your business needs.
When you work with Ocean Telecom, you get network engineers, telecoms specialists and cybersecurity professionals — not a single generalist — for a fixed monthly cost.
Every package runs on a 30-day rolling contract. Many of our clients have been with us for over a decade.
Founded in 1999, Ocean Telecom has supported businesses across Shropshire, North Wales, and beyond for over 27 years — including guiding clients through every major technology shift in that time, from ISDN’s original rollout to this switch-off.
Openreach will complete the switch-off by 31 January 2027, though many exchange areas are being migrated earlier as part of a phased rollout that began in 2023.
No. We port your existing number across to your new VoIP system as part of the migration, with no downtime to live calls.
Any device connected via a traditional phone line needs a digital replacement before the switch-off. We audit these as part of our Full Migration package, so nothing gets missed.
VoIP needs a stable internet connection. We check your current broadband and recommend an upgrade if needed — most businesses find their existing connection is already sufficient.
Most migrations complete within a few weeks of your order being confirmed, and we plan the changeover to avoid any disruption to your day-to-day operations.
