The Big Switch Off

[#1]

Hello All

I am a social housing tenant and vulnerable. I have a community alarm which needs the landline to work.

I have just received an email from the Co-op warning me of "The Big Switch Off" and telling me "By December 2025 almost all traditional telephone lines will be switched off".

My question is, how do I find out when my telephone line will disappear and do Plusnet plan to do anything about this in advance or should I find a more prepared provider?

Thank you.

Kevin

[#2 · Accepted solution]

I suggest you ask your community alarm provider what their plans are for the alarm when PSTN is retired. All alarm providers should have a plan, and I know many have already taken action to update their alarm systems - some now use a mobile phone network, others use broadband.

As for Plusnet's switch off - there has been no statement yet, but I expect they should give 2-3 months notice when it does happen (so the notices should start very soon).

[#3]

I am a social housing tenant and vulnerable. I have a community alarm which needs the landline to work.

I have just received an email from the Co-op warning me of "The Big Switch Off" and telling me "By December 2025 almost all traditional telephone lines will be switched off".

My question is, how do I find out when my telephone line will disappear and do Plusnet plan to do anything about this in advance or should I find a more prepared provider?
 

Hey @Kevin1342 👋

When it comes to "The Big Switch Off," our sales and retention teams have been preparing for this for some time, I am not entirely sure of how long. When customers came to renew or start an account, we only offer broadband-only services. However, for customers who still needed a landline, our teams began to offer EE broadband that includes a digital landline; however, for a digital landline, you would need to get in touch with your alarm provider to make sure it works with digital landlines.

Currently, the switch-off date for analogue landlines is set for 31st January 2027. As the date approaches, we will keep customers informed about the changes and what we can offer.

[#4]

@Marsh 

For your information OpenReach plan to terminate all WLR contracts on 31st December 2025 with only limited exceptions running through to 2027. I suspect ISP will have to apply for these individually.

https://www.openreach.co.uk/cpportal/updates/briefings/general-briefings/gen06624

The "problem" may be a lot closer than you think.

Brian

[#5]

So you keep saying @bmc , but many other sources say differently,

e.g. https://www.commsbusiness.co.uk/content/event-news/pstn-switch-off-deadline-won-t-change-says-openre....

[#6]

Interesting quote in that...

Lilley said that Openreach had already successfully transitioned 10 million customers over

I'm not sure about that !! Openreach hasn't transitioned any customers to voip, they don't provide it!

I think he means that the CPs have transitioned 10 million customers...

[#7]

@RobPN 

Until somebody shows me an OpenReach document that contradicts the one I posted then I take the 31st December 2025 termination of WLR contracts as fact.

It doesn't matter what anybody else says, it's what Openreach says that matters.

Brian

[#8]

---

@bmc wrote:

It doesn't matter what anybody else says, it's what Openreach says that matters.

---

I would say that it’s what Plusnet do in agreement with Openreach, so that the exercise is complete before the January 2027 deadline, that matters. Whenever this is, you can be sure that it will be done in a controlled manner.

[#9]

@Baldrick1 

I agree with you up to a point.

Until we hear otherwise we can only assume PN are working to the Dec 2025 date publically announced by OpenReach.

Whatever the actual date is, it does no harm for people to assume Dec 2025 and prepare accordingly so they understand what's required and are ready to move when the time comes. If the date gets pushed back beyond Dec 2025 then they are still in a position to move as required.

Brian

[#10]

@Kevin1342 

You'll receive notification of the PSTN switch off in due course (no matter when the date is). That is the time to act unless you want to be pro-active in the matter.

There are two things you should look into in the meantime.

Who provides the community alarm and what plans have they for switching to digital?

Apart from the alarm do you use the phone? Can mobile use cover things?

If you need a phone line then you'll need to arrange a VOIP service. As PN do not provide this you either need to move ISP to one who does a combined internet / voip phone service or choose an independant VOIP provider. Advice can be given on here.

Have you registered with PN as vunerable? If not, you can do so through you PN Members page.

Brian

[#11]

Hi all,

Have just looked at OR website and Gov.uk for a refreash. Neither of these make mention of the 2025 date for PSTN service withdrawl, as far as I can see, they refer only to 2027.

ISP review makes reference to a variation of contract terms between CPs and OR on 31st Dec 2025, where services can be maintained at the discretion of OR with not less than 90 days notice of withdrawl.

Almost anyones guess!

Archer

[#12]

@Archer 

Read the OR document I linked to before.

"Openreach has issued contract termination notifications to all WLR CPs with an effective date of 31 December 2025. Where assets have not been migrated and/or cancelled by 31 December 2025, BT may, at our absolute and sole discretion, allow the services and assets to remain post 31 December 2025."

Brian

[#13]

@bmc 

From  https://www.openreach.co.uk/cpportal/products/the-all-ip-programme

"The UK is preparing for a huge technological change. By 31 January 2027, the historic analogue network, used to make most phone calls from our landlines and also used for broadband, will have reached the end of its life. And a new digital phone network is taking its place."

From  https://www.openreach.co.uk/cpportal/products/the-all-ip-programme/wlr-withdrawal

"BT Group announced, on 16 May 2024, that the date for PSTN switch-off will now be 31 January 2027. As a result, we’ve decided to align our WLR withdrawal with this new date."

and 

[#14]

@RobPN 

From what I can see both documents pre date the one I linked to before.

https://www.openreach.co.uk/cpportal/updates/briefings/general-briefings/gen06624

Nothing in them suggests anything other than ISP's are working to the Dec 2025 deadline with the knowledge that with any problem lines they can extend to Jan 2027 at OR's discretion.

The general problem that seems to get people confused is there are two deadlines. The first is the termination of WLR connections in Dec 2025  with the Last Rights being administered in Jan 2027 for those lines which were granted an exception.

I stand by my comment that until we hear otherwise from OpenReach or we get notification from PN (in our case) then Dec 2025 is the deadline.

I also stand by the comment if people prepare for Dec 2025 then they are ready to move when the time comes. If they think it's Jan 2027 then they could get caught out and have to scramble to sort themselves out.

Brian

[#15]

An email from PlusNet has just landed with me.  The account is on ADSL with active 'real' copper phone.

>>

Landlines are changing, we're with you every step of the way
      
Did you know landlines are going digital across the UK?
The current landline network is becoming outdated and will be phased out by 2027, as the UK moves to a more modern, digital phone service.
     
What does this mean for you?
As part of this national upgrade, some of our older packages that rely on a traditional landline won’t be available after January 2027. This means your current broadband and phone package will no longer be supported after that time.

If you don’t use your landline and rely more on your mobile phone to stay in touch, you will need to move to a broadband only package which uses the latest technology that doesn’t need a landline connection.

Alternatively, if you need to keep your home phone, you can switch to broadband with a Digital Home Phone service.
     
We’re here to help you through this change
We’ll support you every step of the way to make the switch as simple as possible.

To learn more about the digital switchover and your options, check out our handy guide.
Find out more

<<

Misleading on a few fronts, as it fails to explicitly state PlusNet will not supply voice (so the switch will not be so simple) nor that PlusNet would be with me 'every step of the way' as they do not support voice and reported policy is to dump everyone onto ee.

However it does clearly state Jan 2027 as the date to 'change or die'.

Unfortunately the link under Find out more fails as a 502 bad gateway error so I can't report what that says

Staff to note - failed link is https://comm.plus.net/c/110Zv2l3tDHWQjAkUIfCQym1m1U4