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The British Telecom ISDN switch off is happening in January 2027. Businesses must move over to alternative communication methods with plenty of time to avoid losing access to their phone systems.
* The time until 31st January 2027 when the Nationwide ISDN Switch Off Happens
With the ISDN switch off BT in full effect, we’re advising all business customers to move over to a fully digital service by December 2025.
Trusted by over 40,000 + UK businesses
The ISDN switch off means that all traditional landline phone services using ISDN or PSTN systems will be permanently withdrawn in January 2027. If your business hasn’t moved to a digital alternative like VoIP by then, you risk complete loss of phone service.
Losing these legacy phone services could disrupt customer communications, affect day-to-day operations and leave you without a working phone system until a replacement is installed.
Upgrading in advance ensures you stay connected, avoid downtime and benefit from more flexible, future-ready technology.
Act now to avoid service disruption and contact Birmingham Telecom today.
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Lee always shares valuable advice, nothing is too much trouble. This is a business that I thoroughly recommend. If anyone is thinking of changing their provider of their cell phone, land line this is the place to go to.Posted on Google![]()
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The Team at Birmingham Telecom have given us exceptional customer support with unwavering attention to detail. Their team go the extra mile to ensure every issue is resolved swiftly, minimizing business downtime and keeping operations running smoothly. The dedication and professionalism they show is truly impressive, making them our trusted and reliable partner for all of our telecom amd internet needs. We have been with them for over a decade and continue to recommend them as the only company to go to.Posted on Google![]()
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Great deal on Jabra headsets👍 Top quality products, 5 * Customer servicePosted on Google![]()
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Lee and the team are extremely helpful and we love our new phone system.
Our experienced technical engineers work closely with businesses across the Midlands to ensure a smooth BT ISDN to VoIP transition before the ISDN switch off date. We do all this while minimising disruption to your day-to-day operations.
Partnering with Birmingham Telecom, you can stay ahead of the UK’s ISDN switch off. With over 44,000 businesses supported and counting, we deliver trusted communication systems that scale with your team.
The UK’s BT ISDN line switch off is approaching, but there’s no need to worry. We make the transition to digital telecoms simple, offering reliable solutions tailored to your business. From future-ready phone systems to high-speed connectivity, we’ve got everything you need to stay connected.
With the BT ISDN line Switch Off fast approaching, businesses across the Midlands and the UK must prepare their teams for the future with a transition to digital phone lines.
Planning early will help with number porting, allowing your business to transfer its existing phone number to a cloud-based VoIP service before the 2027 UK deadline.
Stay ahead and take advantage of our free ISDN Switch Off review and we’ll make sure you have everything you need to make the transition.
Full fibre broadband is up to 5x more reliable and 25x faster than traditional copper line-based broadband used before the BT PSTN switch off.
Digital voice services like VoIP are more scalable and efficient, as well as being budget friendly.
A unified comms infrastructure using platforms like Microsoft Teams and Salesforce helps improve internal communication, especially with remote teams.
Going digital means saying goodbye to outdated, inflexible infrastructure. Scale quickly, add users or locations without fuss, and stay compatible with the latest software and services.
Both VoIP Phone Systems and Full fibre connectivity is more energy-efficient and requires less resources than PSTN lines, making for a more sustainable communication infrastructure.
BT announced that the UK ISDN Switch Off and PSTN Switch Off will take place in two phases.
The first phase involved a stop sell of new services and began on 5th September 2023. This prevented phone providers from placing PSTN single and multi-line orders, plus any order for ISDN2, ISDN30 and ADSL, FTTC and G. fast broadband products.
This stop sell prevents telephone providers from placing PSTN single line orders, PSTN multi line orders plus any order for ISDN2, ISDN30 and ADSL, FTTC and G.Fast broadband products.
When this deadline is reached you will no longer be able to :-
After the ISDN switch off January 2027 deadline, all analogue services listed above will cease to exist. As it stands, if you have failed to migrate by this date, you will likely lose your services and phone numbers.
The UK Switch off will affect business using either ISDN or PSTN technology.
Most commonly, the following services use either analogue or ISDN phone lines and need to be upgraded.
Analog telephone lines and voice calls made through PSTN or ISDN will be affected. Both businesses and residential customers will need to migrate to alternative voice services such as Voice over IP (VoIP) or digital telephony solutions.
Fax machines that rely on PSTN or ISDN connections for sending and receiving fax messages will need to be replaced or upgraded to digital alternatives.
Alarm systems that utilize PSTN or ISDN for monitoring and communication, such as burglar alarms or fire alarms, will require alternative methods of connectivity. Alarm system vendors should be contacted to explore options like cellular or internet-based monitoring.
Payment card machines that use PSTN or ISDN lines for transaction processing, such as point-of-sale (POS) terminals, may require migration to IP-based payment solutions or newer card readers that support IP connectivity or a mobile SIM.
Emergency services such as medical alert systems or emergency call points, may be affected by the PSTN switch off. If you use these services, please contact your providers as soon as possible to ensure continuity through alternative communication methods.
Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) systems that rely on PSTN or ISDN connections for real-time transactions and reporting may need to transition to IP-based or wireless solutions to maintain functionality.
Lift emergency phones that operate on PSTN or ISDN networks will require migration to alternative communication technologies, ensuring uninterrupted access to emergency services.
Telecare services that use PSTN or ISDN for remote monitoring and support for elderly or vulnerable individuals may need to switch to alternative methods such as mobile or internet-based solutions.
Conference calling systems utilizing PSTN or ISDN lines for audio conferencing may require migration to VoIP-based conferencing solutions or online meeting platforms.
Some broadcast services, such as radio station phone-ins or call-in shows, that rely on PSTN or ISDN lines for live interactions with listeners may need to transition to digital platforms or VoIP-based call-in systems.
It’s important to note that your own specific service provider may already offer alternative solutions or guidelines.
If you need any help or need advice relating to any of these services, please contact us on 0121 716 8888. It’s important to note that your own specific service provider may already offer alternative solutions or guidelines.
The ISDN switch off is happening for several reasons.
One primary reason is the advancement and widespread adoption of digital communication technologies that offer better efficiency, flexibility, as well as being more cost effective for all involved.
Additionally, maintaining and supporting outdated ISDN infrastructure has become increasingly expensive for BT Openreach which makes this transition to digital voice necessary.
The BT ISDN line switch off requires businesses to transition their ISDN phone services to alternative technologies, such as voice over internet protocol (VoIP) systems or a cloud-based telephone system.
Ultimately, businesses need to ensure compatibility, assess their needs and plan for the ISDN switch off to avoid disruption to their telephone services.
Benefits of switching include significant cost savings, increased flexibility, improved homeworking capability, enhanced features (at no additional cost) as well as overall improved call quality and a better level of service from your provider.
Although the switch off is happening in December 2026, we highly recommend that you get a head start and switch over as soon as possible.
Businesses are now unable to order new PSTN or ISDN services following the “Stop Sell” in September of 2023 and therefore this could cause severe disruption to your business.
To prepare for the ISDN switch off, we recommend taking an early, staged approach when considering your options.
Whilst most small businesses can be migrated quickly, larger projects need planning and can take time.
Evaluate your current communication infrastructure and identify how ISDN is being used in your business. Then, get advice from a service provider on how alternative technologies such as VoIP systems can help you.
The service provider will plan the transition process, assessing all hardware and software needed and making sure employee onboarding is as smooth as possible.
Some downtime is “possible” during the BT ISDN line switch off, but most of the switch overs we complete happen seamlessly, and we aim to make the changes outside of business hours.
Porting numbers from ISDN to VoIP can cause short interruptions, but this is usually minimal and most of the time now, going Digital is seamless.
Voice over Internet Protocol provides a high call quality, with advanced features like call recording, forwarding and real-time analytics.
VoIP systems make it easy for all teams to communicate, no matter where they are, and because it uses cloud-based systems, it gives more reliability than analogue lines.
ISDN systems often have higher call charges than alternative communication methods, as each phone line needs its own physical connection.
This means you’re paying per user, rather than using a system like VoIP that runs over the internet. ISDN systems also involve more wiring and hardware, which adds cost.
Emergency services and alarm systems that rely on ISDN connections will be impacted by the switch off.
Most alarm providers are already aware of the impact the ISDN switch off BT have scheduled. These companies are likely to have been working on alternative solutions to ensure the continuity of critical services.
If you think you’ll be affected, we recommend contacting the alarm system supplier to discuss your migration options and any necessary upgrades.
Yes – going digital does not mean your business has to lose its established phone number.
When you switch to us, you’ll be able to keep your same number. However, you still have the option to change numbers if you’d like to.
At Birmingham Telecom, we use number porting, which is essentially a number transfer process that we offer for every customer.
The ISDN switch off primarily impacts voice communication services rather than internet connectivity however, it is all a part of the BT switch office which will also affects analogue technology.
Any business customer that still uses ISDN for data services should immediately assess their internet connectivity options and consider upgrading to full fibre or a dedicated leased line alongside their voice migration.
In most cases, the transition from ISDN to digital voice is seamless, provided you work with a qualified supplier.
There are potential challenges you may face when migrating away from ISDN including staff training, network infrastructure and broadband dependency.
When working with a qualified partner such as Birmingham Telecom, these challenges will be minimised.
Absolutely. In fact, we strongly recommend that the sooner the transition the better.
Teams should start planning the migration in advance of the January 2027 switch off date to avoid disruption later.
Yes! We have already helped over 1,000 UK businesses with the PSTN and ISDN switch off.
Get your free PSTN switch off review and take the first step in ensuring your team is prepared for the big switch off.
If you don’t switch before the deadline of January 2027, you could lose access to your existing phone systems.
Your ISDN or Analogue phone lines and systems are likely to stop working completely, causing downtime and loss of business for your communication channels.
PSTN landlines and broadband connections often rely on PSTN, while businesses using ISDN typically use it for multiple phone lines, fax machines or alarm systems.
To determine if your business is using ISDN or PSTN, you can either check your phone bill, looking for terms like ISDN2, analogue lines or PSTN line.
You can also examine your equipment, looking for labels on devices to give an indication of what line your system runs on.
If you are not sure, please call our team on 0121 716 8888 and we will be able to give you an answer almost immediately.
In most cases, you do not need to change your phone numbers when upgrading from ISDN to digital communication systems like VoIP.
Just make sure you’re working with a supplier that supports number porting.
It’s crucial for businesses to future-proof their teams and transition to digital phone systems before the ISDN switch off. Stay ahead of the game and choose our free ISDN switch off review and we’ll make sure your transition is as hassle-free as possible.
Fill out the form below and arrange for a review of whether your existing services are be affected by the BT ISDN Switch Off.
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