BT urges businesses to ditch analogue landlines ahead of 2025 deadline

March 04, 2025 11:00 AM

A generic image of a retro handset set against a bright yellow background

Businesses across the UK still reliant on analogue landlines are being urged to transition to digital networks before the end of 2025, as the country’s ageing copper telephone infrastructure nears the end of its operational life.

The call to action from BT comes following new research that suggests one in five small UK businesses (22%) still describe themselves as “analogue,” relying on traditional tools such as landlines, paper contracts, and fax machines.

Kerry Small, chief operating officer for BT Business, described the transition as essential for business continuity.

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“The UK’s analogue copper telephone network has a proud history, but it’s no longer up to the task for businesses,” Small said. “It’s simply too risky to build the economy on a shaky foundation, and we’re calling on all businesses to move before the end of 2025 – well ahead of the switch-off.”

The transition is part of an industry-wide move away from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), which is set to be fully retired by January 2027.

Lates figures from regulator Ofcom suggest growing instability in legacy networks, with incidents on the PSTN increasing by 45% in 2024.

BT is working to transition business customers off legacy analogue services by 31 December 2025.

The company warns that those failing to switch risk operational setbacks, such as businesses using PSTN-connected services, including payment machines and security alarms, could face disruptions as reliability continues to decline.

A national survey commissioned by the operator suggests that the shift towards digital tools has provided advantages to businesses. Of those that have already invested in new technologies, 80% reported gaining a competitive edge, while 79% said it had helped them reach new customers.

BT said it moved 300,000 business lines off PSTN services in 2024. New sign-ups to PSTN-based phone and broadband services are no longer available, and from the end of 2025, any remaining connections will be affected in preparation for the full network retirement in 2027.

The latest announcement follows an earlier BT call to action in January, which urged the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure providers to move away from analogue networks.

BT’s earlier warned that continued reliance on outdated systems posed significant risks, particularly as fault rates on the PSTN continued to rise.