What is the 2027 PSTN switch off?

What is the 2027 PSTN switch off? Your practical guide to digital broadband and phone options

In January 2027, the UK's legacy copper network, known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), will be permanently retired.

This historic milestone is an industry-wide change that completely alters how we stay connected. It isn’t just about landline handsets; it is a total overhaul of how internet services are delivered. If your property currently relies on old copper wires for your home phone, your broadband, or a bundle of both (like many do in rural communities), you will need to act to avoid losing service.

We believe that broadband shouldn't be confusing, and big changes shouldn't be daunting. Here is a clear, honest guide to exactly what is happening, how it impacts your daily routines, and your best options moving forward.

When does the PSTN copper switch-off start? The telecom industry has set a firm, final deadline of 31st January 2027 to completely decommission the legacy copper network.

The transition is happening in waves right now. A national "stop sell" policy is already active across hundreds of local telephone exchanges. This means that if you try to renew an old contract, change your internet package, or sign up as a new customer in an area where full fibre is available, you will no longer be offered traditional copper-based phone or internet products.

In some cases, rural communities have been told by big broadband companies like Sky that they won’t be providing an alternative once the PSTN switch off occurs.

Your local exchange could face a copper freeze much sooner than the final national deadline, meaning the time to plan your upgrade is now; and rural broadband companies like Wessex Internet are equipped to help deal with that transition.

Impact on services: What is actually shutting down?

The PSTN switch off affects the two vital pillars of daily rural life: your internet connection and your voice landline.

1. The impact on broadband

If you aren't completely sure how your internet is delivered, it’s worth checking your bill. If you already have a true "Full Fibre" connection, you are completely safe. But if you rely on one of these legacy services, your broadband will cease to exist after the switch-off: ADSL: This is the oldest form of broadband, where internet data travels entirely over traditional, thin copper telephone wires from the local exchange straight into your property. FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet): Many big national providers market this simply as "Fibre," but it is actually only part-fibre. While fibre cables run to the green cabinet on your street, the final leg of the journey, from that cabinet over to your front door, still relies on ancient copper wires. Because those final wires are being retired, part-fibre FTTC services will be completely turned off.

2. The impact on phone services

The old analogue landline network is part of the PSTN switch off, meaning traditional landline phones that plug directly into the wall will stop working. These home phones will move over to digital systems that run directly through your broadband connection. At Wessex Internet, our version of this internet home phone is called Wessex Telephone and uses the power of your full fibre connection to keep you connected, replacing the decaying copper wires for good.

Protecting vulnerable rural residents

For vulnerable residents with devices that rely on traditional phone lines in rural South England, the PSTN switch off can seem scary. You want to be clear on your options, and ensure your devices keep running, with no interruption.

It’s essential that before the copper landlines are retired, you identify any hardware that currently uses an analogue line to run, such as:

• Telecare and pendant alarms (particularly life-critical personal emergency buttons)
• Security systems and intruder alarms linked to monitoring centres
• Emergency call equipment and lift phones
• Other legacy devices connected to analogue phone services

Important Safety Note: If you or anyone in your household relies on a healthcare pendant or an emergency alarm system, you must contact your equipment provider before switching your phone line. They can advise you if your device is compatible with a digital network or if it needs upgrading to a modern cellular (SIM-based) or IP-compatible alternative. If you’re unsure, or need any more information, Wessex Internet is here to help and can advise you on whether our services can support your devices. Give us a call on 0333 240 7997.

What are your alternative options?

When the copper wires go dark, you will need a fully digital alternative to handle your internet and telephone needs. Depending on exactly where your home or business sits in our beautiful region, you generally have two primary options:

1. Full Fibre (FTTP - Fibre to the Premises)

Full fibre broadband to the premises is a direct replacement for the old copper grid. Instead of relying on metal wires that are prone to rust and moisture, full fibre broadband uses strands of glass to transmit data using pulses of light.

The fibre optic cable runs uninterrupted all the way from the network hub directly into your property. There is no copper involved and a single connection handles lightning-fast internet and high-definition voice calls simultaneously.

2. Fixed wireless broadband & VoIP

For incredibly remote properties where laying physical fibre cables is physically or economically unviable before the 2027 deadline, fixed wireless is a powerful alternative. It delivers high-speed internet through the air from a local transmitter mast to a small, discreet dish on your property. You can then plug a digital phone adapter into your router to run your landline over the wireless signal, bypassing underground telephone lines entirely.

The benefits of upgrading with Wessex Internet

The 2027 PSTN switch off might seem daunting, but making the move to full fibre with a reliable rural broadband company will be the best upgrade your property will receive. In most cases, you’ll notice an immediate improvement to your connectivity and speed.

A company like Wessex Internet can provide a true full fibre connection alongside a VoiP internet home phone service like Wessex Telephone.

• Ultrafast, reliable broadband: While traditional copper broadband often maxes out at a sluggish 10 Mbps to 50 Mbps, our full fibre packages range from an efficient 100 Mbps up to a lightning-fast 900 Mbps. It effortlessly handles multi-device households, smart TVs, online banking, and working from home.

• No distance degradation: With copper, the further you live from the village cabinet, the slower and more fragile your internet gets. With full fibre, a home sitting on the outer edge of a rural community gets the exact same blistering speed as a home sitting right next to the exchange.

• No disruption to your property: Wessex Internet works with rural properties, it doesn’t plough through them, digging up roads and driveways. Instead, we use mole ploughs to go through farmland and cross your garden with state of the art trenchless technology.

• Say goodbye to line rental: Traditional phone lines require you to pay an expensive monthly line rental fee just to connect. With Wessex Telephone, that line rental fee completely disappears.

• Crystal clear voice calls: Digital voice data is transmitted over a stable internet connection rather than copper wires, meaning no signal drops, or crackly lines with interference.

• Keep your number and handset: In almost all cases, you can port your existing, well-known phone number straight over to our new digital system. Most modern cordless phones can simply plug directly into the back of your new internet router or a small adapter box, working exactly as they did before.

Built for the Countryside: The Wessex Internet Way

There’s no guarantee the big national providers will continue to support your area after the PSTN switch-off. If they do, you’ll find these major transitions are often handled with automated letters, confusing jargon, and distant call centers.

That isn't how we do things here. We started fifteen years ago on a Dorset farm with a simple belief: the countryside deserves world-class connectivity. Today, our 400-strong team lives and works in the very communities we serve.

We don't need an explanation as to why a busy farm can't simply shut down for an installation. We understand muddy tracks, stone walls, livestock, and long driveways because we deal with them every day.

Our in-house civils and garden works teams treat your land with absolute respect, using specialist machinery like mole-ploughs to tuck cables neatly away with minimal mess.

We make sure that your main telephone is connected, your broadband is live, and we stay on-site until everything is working perfectly before we consider the job done.

Is your property ready for 2027?Use our simple postcode checker to see if Wessex Internet Full Fibre is already live in your village, or reach out to our friendly, Dorset-based customer support team to secure a reliable, future-proof connection today