Every lift phone, alarm panel, telecare unit and door entry system in the UK faces two deadlines. Openreach switches off the copper phone network on 31 January 2027, and the mobile networks start switching off 2G in 2029. A device moved from copper to a 2G cellular line now will need replacing twice.
The PSTN (public switched telephone network) is the copper landline network that has carried voice calls in the UK for decades, and it closes on 31 January 2027. Many of the devices connected to it are not phones at all. They are lift emergency phones, intercoms, alarm panels, telecare alarms and door entry systems that dial out when someone needs help.
Most of those devices are moving to a cellular connection, because a cellular line needs no fixed circuit and no broadband router. That move only works once if the replacement uses VoLTE, the way voice calls travel over 4G. A device that makes its calls over 2G has a second deadline waiting for it later this decade.
This guide sets out both deadlines, what they mean for each type of voice device, and what to check before you sign off a replacement.
What Are the Two Deadlines?
The two deadlines are the PSTN switch-off on 31 January 2027 and the 2G switch-off, which starts in May 2029 and finishes by 2033 at the latest.
| Network or Service | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| O2 2G for inbound roaming | Access withdrawn from 1 October 2025 | Ofcom |
| 3G (all UK operators) | Already switched off | Ofcom |
| PSTN (copper landlines) | Closes 31 January 2027 | Openreach |
| EE 2G | Switch-off begins May 2029 | Ofcom |
| O2 2G | Switch-off begins summer 2029 | Ofcom |
| Vodafone 2G (VodafoneThree) | Switched off during 2030 | Ofcom |
| All UK 2G | Closed by 2033 at the latest | Ofcom |
The gap between the two dates is the trap. A lift phone replaced in 2026 with a 2G cellular dialler will work on the day it is fitted, then stop working when its network closes 2G. Lift and alarm equipment is usually expected to last far longer than three years, so the replacement fitted for the PSTN deadline should already be built for the 2G one.
Openreach reported in September 2026 that about 1.2 million lines still had to move off the copper network, including around 350,000 business premises. Lines that have not moved by the deadline go onto Emergency Voice Access, which Openreach describes as a temporary emergency voice-only service. That is a safety net for people, not a connection to rely on for a lift or an alarm. Our guide to the PSTN switch-off covers the dates and options in full, and our guide to the UK 2G and 3G switch-off covers the mobile side.
Which Devices Are Affected?
The devices affected are the ones that dial out over a phone line without a person holding a handset: lift emergency phones, alarm and intercom panels, telecare and personal alarms, door entry systems, and older payment and monitoring equipment.
- Lift emergency phones. Fitted in every passenger lift to connect a trapped passenger to a rescue service.
- Intruder and fire alarm signalling. Panels that call or signal a monitoring centre when an alarm activates.
- Telecare and personal alarms. Pendants, pull cords and home units that connect a resident to a response centre.
- Door entry and gate intercoms. Systems that call a resident, a site office or a manager when a visitor arrives.
- Payment terminals, CCTV links and monitoring lines. Older equipment still sitting on a copper line.
Openreach lists alarms, CCTV, payment terminals, telecare devices, health monitoring equipment, door entry systems and lift phones among the devices to check before the switch. The common risk is that none of these devices tells you it has stopped working. A lift phone that cannot dial looks exactly like a lift phone that has not been used.
What Happens to Lift Emergency Phones?
A lift emergency phone on a copper line stops working when the PSTN closes on 31 January 2027, so every lift line needs a replacement connection before then.
BS EN 81-28:2022, published by BSI on 31 July 2022, sets the technical requirements for alarm systems in passenger and goods passenger lifts. It covers how the alarm is activated, transmitted and tested, and it deals with the risk of someone being trapped in the car.
The connection itself does not have to be a landline. LEIA, the Lift and Escalator Industry Association, states that 'there is no requirement to connect alarm equipment only to a hardwired telephone line connected to the public switched telephone network', and lists radio, the digital phone network, optical and hard-wired links to a permanently manned rescue service as acceptable alternatives. LEIA adds that the lift owner must keep the connection in place, and that any replacement has to be compatible with the alarm equipment already fitted.
That makes a cellular line a normal choice for a lift, as long as three things hold: the signal reaches the lift shaft or the motor room, the device supports VoLTE so it keeps working after the 2G switch-off, and the line is tested on the schedule the lift's alarm system requires.
Signal in a Lift Shaft
A lift shaft is one of the hardest places in a building to get a mobile signal. Concrete, steel and depth below ground all cut it down. Check the signal where the alarm unit will sit, not in the lobby, and plan for an external antenna in the motor room or at the shaft head if the reading is marginal. Our guide to IoT antennas explains the options.
What Does a Cellular Lift Line Need?
A cellular lift line needs three parts: a voice gateway that connects the existing lift phone to the 4G network, a SIM that can use more than one network, and an antenna that gets a usable signal to the gateway.
Most lift emergency phones in service today are analogue units built for a copper line, and replacing them is rarely necessary. A cellular voice gateway with an analogue phone port takes the place of the copper line, so the existing phone and its alarm button keep working and the call leaves the building over 4G instead.
- Gateway: Robustel EV8100. Robustel's lift voice gateway has an analogue (FXS) port for the existing lift phone, two SIM slots, and carries calls over VoLTE or as SIP/VoIP to a monitoring centre that accepts IP voice. Robustel states it complies with EN 81-28. It takes two 18650 batteries for back-up power, sold separately, and mounts on a DIN rail in the controller cabinet. See the Robustel EV8100.
- SIM: multi-network roaming SIM. A lift line has to work on the day someone is trapped, not only on the day it was fitted. Our UK multi-network roaming SIMs use more than one UK network, so the line does not depend on a single operator or mast. They carry VoLTE on EE, O2 and Three, so the test call should be made on each of those networks.
- Antenna: Fullband GXS606. An IP67 omni-directional antenna covering 617 to 5,925 MHz with 5 dBi peak gain, for wall or pole mounting. We supply it widely for lift lines, mounted in the motor room, at the shaft head or on the roof where the signal is stronger, and cabled down to the gateway. See the Fullband GXS606.
Buying the three parts together means one supplier is accountable for the whole call path, from the lift car to the network. We configure the gateway for the SIM before it ships, so the installer fits, powers up and tests the call.
What Happens to Telecare and Personal Alarms?
Telecare alarms on analogue phone lines have to move to a digital or cellular connection before the PSTN closes, and the government has set out a national plan for doing it safely.
The Telecare National Action Plan, published by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in February 2025, commits to four outcomes: no telecare user is migrated without a confirmed compatible digital service, analogue telecare devices are phased out, users understand what the change means, and organisations work together on safe transitions.
Openreach's Prove Telecare service has engineers test telecare devices on new digital lines before customers are upgraded. For a housing provider or care service, the practical question is the same as for lifts: what carries the call after the copper line goes, and will that route still work in 2030.
What About Alarm Panels, Intercoms and Door Entry?
Alarm panels, intercoms and door entry systems that dial out over a phone line need the same replacement path as lifts and telecare, and the same VoLTE check for any voice calls.
Cellular signalling suits these devices because it needs no fixed line, survives a cut cable and can be installed in buildings with no usable broadband. For intruder and fire alarm signalling, the path the replacement has to meet is set by the alarm grade, the insurer and the monitoring centre. Our article on alarm signalling after the PSTN and 2G switch-off covers single path, dual path and how to choose the 4G path.
Door entry and gate intercoms are worth listing separately in an audit. They are easy to miss, they often sit on a line nobody has looked at for years, and the first sign of a fault is usually a visitor standing at a gate that nobody answers.
Why the Replacement Has to Support VoLTE
A cellular replacement has to support VoLTE because VoLTE is how voice calls travel over 4G, and 2G is the only other cellular route for a voice call in the UK.
VoLTE (Voice over LTE) is a voice service that carries calls as data packets over a 4G network. Devices without it place calls by dropping back to 2G, a method called circuit-switched fallback. That route works until the network closes 2G, and after that the device can still pass data while every voice call fails.
Not every cellular module supports VoLTE, and support also depends on the network the SIM uses. Our multi-network roaming SIMs carry VoLTE on EE, O2 and Three. We have often had to update a device's firmware before VoLTE would work on our SIMs, so treat firmware as part of the check. Our guide to VoLTE for IoT devices covers what a device needs before VoLTE calls will connect.
Ask Three Questions Before You Sign Off a Quote
Does the device support VoLTE at module level, not only 4G? Is VoLTE enabled for the SIM on every network the device can use? Has a real call been made from the installed position to the monitoring centre or rescue service? A device that registers on the network and passes data can still fail every call.
What Should You Do Before January 2027?
Start with an audit of every device that dials out, then fix the replacement path for each one before the copper line goes, not after.
- List Every Line and DeviceLifts, alarms, telecare, door entry, gates, CCTV and payment terminals, including sites nobody visits often.
- Check What Each One Dials OverCopper line, broadband, or a cellular dialler already fitted.
- Check Cellular Devices for VoLTEA device fitted in the past few years may still be a 2G dialler.
- Test Signal Where the Device SitsLift shafts, plant rooms, basements and metal cabinets may need an external antenna.
- Test a Real CallCall the monitoring centre or rescue service from the installed device on every network its SIM can use.
- Budget for Both DatesEquipment bought for the 2027 deadline should still work after the 2G switch-off.
We supply IoT SIMs with voice enabled for lift phones, alarm panels, telecare units and door entry systems, on single-network and multi-network tariffs, together with the gateways and antennas that go with them. For lifts, that usually means a Robustel EV8100 gateway, a multi-network roaming SIM and a Fullband GXS606 antenna.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happens to My Lift Phone After the PSTN Switch-Off?
A lift phone connected to a copper line stops working when the PSTN closes on 31 January 2027. The lift still needs a working two-way emergency connection, so the line has to move to another route before that date. A cellular connection is the usual choice, as long as the signal reaches the alarm unit and the device supports VoLTE. A voice gateway such as the Robustel EV8100 lets the existing lift phone keep working on a cellular line.
Does a Lift Have to Use a Landline?
No. LEIA, the Lift and Escalator Industry Association, states that lift alarm equipment does not have to connect only to a hardwired line on the public switched telephone network, and lists radio, the digital phone network, optical and hard-wired links to a permanently manned rescue service as alternatives. The owner must keep the connection working and compatible with the alarm equipment.
Can I Fit a 2G Alarm Dialler Now and Replace It Later?
Fitting a 2G dialler now means paying for the same job twice. EE starts switching off 2G in May 2029, O2 in summer 2029 and Vodafone during 2030, with every UK 2G network closed by 2033. A device fitted today for the PSTN deadline should support VoLTE so it survives the 2G switch-off.
How Do I Know Whether a Device Supports VoLTE?
Ask the manufacturer whether the cellular module inside supports VoLTE, and on which networks it has been tested. A 4G label on the box is not enough, because a 4G device can still place its calls over 2G. The safest check is a real call from the installed device to the destination it will dial in an emergency.
Will Telecare Alarms Keep Working After the Switch-Off?
Telecare alarms keep working only once they move off analogue lines. The Telecare National Action Plan, published by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in February 2025, commits that no telecare user is migrated without a confirmed compatible digital service, and that analogue devices are phased out.
What Happens in a Power Cut?
A device on a copper line drew power from the line itself. Digital and cellular replacements need local power, so they need battery back-up to work in a power cut. Ofcom's guidance asks phone providers to give at-risk landline customers at least one hour of emergency access in a power cut, but that covers people, not equipment, so specify back-up on each device.
Talk to Us About Your Voice Devices
We can check whether your devices support VoLTE, supply IoT SIMs with voice enabled on the networks you need, supply the lift gateways and antennas to go with them, and help you test calls before the deadline rather than after it. You will speak directly to people who know the technology.
Contact MillbeckMillbeck. IoT Connectivity
Sources
- Openreach: Switching Off PSTN Across the UK
- ISPreview: Openreach Confirm Post-January 2027 Measures for UK Analogue Phone Switch-Off (September 2026)
- Ofcom: Advice for IoT and Third-Party Device Suppliers (updated 19 June 2026)
- Ofcom: Maintenance of Digital Telephone Services During a Power Outage
- BSI: BS EN 81-28:2022, Remote Alarm on Passenger and Goods Passenger Lifts
- LEIA: Lift Owner News, Telephone Lines and Lifts
- Robustel: EV8100 Elevator Voice Gateway Product Page
- Fullband: GXS606 4G/5G Antenna Datasheet
- UKAuthority: Government Publishes Action Plan for Telecare Through Digital Switchover (February 2025)
