Landline Switch-Off 2027 and Your Burglar Alarm | What to Do

The UK's analogue landline network (PSTN) is being switched off, with all landlines moving to digital by 31 January 2027, according to GOV.UK and BT. Any burglar alarm, fire alarm or door entry system that sends alerts down a traditional phone line may stop calling out once the line is switched. The alarm will still sound on site, but you, your keyholders or your monitoring centre may not be told. The fix is usually a communicator that sends alerts over the internet, the mobile network, or both.

What Is the Landline Switch-Off?

The UK's old copper telephone network, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), is being retired. GOV.UK states that all PSTN-reliant devices, including all UK landlines, need to be upgraded by January 2027, and BT gives the date as 31 January 2027. Phone lines are moving to digital services that run over broadband, often called digital voice or VoIP.

Many homes have already been switched, often when changing broadband provider. A digital phone usually plugs into the broadband router instead of the wall socket.

Will My Burglar Alarm Be Affected?

Your alarm is likely to be affected if it uses a dialler or communicator connected to your phone line to send alerts. Systems that only sound a siren, or that already send alerts over Wi-Fi, broadband or a SIM card, are not affected in the same way.

Openreach lists alarms, CCTV, door entry systems and lift phones among the devices that may be affected, so it is worth checking anything in the building that uses a phone line.

How Can I Check If My Alarm Uses the Phone Line?

• Follow the cable: a thin telephone cable running from the alarm panel to a phone socket usually means a dialler. A network cable or a small aerial suggests internet or mobile signalling.
• Check your paperwork: the handover pack or maintenance report usually lists the communicator.
• Ask your monitoring centre: if the alarm is monitored, ask how it currently receives signals from your property.
• Test it: with your monitoring centre's agreement, or using test mode, trigger a test and check that the alert arrives.

Plugging the alarm into an adapter on the back of a digital router does not always work reliably for alarm signalling, so a test is essential after any change.

What Is the Fix?

The usual fix is to add or switch on a communicator that does not rely on an analogue line. Most modern panels from Texecom, Pyronix, Ajax and Visonic support one or more of these options.

Mobile and dual-path signalling keep working during a power cut or broadband fault, as long as the alarm's backup battery is healthy. That is why monitored alarms and insurers often prefer dual-path signalling.

What About Monitored Alarms and Redcare?

Many monitored alarms used BT's Redcare service, which BT closed in December 2025 after extending the original August 2025 date. Monitored systems still using an analogue line need moving to IP, 4G or dual-path signalling. If your alarm has police response, the change should be made by your maintaining company so the monitoring account and police registration stay valid. Our alarm monitoring cost guide explains the options.

Should I Upgrade the Whole Alarm?

Not necessarily. If the panel is less than about ten to twelve years old and works well, adding a communicator is usually enough. If the panel is old, parts are discontinued, or you also want app control, an upgrade that keeps the existing detectors and wiring is often better value. A wireless system such as Ajax has internet and mobile communication built in. See our alarm service and repair cost guide for typical prices.

What Should I Do Now?

1. Find out whether your alarm sends alerts down the phone line.
2. If it does, ask an alarm engineer whether the panel can take an IP, 4G or dual-path communicator.
3. If the alarm is monitored, speak to your monitoring centre and maintaining company.
4. Check your insurance schedule for any signalling requirement.
5. Test the alerts after any change to your phone line or broadband.