Front Cover of "The Last Dial Tone" with a coffee, table, professional layout.
Telecoms Professional reading "The Last Dial Tone" on BroadbandSwitch.uk via his laptop
Fully optimised for all devices "The Last Dial Tone" shown on a smartphone on top of a notepad
BroadbandSwitch.uk's new report 'The Last Dial Tone' maps the switch-off's final year: a soft landing for homes, urgent action for businesses on old ISDN lines.
The report finds the transition is well advanced. The country started with more than 16 million lines on the old network, and the vast majority have already moved to modern digital services, with around 1.9 million still to migrate across all providers as at 11 June 2026, according to Openreach. Around 1.8 million people who rely on home telecare alarms sit at the centre of the remaining effort.
For homes and personal users, the report describes a soft landing. There will be no overnight cut-off on 31 January 2027, and protections are in place for vulnerable and telecare customers. The one sensible step, it says, is for households to contact their phone or broadband provider to confirm a smooth move, flag any alarm or care device, and avoid being left on an older line as prices rise. Openreach has confirmed that wholesale copper line prices will double by October 2026.
The clearer call to action is for businesses. Older ISDN2 and ISDN30 phone lines cease outright on 1 February 2027 with no fallback, so any business still running them needs to plan its move now. Openreach warned in February 2026 that more than half a million business lines had not yet switched. BroadbandSwitch.uk is offering free guidance to any UK business that is unsure whether it is affected. This applies to UK businesses on the main network, and not to the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or customers of KCOM.
Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith, founder of BroadbandSwitch.uk, said: "The country is moving to a faster, more reliable network, and for most homes the change is straightforward and well protected. The group we most want to reach is the businesses still on old ISDN lines, because those simply stop on 1 February 2027. Our message is calm and simple: speak to your provider in good time, and ask for help if you need it."
The report draws on data from Ofcom, Openreach, the House of Commons Library, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Which?, alongside independent industry analysis from ISPreview. Consumer protection during the migration remains a regulatory priority: in December 2025 Ofcom fined Virgin Media O2 £23.8m for failures that put vulnerable telecare customers at risk, and the regulator has set out clear expectations for providers migrating customers safely.
The full report is free to read, with no sign-up required, at https://broadbandswitch.uk/reports/the-last-dial-tone/, where the complete PDF can also be downloaded.
About BroadbandSwitch.uk
BroadbandSwitch.uk is an independent UK broadband comparison and switching service that helps households and businesses check availability, compare full-fibre and gigabit options, and switch to a better deal. It publishes an independent, evidence-graded series of reports on the changing shape of UK connectivity. "The Last Dial Tone" is Report No. 26 in that series.
Dr. Alex J. Martin-Smith
Upleashed® limited (Parent Co. BroadbandSwitch.uk)
+44 7624 218080
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