# Phone Line Audit: Remote audit of every phone line and device before the UK PSTN closes on 31 January 2027.

> The UK's analogue phone network (PSTN) closes on 31 January 2027, and alarms, lift phones, card terminals and fax lines that still depend on it need a plan. Phone Line Audit maps every line and connected device at your site to the action it needs, remotely, for £49 per site, and we sell no phone lines or equipment.

- Page: https://rotomal.com/pstn-switch-off/
- Category: IT and telecoms
- Language: en
- Billing: one-time payment
- From: £9 one-time
- Request (free, no card): https://rotomal.com/pstn-switch-off/request/

- First look for £9, credited against the audit: send a recent phone bill and we flag which lines look like analogue lines that need action
- A line-by-line map: each number, what is plugged into it, who maintains it and what it needs
- A one-page action sheet per device for your phone provider, alarm company or lift contractor

## The lines nobody remembers are the ones that matter

BT is retiring the public switched telephone network and Openreach is withdrawing the wholesale line rental products behind most analogue lines. The closure date is 31 January 2027. In September 2026 Openreach said around 1.2 million lines were still running on the old network, including around 350,000 business premises.

The phone on the reception desk is the easy part. The risk sits in lines installed years ago and forgotten: the fire alarm that signals to an alarm receiving centre, the emergency phone in the lift, a card terminal, a fax or franking line, the door entry panel. Government guidance says digital landlines cannot carry power, so equipment on them stops in a power cut unless it has a battery or other backup, and that voice adapter ports are not suitable for alarms or other machine-to-machine services.

Lines that have not moved are not simply left running. After the closure Openreach plans EVAc, a temporary, limited last-resort service that providers pay £35 to £38.60 a month for, with limited capacity and no way to order it in advance, and single lines that cannot be moved to it will be ceased in tranches.

- On 31 January 2027 all traditional phone lines need to have moved to a digital service, according to Openreach. (source: https://www.openreach.com/big-switch-off/digital-phonelines-for-businesses)
- Around 1.2 million lines were still operating on the PSTN in September 2026, including around 350,000 business premises. (source: https://www.openreach.com/news/openreach-to-protect-broadband--connections-as-pstn-closure---approaches/)
- After the closure, lines not yet migrated may be moved to EVAc, a temporary last-resort service charged to providers at £35 a month (WLR3 Basic) or £38.60 (Premium); capacity is limited and it cannot be ordered in advance. (source: https://www.openreach.com/news/openreach-to-protect-broadband--connections-as-pstn-closure---approaches/)
- Government guidance lists fire and intruder alarms, lift emergency lines, CCTV, door entry, tills and card machines, fax and franking machines among equipment that may rely on copper lines. (source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-your-education-estate-for-the-pstn-and-isdn-switch-off)

## How it works

1. **First look.** Send a recent phone bill as a PDF or photo. Within one business day we list each number on it, flag the ones that look like analogue lines, and tell you whether a full audit is worth paying for.
2. **Remote walk-round.** A 30-minute video call at a time that suits you. You show us the master socket, alarm panel, lift phone, card terminals and anything else connected to a phone socket, and we note the make, model and who maintains it.
3. **Line and device map.** Within 2 business days of the call you get a spreadsheet and PDF: every line, every connected device, what it needs before the closure and who to ask, with the most critical lines first.
4. **Follow-up check.** When your providers and contractors have made the changes, a 15-minute call confirms each item and closes the list. It is included in the price.

## Features

- **Bill and account review.** Reads the line types and rental items on your phone bills to find every number you are paying for, including lines nobody uses any more.
- **Device inventory.** Every device connected to a line, with its make and model, location and the company responsible for it, recorded during the walk-round.
- **One action per line.** Each line gets one recommended action: move to a digital voice service, upgrade or replace the connected equipment, change how it signals, keep the number, or cancel the line.
- **Alarm and lift lines first.** Fire alarm monitoring, intruder alarms and lift emergency phones are checked first, with the questions to put to your maintainer about digital compatibility and power cuts.
- **Power-cut notes.** Flags devices that will need battery backup, because digital landlines do not carry power the way copper lines did.
- **Action sheets for each contractor.** One page per device, written for the company that has to make the change, so your phone provider, alarm company and lift contractor each get only what concerns them.
- **Independent of providers.** We sell no lines, broadband or equipment and take no commission, so the recommendation for each line is not tied to a sale.

## Who it's for

- **Small offices and shops.** A card terminal, an intruder alarm and perhaps a fax line nobody has used for years. You get a short list of what to change and who to call.
- **Landlords and managing agents.** Lift lines, door entry and communal fire alarms across buildings, often on lines billed separately. You get one map per building and a plan ordered by risk.
- **Charities, churches, clubs and schools.** Older buildings, alarm lines installed long ago and volunteers who do not know what is plugged in where. You get a plain-English list the committee can act on.

## Works with

Phone bills from any UK provider (PDF or photo), Fire and intruder alarm panels with telephone diallers, Lift emergency telephones, Card payment terminals on phone lines, Fax and franking machines, Door entry and access control systems, Telecare alarms, XLSX, CSV and PDF reports

## Pricing

The first look costs £9: we tell you from your bill whether a full audit is worth it, and the £9 is credited in full if you order an audit within 30 days. Audits are one-time prices per site, paid once, with no subscription. We sell no phone lines, broadband or equipment and take no commission; changes are made by your own provider and contractors at their prices. Founding customer pricing applies to early-access orders. Prices include VAT.

| Plan | Price | Includes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First look | £9 one-time | One recent phone bill per site; Each number listed with its line type; Lines that look analogue flagged; Reply within one business day; No call and no obligation; Credited in full if you order an audit within 30 days |
| Site audit | £49 one-time | Everything in the first look; 30-minute video walk-round; Line and device map (XLSX and PDF); One action per line, with who to contact; Power-cut and battery notes; Follow-up check call |
| Multi-site | £149 one-time | Up to 5 sites or 40 lines; Everything in Site audit; One deadline plan across all sites; Lift and fire alarm lines handled first; Action sheets grouped by contractor |

## Compared with the alternatives

- **Your phone provider's free assessment.** Providers and VoIP resellers offer free migration assessments; Calilio, for example, lists a free PSTN-to-VoIP assessment. They cost nothing and are a sensible step, but they come with that provider's service in mind. We sell no service, so the map covers every device whoever maintains it.
- **The government checklist, done yourself.** GOV.UK guidance sets out how to list copper-connected services: location, function, connection type, supplier and whether each is still needed. It is free and enough if you already know what is plugged into every socket.
- **Your alarm or lift maintainer.** They know their own equipment and are the ones who must change it. Their job is that equipment, not the card terminal, the fax line or whatever else shares the building's lines.

## Security and data

- Bills, photos and notes you send are stored encrypted in a UK or EU data-centre region and used only for your audit.
- Video walk-rounds are not recorded unless you ask; we keep written notes only.
- We never ask for your phone provider account password. If a provider needs your authority for something, you contact them directly.
- Only the people working on your audit can see your files, and access is logged.
- Files are deleted 90 days after delivery, or sooner on request, and we confirm deletion by email.

## From phone bill to action list

We reply to the first look within one business day and deliver most audits within 2 business days of the walk-round.

- Day 1: Request the service and send a recent phone bill. We reply within one business day with the first look and the price, if an audit is worth it.
- Day 2–3: A 30-minute video walk-round of your site at a time that suits you.
- Day 4–5: You receive the line and device map and an action sheet for each contractor.
- Later: When the changes are made, a 15-minute follow-up call confirms each item and closes the list.

## FAQ

### Is the switch-off date still 31 January 2027?

Yes. In September 2026 Openreach said the closure date remained unchanged and that its last-resort service for unmigrated lines, EVAc, is not a reason to delay.

### What happens to a business line that has not moved by then?

It may be moved to EVAc, a temporary and limited last-resort service, or it may lose service. Openreach says EVAc capacity is limited and cannot be reserved, and single lines that cannot be moved to it will be ceased in tranches, so it is not something to plan around.

### Will my alarm work on a digital line?

It depends on the model and how it signals. Ask your alarm maintainer; government guidance says the voice ports on broadband routers are not suitable for alarms, and fire services advise checking that alarm monitoring and remote signalling are compatible with digital networks.

### Do you change the lines or the equipment?

No. Your phone provider and contractors make the changes. We give you the map, the action per line and a sheet for each contractor, and check afterwards that each item was done.

### Is this a fire risk assessment or an alarm service visit?

No. It is an inventory and action plan for your phone lines. The responsible person for the building stays responsible for fire safety and should get assurance from the alarm and monitoring providers that their systems will work after January 2027.

### What do you need from me?

A recent phone bill for the first look. For the audit, 30 minutes on a video call with someone who can walk to the master socket, alarm panel, lift phone and card terminals.

### What if all my lines are already digital?

Then the first look will usually show it and we will tell you there is no audit to buy.

## Guides

- [PSTN switch-off checklist for businesses: what to check before 31 January 2027](https://rotomal.com/pstn-switch-off/pstn-switch-off-checklist-business/): The UK PSTN closes on 31 January 2027. Which business devices are at risk, what happens to lines that have not moved, and a checklist to work through now.

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Rotomal · https://rotomal.com/pstn-switch-off/ · hello@rotomal.com