FEATURE LATER IS NOW
Avire explains why facilities managers must act now in preparing lifts for the digital transition.
By 31 January 2027, the UK’s analogue copper telephone network (Public Switched Telephone Network – PSTN) will be permanently retired. Any lift alarm or life-safety system still dependent on those lines will cease to operate.
For facilities managers, this is no longer a distant technology project. It is a safety and compliance risk. A lift alarm that fails during a power cut or digital migration could leave passengers unable to call for help, often leading to costly fire rescue callouts or damage caused by forced door access. Beyond inconvenience, such failures carry potential liability for building owners and duty holders. The countdown has started, and preparation must begin now.
How the transition affects lift alarm systems The national programme to withdraw the PSTN is gathering pace. Since 5 September 2023, Openreach has enforced a nationwide Stop Sell policy: no new analogue or ISDN services can be provided. Any contractual or billing change – for instance, moving a phone line between departments or changing suppliers – can automatically trigger migration to an Internet-Protocol (IP) service such as Voice over IP (VoIP).
Lift alarms traditionally use two-way analogue voice signalling: when a passenger presses the emergency button, the system dials a Rescue Service (i.e. lift contractor) over the copper line. When migrated without adaptation, these systems can stop communicating.
A temporary fix is to install an Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA), which converts analogue tones into digital signals. Yet digital lines rely on local power. If mains power fails and there is no backup supply, the lift alarm will be inoperable precisely when it is needed most.
Government guidance: On 11 July 2025, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) wrote to UK building managers via the Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA) warning that analogue dependent systems such as lift alarms will not work once the PSTN is switched off in January 2027. DSIT highlights rising failure rates on the old network, reporting over 2,600 major incidents in 2024/25, and notes that two thirds of lines have already migrated with fewer than 5.6 million still on PSTN. Facilities teams are urged to engage communications providers and lift maintainers now to confirm compatible, resilient alternatives.
The UK PSTN Withdrawal: Key Milestones
Take a look at the diagram below to see the key milestones associated with the UK PSTN withdrawal.
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