Northern Ireland digital phone switchover deadlines are now close: around 35,000 customers still need to move off the old copper network before 31 January 2027, according to Openreach, and medical devices, telecare alarms, payment terminals and CCTV that rely on an analogue line could stop working if they are not checked first.
The warning was published by the News Letter on 19 October 2026, based on an Openreach release first posted on the NI Chamber website on 15 October. The change is the UK-wide retirement of the analogue landline network, known as the PSTN, not the separate switch-off of older mobile networks.
- Deadline: all users of the Openreach PSTN must be moved to new services by 31 January 2027.
- Scale in Northern Ireland: around 35,000 customers still need to migrate, Openreach says.
- Devices at risk: medical devices, alarms, lift emergency phones, payment terminals, CCTV, access-control systems, fax machines, modems and older business phone systems.
- After the deadline: lines still on the old network may move to a temporary emergency voice-only service or lose service.
- Advice: check what is connected to your line and speak to your phone provider and your equipment supplier now.
What is changing
Analogue landlines are being replaced by digital phone services, usually delivered over broadband. Landline calls are not disappearing, but equipment designed to signal over a copper line may not work the same way on a digital one.
The UK government's Telecommunications Modernisation connectivity timeline, last updated on 29 July 2026, states that "All users of the Openreach PSTN will need to be migrated to new services by the 31 January 2027." The Openreach release for Northern Ireland uses the same date, and the government's telecare guidance for housing providers, published on 8 October 2026, also refers to "the switch-off date on 31 January 2027."
Which devices could be affected
According to the release, customers "may also have medical devices, alarms, lift emergency phones, payment terminals, CCTV, access-control systems, fax machines, modems or older business phone systems that need to be checked before the switch-off." Openreach's guidance for homes also names telecare, health or personal alarms and health monitoring equipment.
Not every device in these categories will fail. The question is whether a particular unit depends on an analogue connection. Only the supplier can confirm whether a specific product, such as those listed in our medical devices register, works on a digital line.
What Openreach said
Lauren McGaughey, Openreach NI director, said: "You might not think of your medical device, alarm, payment terminal, lift phone or CCTV system as being part of your telephone service, but some equipment can rely on an analogue connection to work. The good news is there is still time to check what you have and make any necessary changes before the deadline."
Key dates and milestones
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| December 2023 | Major UK communication providers sign a voluntary charter with government to protect vulnerable customers, including telecare users |
| February 2025 | Telecare National Action Plan published for England |
| 15 October 2026 | Openreach says around 35,000 Northern Ireland customers still need to migrate |
| 31 January 2027 | All Openreach PSTN users must be migrated to new services |
| By April 2028 | Phase 1 exchange closures, a list that includes Carrickfergus and Glengormley |
| From May 2029 | EE begins nationwide 2G retirement, with other operators following in 2029 and 2030 |
Exchange closures and 2G retirement are separate programmes, but the government's action plan notes that some telecare devices use 2G or 3G signal as their main connection or as a landline backup.
What telecare and device users should do
The government's Telecare National Action Plan estimates that upwards of 2 million people in the UK use telecare, most commonly personal alarm pendants or buttons. Its first aim is that no telecare user is migrated without confirmation of a compatible, working solution. The plan covers England, but notes that the switchover affects all UK nations.
The practical steps from Openreach and the government guidance are the same:
- Check what is plugged into or linked to your phone line, including personal alarms, falls alarms and any health monitoring equipment.
- Tell your phone provider if you or someone you care for uses telecare, so it can check the equipment before the line is moved.
- Contact the supplier of the alarm or device to ask whether it works on a digital line or needs an upgrade.
- Ask about power cuts. Digital landlines need power, and providers must offer a solution that gives at least one hour of access to emergency services.
Openreach says that lines still on the old network after 31 January 2027 may be moved to an emergency voice-only access service, which is "designed to keep phone calls working for a limited time", or may lose service altogether. A Department of Health notice from October 2023 told telecare users in Northern Ireland to contact their telephone provider, but it refers to a 2025 completion date that has since moved.
The Republic of Ireland
The deadline does not apply in the Republic, where open eir says it is replacing copper lines with full fibre and advises people with security, care or medical alarms to check with their alarm provider that the equipment works on a digital line. No national switch-off date is given.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: When does the analogue phone network close in Northern Ireland?
A: All users of the Openreach PSTN must be migrated to new services by 31 January 2027, the same date as the rest of the UK.
Q: Is this the same as the 2G and 3G mobile switch-off?
A: No. This is the landline switch-off. 2G retirement by mobile operators is due to start in 2029, and it may affect some telecare devices that use mobile signal.
Q: Will my telecare alarm stop working?
A: Not necessarily. Some devices work on digital lines, some need an adaptor or replacement. Ask your phone provider and your alarm supplier to check.
Conclusion and Outlook
With around 35,000 Northern Ireland customers still to move and a fixed date of 31 January 2027, anyone who relies on telecare or a connected health device should check with their provider and supplier now rather than wait for the deadline.
Cover image: AI-generated illustration of a home telecare alarm unit next to a phone socket. It does not show any real product or brand.
Sources
- News Letter, 'Check now, rather than wait': 35,000 Northern Ireland businesses and households urged to check phone lines, 19 October 2026
- Openreach via NI Chamber, Northern Ireland households and businesses urged to prepare for phone network switch-off, 15 October 2026
- GOV.UK, Telecommunications Modernisation: Connectivity Timeline, updated 29 July 2026
- GOV.UK, Telecare National Action Plan, 11 February 2025
- GOV.UK, Telecare and the digital switchover: guidance for housing providers, 8 October 2026
- Openreach, Upgrading your home phone to digital
- Department of Health NI, Telephone land lines are going digital, October 2023
- open eir, Digital phone lines
