Analogue line costs in the UK are rising every quarter in 2026, and the increases are not marginal. Openreach has introduced a deliberate pricing escalation designed to make staying on the legacy copper network progressively more expensive until the Public Switched Telephone Network is permanently retired on 31 January 2027. For TECS and telecare providers running large installed bases of PSTN-dependent devices, the financial case for delaying migration has gone. The cost of waiting is now real, measurable, and compounding every three months.
This guide covers the Openreach pricing schedule, what it means for telecare providers operationally, and what needs to happen before January 2027 to avoid both escalating costs and service continuity risk.
What the Openreach Pricing Escalation Actually Means
Legacy analogue line costs rose 20% in April 2026. They rise a further 40% in July. They rise another 40% in October. By the end of 2026, a provider running the same analogue estate it ran at the start of the year will be paying roughly double, for a service that ceases to exist weeks later.
This is not an incidental cost increase. It is a deliberate commercial mechanism to discourage delay and accelerate migration across the entire UK installed base. Openreach has made the economics of staying on analogue lines untenable.
The pricing escalation sits alongside a structural constraint that is already in force. As of September 2023, no new analogue lines can be ordered anywhere in the UK. If a device fails or a new service user needs to be connected, there is no fallback to the copper network. For TECS operators, this means migration is no longer a planning decision. It is an operational necessity.
The cost of delay, quarter by quarter
A provider running 500 analogue lines at the start of 2026 faces the same infrastructure delivering progressively worse value with every quarter that passes. The April increase raises the annual cost of those lines by 20%. The July increase raises it by a further 40% on the post-April baseline. The October increase raises it by a further 40% on top of that. A provider that has not migrated by October is paying approximately double the January cost for a service that ends on 31 January 2027.
The financial logic of an orderly migration programme, completed before the Q4 price increases, is straightforward. Every quarter of delay increases the sunk cost of maintaining infrastructure that must eventually be replaced regardless.
Why the Deadline Is Where It Is
The current switch-off date of 31 January 2027 is not the original deadline. The first target was December 2025. It was moved following two deaths in 2023 in which telecare devices failed after early digital migration, prompting the government to intervene, pause the rollout, and introduce stronger protections for vulnerable customers.
The current deadline is firm. Telecoms providers are now obligated under a government-backed charter not to migrate any service user whose telecare compatibility has not been confirmed. That protection applies to the migration process. It does not extend the switch-off date. After 31 January 2027, the network closes regardless of how many devices remain unmitigated.
The national scale of what remains outstanding makes the timeline tight. Around 1.8 million people in the UK rely on home telecare systems. Openreach data published earlier in 2026 showed more than 12,000 lift lines nationally still requiring migration. Over 500,000 business lines across the UK had not migrated as of the start of the year. Field engineer capacity across the sector will come under significant pressure in Q4 2026 as providers who have delayed attempt large-scale replacement programmes simultaneously. Providers who complete their programmes before that point avoid both the congestion and the inflated line costs.
What Devices Are at Risk
Personal alarm pendants and fall detectors are the most visible category of PSTN-dependent telecare devices, but the dependencies in a typical TECS operation run deeper than a first audit usually reveals.
End devices
Pendants and base units that communicate via DECT to an analogue base unit connected to the copper phone line will stop connecting to the alarm receiving centre when that line goes. The device that has worked reliably for a decade becomes non-functional overnight. The major UK equipment manufacturers, including Tunstall and Careium, now supply devices certified for Digital Voice delivery or operating over 4G and LTE mobile networks with no landline dependency. The technology for replacement exists. The constraint is the logistics of identifying, scheduling, and completing replacements at scale.
Alarm receiving centre signalling paths
A provider that has upgraded end devices but left alarm receiving centre signalling paths on PSTN remains exposed. ARC platforms that accept inbound analogue signalling from devices need their own migration plan, separate from the device estate. Confirming the migration status of your ARC provider is a prerequisite for a complete picture of your exposure.
Communal and housing scheme systems
Warden call systems, communal monitoring infrastructure, and door entry intercoms in sheltered and supported housing schemes frequently rely on the copper network. These systems sit outside the core device estate and are sometimes managed by housing partners rather than the telecare provider directly. Coordinating migration across these boundaries adds complexity and lead time.
Lift emergency communication lines
Lifts in managed properties are legally required to carry emergency communication under BS EN 81-28. Many use analogue phone lines to connect to an operator. Openreach data from February 2026 shows more than 12,000 lift lines nationally still needing migration. For telecare providers with responsibilities across housing portfolios, these lines represent a safeguarding and compliance risk if left unaddressed.
How Operational Systems Determine Migration Outcomes
The providers who will manage the January 2027 deadline without service disruption are, in most cases, the ones who have a complete and live view of their device estate. The difference between having that visibility and not having it is not administrative. It determines whether a migration programme can be planned sequentially by geography, by device cohort, or by service user vulnerability profile, or whether it has to proceed reactively as devices fail or compatibility problems surface unexpectedly.
The foundational input to any migration plan is knowing what you have, where it is, and what it is currently connected to. Without that, scheduling is guesswork.
For providers running EdgeRedi, built on Microsoft Dynamics 365, the device inventory, work order, and field scheduling capability that already supports day-to-day TECS operations applies directly to the migration programme. Engineer visits for device assessments and replacements can be created, assigned, and tracked within the same platform used for routine field operations. Migration status can be monitored by site, device type, and service user risk profile. Where Power Automate workflows already exist for response and escalation, they can be extended to surface migration gaps without building new tooling from scratch.
What Needs to Happen Before January 2027
For TECS operators who have not yet completed a structured migration programme, the priorities for the next 90 days are as follows.
Complete a full estate audit
Every PSTN-dependent device across the installed base needs to be identified, including devices managed by housing partners or third-party monitoring centres. The audit needs to cover end devices, ARC signalling paths, communal systems, and lift emergency lines. Devices that are not on the audit cannot be on the migration schedule.
Confirm ARC migration status
Speak to your ARC provider and confirm their migration plans and timeline. A fully upgraded device estate connecting to an ARC platform still on analogue signalling remains a vulnerability.
Assess device compatibility and plan replacements
Identify which end devices are compatible with Digital Voice delivery and which require hardware replacement. Build a prioritised replacement schedule, starting with service users in the highest-risk categories. Confirm battery backup arrangements for any IP-connected devices in the event of a power failure, particularly in properties where mains supply may be interrupted.
Coordinate with housing partners
Lift emergency lines and communal systems in properties managed by housing partners need to be included in migration planning. These conversations take time. Starting them now reduces the risk of discovering unresolved dependencies in Q4.
Secure field engineer capacity early
Demand for field engineers across the TECS sector will peak in Q4 2026 as the deadline approaches. Providers who have not secured capacity early will find it harder to resource their programmes at the point when completion becomes most urgent. Scheduling field work now, while capacity is available, is one of the most practical risk-reduction steps available.
Talk to Us About Your PSTN Migration Programme
Advantage works with TECS and telecare providers to assess operational readiness for the PSTN switch-off and implement the structured programmes needed to migrate at scale without service risk. If you would like to understand where your estate stands and what needs to happen before January 2027, speak to our team.
Contact Advantage today or call 020 3004 4600.
Read more about EdgeRedi for TECS and telecare providers or explore our EdgeRedi Intelligence Hub.
Related Resources
EdgeRedi: Technology-Enabled Care on Microsoft Dynamics 365
PSTN Switch-Off: Platform and Device Upgrade Planning for TECS Providers
The PSTN Migration Cyber Blind Spot for Telecare Providers
EdgeCare: AI for Care Homes and Social Care
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