The short answer
Some will and some won't, and you can't tell which by looking. Door entry systems, lift emergency phones and communal alarms in blocks of flats have often been connected to an ordinary analogue phone line. That network, the PSTN (public switched telephone network), is being retired: the government's connectivity timeline says all users of the Openreach PSTN need to be moved to new services by 31 January 2027.
The catch for blocks of flats is who has to find out. GOV.UK and the Digital Phone Switchover site (hosted by the Digital Connectivity Forum, the government's advisory body on telecoms) both say phone providers won't know which devices are connected to their lines. So the check falls to whoever is the customer for those lines, usually the freeholder, managing agent or housing provider. Some systems carry on as normal on a digital line, some need an adaptor or new settings, and some need replacing. Facts here were checked in October 2026.
Which communal systems may use a phone line
GOV.UK and Openreach both name door entry systems among the equipment the switch-off can affect. Openreach also lists lift phones, and GOV.UK's guidance for organisations lists lifts and elevators, intercom systems and fire and other alarms. Citizens Advice warns that other systems on a landline, such as a burglar or fire alarm, might not work after the switchover.
System | Why it may use a line | Who usually knows how it connects |
|---|---|---|
Door entry or intercom panel | Door entry named by GOV.UK and Openreach; intercoms by GOV.UK and the Digital Phone Switchover site | The door entry installer or maintenance contractor |
Lift emergency phone (the alarm button in the lift car) | Named by Openreach; the lift industry says many lift auto-diallers were designed for an analogue line | The lift maintenance company |
Fire alarm monitoring | Listed by Openreach and the Digital Phone Switchover site | The fire alarm installer or monitoring company |
Grouped (warden call) alarms in sheltered or retirement housing | The master unit sends alarm calls over a phone line (DHSC) | The housing provider and its telecare supplier |
Gate entry and building management systems | Listed by the Digital Phone Switchover site | The installer or facilities contractor |
Not every building has all of these, and some already use a mobile connection, but the list helps make sure nothing is missed.
Sheltered and retirement housing: one alarm, several jobs
Guidance for housing providers published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 8 October 2026 says all landlords should put residents' safety first in preparing for the switchover. It covers grouped living schemes, the call-for-help alarms most widely used in sheltered and retirement housing. One master alarm unit, which might serve up to 40 flats, sends the alarm call over a phone line to an alarm receiving centre (ARC), usually on a business rather than residential line.
- The alarm may be doing more than one job. DHSC says it may be linked to, or part of, an integrated system for fire detection, lifts and door entry. If it's replaced, for example with individual alarms in each flat, those functions need a suitable replacement too.
- Many are still analogue. DHSC-commissioned research with a sample of ARCs (winter 2025 to 2026, and May and June 2026) found around three-quarters of grouped scheme alarms were still analogue.
If a relative is moving into this kind of housing, see our guide to broadband and phone when moving into care.
Why this matters before January 2027
Most UK lines have already moved. ISPreview reported on 24 September 2026 that about 1.2 million lines, including some 350,000 business premises, were still to be migrated, and noted that lines for things like emergency lift phones may have been forgotten about over the years. The old network is also getting less reliable: GOV.UK says Ofcom reported a 45% increase in PSTN incidents in 2024, with over 2,600 major incidents in 2024/25.
- Some moves happen at the exchange. The government's March 2026 checklist for moving customers who haven't responded doesn't cover moves where the change happens at the exchange or in the core network, such as moves to the wholesale products SOTAP, MPF or PDPL. Nobody may touch the building's equipment, so our advice is to test every communal system after any change to its line.
- Lines left behind after the deadline may be moved to a temporary emergency voice service (below) or lose service altogether, Openreach says.
If your provider has contacted you about switching, Openreach's advice is not to ignore it. For how the switchover reaches ordinary homes, see our guide to the digital landline switchover.
Lift emergency phones: what the lift industry says
The Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA), the lift industry's trade body, published a background note on phone lines and lifts in December 2015 (updated December 2016) and notices on the switch-off itself in November 2019 and December 2021. Those notices still give the old end-2025 target; the 31 January 2027 date comes from GOV.UK and Openreach. The core points:
- Lifts must have an alarm. Alarm devices have been required on lifts since 1 July 1999 under the Lifts Regulations, so trapped passengers can call for help (on all new lifts, LEIA's 2019 notice says). The standard for lift alarm systems is BS EN 81-28.
- Many were built for an analogue line. Many lift companies supply an auto-dialler (a unit that calls a rescue service when the alarm button is pressed) designed for a traditional phone line. Some take power from the line; some need a dedicated line so the lift can be identified.
- A copper line isn't a legal requirement. The link can be radio, a digital phone network, optical, or hard-wired to a permanently staffed rescue service, as long as the alarm requirements are met; the owner and lift provider agree which.
- Safety must not go down. LEIA says the law effectively requires that a lift's level of safety is not reduced: a fitted alarm must not be disabled, the owner must keep its link working, and any replacement should be at least as safe.
What LEIA's 2019 and 2021 notices add
- A new alarm device may be needed. The 2019 notice says to check with your lift maintenance company whether the alarm is compatible with the new line; in many cases a new device may be needed.
- Tones and line voltage. In 2021 LEIA said many lift alarms need a dial tone and send data as touch tones (DTMF, dual-tone multi-frequency signalling), and significant numbers use the line's DC voltage. Providers may offer an analogue telephone adaptor (ATA) for analogue equipment on a fibre connection, but the dial tone and tone signalling may still not work, and the adaptor needs back-up power.
- At least an hour of battery back-up. The 2019 notice says the alarm system (including any mobile module), any fibre connection adapter and all supporting stations should have back-up batteries lasting at least one hour, able to alert when charge drops below that. Alarms built to BS EN 81-28:2018 show when their own battery is low, but not a battery in the building's telecoms equipment, which is the owner's responsibility.
- The line is usually the building owner's job, not the lift maintenance company's, the 2021 notice says, and owners should ask their phone provider what will change and when.
- Mobile units, preferably 4G. In 2021 the usual fix was a GSM (mobile) unit with battery back-up, and LEIA recommended 4G because 2G and 3G are being withdrawn. The 2019 notice says a roaming SIM, which uses whichever network is strongest, can help where signal is a concern.
Openreach's factsheet for the lift industry, written after talking to LEIA and also citing the 2025 target, says the UK had over 300,000 lifts, 180,000 of them on PSTN lines, and that every building with a lift will need to upgrade its alarm to work with digital lines. It warns that the router needs battery back-up, that whether the router has an ATA port is up to each provider, and that metal around a lift can hamper mobile signal. It splits the duties: alarm hardware maintenance falls to the lift company, the router and its battery to the lift owner.
Ask the lift maintenance company first
Before anyone changes a lift line, LEIA advises the owner to ask the lift maintenance company, which would check with the alarm's maker that it works on the proposed line and stays compliant. Questions worth asking:
- Does each lift alarm draw power from the line, or rely on a dial tone and touch tones?
- Has this model been tested on the type of line we're moving to, or does it need replacing?
- If it's replaced with a mobile unit, is it 4G, and is the signal reliable in the lift shaft?
- What battery back-up do the alarm and any router or adaptor have, and how will we know when a battery runs low?
- Will it still meet BS EN 81-28, and can you make a test call to the rescue service after the change and give us a written record?
LEIA adds that alarms on the car roof and in the lift pit should be kept unless a risk assessment shows nobody could be trapped there.
If the lift alarm stops working
LEIA says that if a lift's alarm communication isn't connected or isn't working, it's for the lift owner to decide what to do. That could mean keeping the lift in service but monitored until the alarm works again, taking it out of service, or providing another alarm service temporarily. If you live in the building and find a lift alarm that doesn't connect, our advice is to report it to the managing agent straight away and confirm it in writing.
Door entry systems and intercoms
GOV.UK's advice is to ask the equipment supplier or manufacturer whether existing equipment will work on a digital line. You might need to upgrade the device, check whether it needs its own battery and network back-up, or buy an adaptor. When buying new, check it works with VoIP (internet calling) or can connect over a mobile network such as 4G.
Case studies in the DHSC guidance include a housing provider whose replacement used SIM-based door entry panels (which connect over a mobile network), and another whose new system, hardwired to broadband with back-up SIM connections, includes video door entry. These are examples, not recommendations.
If a panel will rely on a mobile connection, ask which technology. 2G is closing: the government's timeline says EE will retire 2G from May 2029, Virgin Media O2 starts switching it off in summer 2029 and VodafoneThree switches it off in spring 2030. DHSC tells housing providers to make sure mobile-connected telecare doesn't use 2G; ask the same of a door entry unit.
Power: the question that's easy to forget
Openreach says digital phone lines need power to work. If the line serving the door entry panel or lift alarm now runs through a router or adaptor in a cupboard, that box needs power too. The Digital Phone Switchover site's resilience advice for businesses says routers need back-up such as a UPS (an uninterruptible power supply), a battery or a generator, that connected devices need back-up battery and mobile data, and that back-up should be tested before a real power cut. Ask the installer to confirm in writing what keeps working in a power cut, and for how long.
Fire alarms and the building's fire risk assessment
DHSC says telecare and fire detection or fire alarm systems in supported housing are often integrated, so the system in each flat may contribute to other residents' fire safety. It tells housing providers to involve the responsible person (the person with duties under fire safety law, as defined in Home Office guidance) to work out the effect on the fire strategy and fire risk assessment, and whether a building regulations application is needed. It also says to allow enough time for testing, including checking devices work with fire panels and door entry and that alarm calls reach the alarm receiving centre.
Stopgaps: PDPL and Openreach's emergency voice service
Two interim services exist for lines that can't move to a full digital solution in time. Neither is a long-term answer for a building's safety systems.
Pre-digital Phone Line (PDPL)
BT Wholesale says PDPL lets customers keep legacy handsets and equipment while moving off the PSTN (DHSC describes it as designed to emulate the old network), and lists lift lines, alarm lines, emergency lines and door entry systems among the "edge use cases" it is aimed at. According to BT Wholesale (checked October 2026), it is an interim solution; it should work with most devices, but proper testing is crucial; it's only for single-line, voice-only PSTN lines, not multi-line lines or lines with broadband; usually no engineer visit is needed; and devices can be tested at BT's Digital Services lab, even by non-BT customers.
It's a wholesale product offered to phone providers, so a managing agent would ask the provider that bills for the building's lines. The government's March 2026 checklist still described PDPL as yet to launch, so confirm it's available for each line rather than assuming.
Openreach's emergency voice service after the deadline
Openreach says lines not moved by 31 January 2027 may go onto a temporary emergency voice service, Emergency Voice and Access Continuity (EVAc), which may not support features such as caller display or voicemail. DHSC calls it Emergency Voice Access and says it's based on PDPL.
Nobody orders EVAc: it's a last-resort fallback Openreach applies to lines that haven't moved. ISPreview reported (24 September 2026, updated 28 September) that Openreach plans to start moving unmigrated lines to it on 1 February 2027, phone-only lines first, with lines that also carry broadband from mid-April 2027, keeping the broadband where technically possible. Openreach's Managed Customer Migrations Director called EVAc temporary, limited and more expensive than modern alternatives, and not a reason to delay.
DHSC says interim solutions are not effective long-term solutions. Separately, GOV.UK says some providers will offer customers without broadband an interim dedicated landline service until a digital option is available or 2030, whichever comes first. Ask the building's provider which, if any, applies to each line, and when it ends.
A checklist for managing agents, freeholders and residents' associations
Drawn from GOV.UK, Openreach, Digital Phone Switchover, DHSC and LEIA guidance:
- List every phone line the building pays for: number, billing provider and account. Openreach's business checklist starts with everything on the line: alarms, CCTV, payment terminals, door entry, lift emergency phones and fire alarm monitoring.
- Match each line to a device. The provider can't see what's plugged in.
- Contact each equipment supplier about changes, costs and timescales (Openreach). For lifts, go through the lift maintenance company and agree who looks after the alarm, and who the line, router and batteries.
- Contact the phone provider and ask when and how you'll be affected (GOV.UK). Openreach says businesses can usually keep their number, and costs vary, so budget for equipment upgrades.
- Answer the provider's letters and keep its contact details current.
- Bring in the fire safety responsible person where any alarm is linked to fire detection (DHSC).
- Plan for power cuts: LEIA recommends at least an hour of battery back-up for a lift alarm and what it depends on.
- Test after every change (lift to rescue service, door entry to a flat, alarm to the monitoring centre) and keep a written record.
- Keep residents informed, as DHSC tells housing providers to.
Who pays for upgrades, and who is responsible under a particular lease or management agreement, depends on the building's own documents. This guide doesn't cover those legal questions; ask the managing agent or take advice on your lease.
If you live in the building: what to ask
You won't normally be the customer for the communal lines, but you can ask the managing agent, landlord or residents' association:
- Which communal systems here use a phone line, and has each supplier confirmed what happens when it goes digital?
- What will keep the lift alarm and door entry working in a power cut?
- When will the systems be tested after the change, and will residents be told?
Report any fault promptly and in writing, especially a lift alarm that doesn't connect or a door entry panel that stops calling your flat. If you have a personal alarm arranged privately, tell your own phone provider (DHSC asks housing providers to remind residents of this); see telecare and alarms after the landline switch-off. For handsets in your own flat, see whether your phones will work on a digital landline and whether a digital landline works in a power cut.
Your own broadband and phone in a block of flats
Openreach says that if you live in a block of flats and can't get Full Fibre, the landlord or building management has to give permission for the installation, and registering your interest prompts Openreach to seek it; if Full Fibre can't be installed, you may be able to add a digital phone line to your existing broadband. A March 2026 government protocol notes that some blocks have no alternative to copper yet because operators can't get access. Our guide to getting full fibre in a block of flats covers permissions, and broadband included with your flat covers building-wide deals.
BT, for example, says its home broadband has no call service, so no dial tone and no emergency calls, unless you add Digital Home Phone; see our BT broadband deals page. Broadband and phone deals show packages that include a phone, and our broadband providers hub covers each company. You can also compare deals at your postcode; the comparison is run by our partner, you order from the provider, and it can't tell you whether an alarm will work on a service, so ask the provider first.
Door entry and lift phone FAQs
Will the door entry system in my block of flats stop working after the landline switch-off?
It depends on how the system connects. GOV.UK and Openreach both list door entry systems among equipment the switch-off can affect. Some keep working on a digital line, some need an adaptor or upgrade, and some are replaced with mobile-connected units. Providers won't know what's on the line, so the managing agent should check with the installer and test after the change.
Will the lift emergency phone still work when the phone lines go digital?
Not automatically. The Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA) says many lift alarms were designed for an analogue line, need a dial tone and touch tones, and some use the line's voltage, which an adaptor may not reproduce. In many cases a new device may be needed. The lift owner should ask the lift maintenance company to check, then test after the change.
What happens to warden call alarms in sheltered housing?
DHSC guidance published on 8 October 2026 says these grouped alarms usually use business phone lines, may be linked to fire detection, lifts and door entry, and around three-quarters were still analogue. Housing providers should identify connected systems, involve the fire safety responsible person, test thoroughly, keep residents informed and make sure any replacement still covers those functions.
Will a door entry system or lift alarm on a digital line work in a power cut?
Only if it has back-up power. Openreach says digital phone lines need power to work, and GOV.UK explains that digital landlines can't carry power the way copper lines did. LEIA recommends at least an hour of battery back-up for a lift alarm and the equipment it depends on, so ask the installer what keeps each system running, and test it.
What is Pre-digital Phone Line (PDPL), and can my building use it?
PDPL is a BT Wholesale product that lets legacy equipment, including lift lines, alarm lines and door entry systems, keep working after a line leaves the PSTN. It's an interim solution for single-line, voice-only lines, and BT Wholesale says testing is crucial. It's offered to phone providers, so a managing agent would ask the provider that bills for the building's lines.
Who is responsible for checking a building's door entry or lift line before the switch-off?
In practice, whoever is the customer for the line, because providers won't know what's connected. For lifts, LEIA says the phone line is typically the building owner's responsibility rather than the lift maintenance company's, and Openreach's lift factsheet puts the router and its battery with the lift owner. What a particular lease requires depends on the building's own documents.
Should I tell my own broadband or phone provider that I use a personal alarm in my flat?
Yes. A pendant alarm or other telecare you've arranged yourself runs on your own line, not the building's. GOV.UK's March 2026 checklist for non-voluntary migrations says providers will ask whether you use telecare and, where technically feasible, restore a vulnerable customer's line as a priority if the move stops a telecare device working.
