The UK is due to switch off its analogue phone system in 2025 as the country goes digital. But if you’re a business who hasn’t yet made the switch, what do you need to know and what are the problems you face if you leave it too late? Here Juliet Moran from TelephoneSystems.Cloud explains everything you need to know.

2025 is the deadline for digitisation of the telecoms network. Many countries around the world have gone through this process over recent years and the UK is no exception.

In the background, exchanges in the UK have been upgraded, and depending on your location, your local exchange may now be ready for full digital. Once a local exchange is fully upgraded, a stop sell happens and no new analogue technology can be installed in that exchange.

This is happening to improve the capacity of the network. Historically we run both phone and broadband down a single line, splitting it in half. By removing analogue from the network, the full cable can be used for broadband, increasing speed capability.

If your business has already made the switch to digital, well done. You’ve upgraded, probably saved money and have a flexible phone system for your business.

If on the other hand you are the 60% still left to make the change, you are probably being inundated with calls about the switch.

Companies can look up your line before they call you and check if you are still on the analogue system. So, you can’t pretend you have switched over, as your network status gives it away. The only way to stop the endless calls is to switch. The analogue switch-off isn’t going away - it will happen, it’s just a matter of when you choose to migrate.

A big concern is if every business leaves it until the last minute, there could have problems. Porting a phone number - which is the process of migrating your number off the analogue systems and onto a digital platform - can be challenging.

Porting takes 10 days minimum to process (due to Ofcom regulations), but the number still works during this time. It also takes humans to migrate the number from the legacy system. If everyone leaves it until the last minute, there is a chance of downtime for some as the porting capacity is hit.

Many telecoms suppliers may also appear less keen to migrate you now because they are making more money off you. The digital supplier market is much larger than the analogue one, so you have a larger choice of supplier to choose from and you may find that your current telecoms supplier is taking advantage.

New telecom providers also have more flexible pricing structures. Long-term contracts are unnecessary. With cloud phone systems you pay for what you need on a monthly basis.

The wholesale prices of analogue services are also rising at rates higher than inflation to push you off the old technology. You will be paying a lot more than you need to be if you stay on the analogue technology.

While switching your telecom provider might not be high up on the list for your business, now is the time to find your new telecoms supplier and get upgraded to digital or face the mayhem with everyone else who left it too late.