01
What is changing?
UK providers are replacing older analogue telephone services with digital alternatives. You may see terms such as Digital Voice, All-IP or VoIP — Voice over Internet Protocol, which carries calls using an internet connection.
GOV.UK guidance checked on 16 October 2026 says most customers are expected to move by the end of January 2027. The process is provider-led, and not every analogue service changes on that date. Ask the company responsible for your line about its specific plan.
Tell the provider that the line serves a lift alarm and share the proposed change with your lift engineer. A national milestone is not a confirmed disconnection date for your building.
02
Identify the connection before making changes.
Establish which line or SIM serves each lift and who holds the account. Check whether the telephone already uses a mobile gateway, a fixed line or another arrangement. Existing service records can help; you do not need to open equipment to make the first enquiry.
The shape of a telephone socket does not establish compatibility. The engineer and relevant suppliers should review the phone, its call functions, any interface equipment and the receiving service together.
03
Include the power-cut arrangement.
If a proposed connection uses separately powered equipment, its backup requirements need assessment too. The lift alarm’s own battery does not establish that a router, adaptor, network unit or gateway will remain available.
Agree which parts of the call path depend on power and how those parts are supported and maintained. Do not assume that adding a battery-backed router makes an existing alarm arrangement suitable.
04
A building manager’s planning checklist.
- Find the account. Identify the provider and the line or service serving each lift.
- Keep the notice. Ask for the proposed change, the site-specific date and the provider’s contact.
- Involve the lift provider. Share the notice and any existing phone or gateway details.
- Agree the solution. Confirm what stays, what changes, backup power, charges and responsibilities.
- Coordinate the test. Arrange the engineer and receiving service for the agreed end-to-end checks.
- Keep the handover. Record the outcome and who manages future checks, batteries and connectivity.
Coordinate cancellation of any old service with the responsible providers after the replacement arrangement has been commissioned and verified. Do not make an unannounced test alarm call or disconnect equipment yourself.
05
Discuss the options for this installation.
A compatible mobile gateway may be one option; a suitable digital connection or telephone replacement may be considered where appropriate. A migration notice does not establish which option is right for your lift.
Common questions
A little more clarity.
Does every lift need a new telephone before January 2027?
No. Provider timetables and installed arrangements differ. The useful action is to identify the current service and have the proposed change assessed for that lift.
Can I just plug the alarm into the new router?
Do not change the alarm connection yourself. The proposed interface, call functions and backup arrangements need competent assessment and coordinated testing.
Desk research checked 16 October 2026. GOV.UK: transition to digital landlines; SafeLine: SL6+ 4G VoLTE, variant *SL6-4G The applicable requirements and suitability must be confirmed for the actual installation.