If a passenger becomes trapped in a lift, the alarm button is their lifeline. Behind that button sits an auto-dialler designed to instantly connect them to an emergency rescue operations team, just like our very own Front of House team.
For decades, those auto-diallers have done their job flawlessly. But behind the scenes, the infrastructure supporting them is about to disappear.
BT and Openreach are retiring the UK’s traditional copper phone lines – the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) – and moving entirely to digital, fibre, and VoIP networks.
While this digital upgrade is a positive step for UK connectivity, it introduces a major safety challenge for the lift industry.
The Core Problem: Why Digital Networks Break Lift Alarms
A lift’s emergency alarm still physically triggers when pressed, but the underlying digital network changes how that signal travels:
- The Loss of Dial Tones: Legacy lift diallers are analogue devices. They require a traditional analogue dial tone to initiate a call. Digital lines do not provide this, meaning the dialler cannot route the emergency call.
- The Power-Cut Vulnerability: Traditional copper phone lines carry their own low-voltage power directly from the local telephone exchange. Digital lines, however, rely on the building’s mains power and broadband routers. If your building suffers a power outage, a standard digital phone line fails instantly.
- The Compliance Trap: Under UK safety regulations (including EN 81-28), all passenger lifts must feature a two-way communication system that remains fully operational for at least one hour during a total power failure. Relying on a standard internet router leaves a building legally non-compliant and leaves trapped passengers entirely cut off in the dark.
The Deadline: January 2027
The nationwide migration is already well underway. However, the hard stop is fast approaching: In January 2027, the analogue PSTN network will be switched off entirely across the UK.
Any lift phone still connected to a traditional copper line after this date will simply cease to function. Because telecom providers are executing this rollout in regional phases, lines in your area could face disruption or forced migration even sooner.
The Solution: Managed GSM Gateways
To guarantee long-term safety and compliance, building managers must bypass fixed landlines entirely.
The industry-standard solution is a GSM Gateway. This unit retrofits directly into the existing lift dialler, routing emergency calls over cellular mobile networks instead of physical cables.
A compliant GSM solution utilises a roaming, multi-network SIM card to automatically latch onto the strongest available mobile signal. Crucially, these systems include a dedicated, battery-backed Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), ensuring the emergency button works perfectly even if the building loses total power.
Secure Your Lift Infrastructure Today
Upgrading your lift’s communication system requires specialist engineering expertise to ensure total alignment with safety regulations. With millions of devices across the UK requiring a digital transition before 2027, engineering resources will face tight bottlenecks as the deadline nears.
At Pace Group, we are a leading holding company managing over 25+ trusted lift and elevator businesses nationwide. Our network includes leading regional specialists like:
• Deltron Lifts based in the Midlands, South & Isle of Wight, with nationwide coverage.
• Exel Elevator Limited looking after Newcastle, Gateshead & the Northeast.
• Lift Control Scotland covering Scotland & the famous belt.
…and many more premier providers across the UK.
Our group companies specialise in seamless, fully compliant GSM hardware retrofits that future-proof your assets well ahead of the January 2027 cutoff.
Don’t wait for the signal to fade. Visit the Pace Group today to connect with one of our local specialist companies and safeguard your passengers.
0330 441 5522
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