Business phone service / London, United Kingdom
Business phone service for London firms moving off analogue lines before the switch-off.
London businesses are in the middle of a once-in-a-generation change. UK landlines are moving from analogue to digital, and many offices still have lines nobody has thought about in years: alarms, lifts, card terminals and fax. Texwan sets up hosted phone systems remotely, maps every old line before anything changes and ships phones ready to plug in.
UK geographic numbers such as 020 are added where available from the carrier providing the service, and existing numbers are ported where they can be. We work remotely from outside the UK and do not claim a London office.
Who we set up in London
Phone systems for London businesses
Financial services firms
Recording that supports FCA requirements, with access limited to the people who need it.
Professional services and law
Direct lines, receptionist consoles and hybrid working across London and home.
Retail, hospitality and property
Lift, alarm and payment terminal lines checked before the analogue switch-off.
01 / Threat Briefing
Threat Briefing
GOV.UK guidance explains that UK landlines are being upgraded to digital and lists the devices most at risk, including alarms, telecare, lifts and payment terminals. (GOV.UK; GOV.UK)
For FCA-regulated firms, SYSC 10A sets rules for recording telephone conversations relating to certain activities, so recording has to be planned, not just switched on. (FCA Handbook)
02 / Risk and Compliance Matrix
Risk and Compliance Matrix
| Risk | Control or compliance mapping | Business impact |
|---|---|---|
| Alarm, lift and card terminal lines on analogue services | GOV.UK digital landline transition (GOV.UK) | A device stops working when the line changes |
| VoIP phones with no plan for power cuts | Ofcom power-cut guidance (Ofcom) | No way to reach emergency services during an outage |
| Recording turned on everywhere, or nowhere | FCA SYSC 10A (FCA) | Missing required records, or records nobody should hold |
03 / Architecture and Remediation Directives
Architecture and Remediation Directives
- List every line on your bills and identify what is plugged into each one before any migration.
- Agree a power-cut plan: battery backup for key phones and mobile apps as the fallback.
- Map which roles must be recorded under your regulatory obligations and limit recording access.
- Set 999 and 112 to dial directly from every phone.
04 / Vendor-Neutral Verification Checklist
Vendor-Neutral Verification Checklist
Three checks you can run yourself, with or without us.
- Find the alarm and lift lines in your building and ask the supplier whether they work on digital lines.
- Ask what your staff would use to call 999 in a power cut.
- Pull the list of recorded users and compare it with your recording policy.
Legacy and odd setups
Old phone systems in London? We can work with them.
London offices still have ISDN30 circuits, BT Featureline and older Avaya, Mitel and Panasonic systems. We can keep that hardware working on SIP trunks through a gateway while users move to hosted service, which helps with the switch-off deadline.
Country notes
Phone rules and practicalities in the United Kingdom
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Emergency calls | 999 and 112 must be free to call. Ofcom’s General Conditions also require caller location information where technically feasible, and require providers to explain to business customers that VoIP phones may not work in a power cut. (Ofcom) |
| Power cuts | Ofcom expects providers to offer at-risk customers who rely on their landline a way to reach emergency services for at least one hour in a power cut, such as a battery backup. (Ofcom) |
| Local numbers | UK geographic numbers, such as 020 or 0161, where available from the carrier providing the service and subject to Ofcom numbering rules. We confirm availability before quoting. |
| Keeping your numbers | Most UK numbers can be ported between providers. We check each number with the gaining provider before a date is set. (Ofcom) |
| Hardware | Phones and adapters must carry the right UK conformity marking; GOV.UK explains when UKCA or CE marking applies. (GOV.UK) Cordless DECT handsets are ordered in the European band, not the North American one. (ETSI) |
| Power and plugs | UK mains is 230 V with Type G plugs. Power over Ethernet phones avoid the plug question entirely; otherwise we supply UK power adapters. |
| Shipping | Hardware ships from the United States. Import duties, taxes and customs fees may apply on arrival and depend on the shipping terms we agree in the quote. |
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so we confirm current requirements for your setup before quoting.
How it works
Remote setup, phones shipped ready to use
- Review. Send us your current bill or a list of numbers, users and sites. We map extensions, call flows and anything unusual.
- Build. We build the system for your country’s dial plan and emergency numbers and program each phone (Yealink, Yeastar, Grandstream or Sangoma), choosing models that suit local power, plugs and radio rules.
- Ship. Phones ship from the US pre-configured and labeled. Import duties, taxes and customs clearance depend on the destination and the shipping terms, which we agree in the quote.
- Port and support. Existing numbers are ported only where the country’s rules and the carriers allow, on a date you approve. Support is remote, with every request answered within one business day.
Questions
London business phone FAQ
Can we keep our 020 numbers?
Most UK numbers can be ported. We check each number with the gaining provider before setting a date.
Do you have a London office?
No. Setup and support are remote, and phones ship pre-configured. We scope any on-site work with you.
What happens to our alarm line when the analogue network goes?
It depends on the device. We list each one and check with its supplier before anything changes.
Service area
Serving the City of London, Westminster, Canary Wharf, Shoreditch, Southwark, Camden and Croydon.
Nearby: Manchester, Dublin, Amsterdam, Berlin.
Texwan started in Texas in 2007 and sets up phone service for businesses worldwide. See all service areas by region: Texas, United States, Canada, UK and Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Middle East and Asia, Latin America, or our business phone systems overview.
Next step
Get a phone service quote for London
Tell us how many users and locations you have, your current provider and any contract end date. We reply within one business day.