End of the PSTN 2026: VoIP migration checklist

As of 4 September 2026, the end of the PSTN is no longer a distant horizon for SMEs on the Côte d'Azur: it is an IP telephony migration checklist to execute now. Analog lines and ISDN switch by zone and by operator deadline, not in a single big night — but waiting means risking radio silence on a Monday morning. Host Technology, an integrator in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, supports inventory, portability, and the IP foundation in the field across PACA and Monaco.

What the “end of the PSTN” means in practice

A progressive shutdown of telephony services on the historic copper network, a forced or encouraged move to voice over IP, and impacts on analog gateways, elevators, alarm systems, card payment terminals still on the PSTN, and fax. Ignoring the local calendar means discovering an outage that was imposed. 4 September 2026 is the right moment to freeze the inventory and the cutover calendar — not to improvise.

This text is published and current as of 4 September 2026: if your zone has not been cut yet, use the window to migrate calmly rather than under operator urgency.

Inventory: the real first step

Every analog socket has a function. Reception, a practice fax, a backup line, an alarm box, an intercom. Host Technology draws up the list with you: what moves to a SIP trunk / IPBX, what moves to a temporary analog adapter, what disappears. Without an inventory, portability leaves gaps.

Host Technology provides a standard inventory table (line, use, criticality, IP target, date) that management can have filled in internally before the technical visit.

Technical foundation: network before phones

Sized fiber (FTTH or FTTO), voice VLAN, QoS, 4G/5G backup, a firewall opened cleanly for SIP/RTP. Moving handsets to IP on a saturated LAN means trading a stable line for mediocre VoIP. The order is fixed: network, then trunk / IPBX, then handsets, then portability.

Without validated 4G backup, a PSTN-to-IP migration increases the risk of a total outage. The voice continuity plan is built at the same time as the cutover.

Portability and the day itself

Numbers kept, operator window, cross-checks, rollback plan. Cutover on a Friday evening without on-call cover is avoided. Welcome message checked, queues tested, overflow mobiles ready. Host runs the operator contact so you are not juggling three hotlines.

As of 4 September 2026, also check seasonal welcome messages and summer/winter hours: this is the moment to rebuild them cleanly on the new IPBX.

IP telephony migration checklist (end of the PSTN) — 4 September 2026

1. List every copper line and its real use (voice, alarm, fax, elevator).
2. Check the deadline / the zone concerned with the operator (checkpoint as of 4 September 2026).
3. Validate fiber plus 4G backup plus QoS / voice VLAN.
4. Choose an IPBX or cloud and size the SIP trunk (channels).
5. Prepare portability (complete DID list, RIO, window).
6. Move special uses (alarm, fax) to IP solutions or alternatives.
7. Train reception, test for 48 hours, document the numbering plan.
8. Cut the copper only after written business validation.
9. Enable trunk / link monitoring and config backup.

The checklist above is designed to be ticked point by point with a date and an owner. Host uses it as the project acceptance report until the copper is cut.

Special uses often forgotten

Monitored alarms, elevators, franking machines, old legal faxes: each case has a solution (adapter, native IP, or replacement). Leaving them on copper “until the end” creates unnecessary emergencies. Host treats them in the same project as the switchboard.

Alarm and elevator contracts have their own lead times: start them early, even if the IP switchboard is already ready.

After migration: monitoring and backup

The new switchboard must be monitored (trunk registered, links up). IPBX configs and any call recordings enter the 3-2-1 backup policy. Telephony, network, backup: three building blocks that Host Technology maintains under managed IT so the end of the PSTN is not the start of another weakness.

Post-migration managed IT watches the trunk, the links, and config backup jobs during the first critical weeks.

Multi-site and the PACA calendar

Several addresses (Nice, Cannes, Monaco, the hinterland) can have different deadlines. The most exposed site is prioritized, and the model is replicated. A consistent SD-WAN / VPN design simplifies inter-site voice after cutover. Host Technology coordinates the overall calendar.

A multi-site calendar avoids mobilizing reception on two cutovers the same week. Host Technology sequences Nice, Cannes, Monaco, and the hinterland according to criticality.

Training and change management

Reception must master transfer, queues, and mobile overflow. One hour on site avoids weeks of tickets. 4 September 2026 is also the right moment to freeze written procedures and seasonal opening messages.

Also train a backup pair: leave, illness, turnover. The end of the PSTN must not depend on a single person who “knows how to make the switchboard work.”

In practical terms, every PACA site has its own constraints (building, seasonality, multi-site setups across Monaco and Nice): Host Technology adapts the action plan rather than copying a fixed national template, with a single point of contact for the network, telephony, backup, and managed IT.

• Tie each line to a use, an owner, and a criticality.
• Photograph or record the analog equipment still connected.
• Confirm third-party contracts for alarms, elevators, and remote monitoring.
• Cancel no number before written validation of its portability.
• Plan fiber, QoS, voice VLAN, and backup before the IP handsets.
• Archive acceptance, configurations, and escalation contacts after cutover.

• Ask for written deadlines for each of the company’s addresses.
• Group cutovers without overlapping two critical sites.
• Warn partners still using a secondary number.
• Check emergency calls and number presentation.
• Train a primary and a deputy for each reception.
• Check the first invoice after the copper is switched off.

The migration must be run as a business project with an owner, dates, and evidence. The steering table distinguishes lines to port, to transform, and to remove, as well as dependencies with external maintainers. Each decision receives validation from the department concerned. Host Technology also recommends comparing recurring costs before and after cutover: channels, licenses, maintenance, backup, and any adapters. This transparency avoids keeping useless lines out of fear, or removing too quickly an access still used once a month.

After the copper is switched off, a thirty-day review confirms that numbers, alarms, and call paths work, that old invoices are closed, and that users master the new tool. Recurring requests are turned into settings or training. Host Technology also checks IPBX backups, SIP trunk alerts, and the 4G/5G backup test. This step stops a technically successful migration from leaving behind duplicate costs, temporary forwards, or procedures known to only one person.

FAQ: frequently asked questions

Does the end of the PSTN mean the immediate shutdown of every copper line?

No. Shutdown is progressive by zone and by offer, with distinct calendars for commercial closure and technical closure. A line can therefore still work today without being durable. The precise deadline must be requested from the operator, and the last letter must not be waited for. As of 4 September 2026, Host Technology advises PACA SMEs to finish the inventory and plan the IP target, even when the local date still leaves some margin.

Can numbers be kept when moving to VoIP?

Yes in most cases thanks to portability, provided the file is complete and the line has not been cancelled beforehand. The exact holder, the RIO, the DIDs, and the associated groups must be identified. Monaco cases, special numbers, or old head numbers need a particular check. Host Technology coordinates the SIP trunk, the IPBX, and the gaining operator, then tests each inbound and outbound number before authorizing closure of the old service.

What happens to fax, alarms, and elevators?

They must not be connected automatically to an adapter without validation by the manufacturer or the maintainer. Some uses work on IP; others require an approved gateway, a mobile link, or a full replacement. Remote-monitoring and elevator contracts can impose their own lead times. Host Technology inventories the equipment and coordinates the parties so the switchboard migration does not hide a security line forgotten in a technical room.

What infrastructure is needed before migrating the phones?

The SME needs a sized FTTH or FTTO access, a firewall compatible with VoIP, a voice VLAN, QoS, PoE switches, and tested 4G/5G backup. Wi-Fi is kept for softphones only if its coverage and roaming allow it. Host Technology measures the LAN and the WAN before portability. This sequence avoids blaming IP telephony for faults that come from old cabling, a saturated upload, or an unsegmented network.

How does Host Technology secure cutover day?

Preparation includes a pilot number, a confirmed window, a test plan, overflow mobiles, and a rollback criterion. Reception knows the new functions and has a single contact. After portability, Host Technology checks all DIDs, schedules, queues, call presentation, and cellular backup. Configurations are backed up and SIP trunk monitoring starts immediately. The migration in Nice, Cannes, Monaco, or Tourrettes-sur-Loup thus stays under control through to business validation.

Still have PSTN lines on your site on the Côte d'Azur, in PACA, or in Monaco as of 4 September 2026? Contact Host Technology for a migration audit — inventory, checklist, portability calendar, and IP telephony cutover without cutting clients off.