Is Your Business Still Paying for Old Phone Lines? Business Phone Systems Ireland Explained
- Fastcom Broadband
- Jun 8
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Ireland's copper telephone network is being switched off - exchange by exchange, region by region.
The transition is already underway. Businesses that don't act are facing rising costs, declining reliability, and an eventual loss of service. There is no single national deadline, but your area will get its notice, and when it does, the clock starts
For many Irish businesses, the phone system is one of those things that just works, until it doesn't. You pay the bill, staff use the phones, and no one thinks too much about it.
But if you're still on traditional ISDN or PSTN lines in 2026, there's a good chance you're overpaying for a service that's getting less reliable by the month, and one that is being permanently retired.
Here's what's happening, what Irish businesses are switching to, and what you need to know before making the move.
What's Happening With Business Phone Lines in Ireland
Ireland's old copper telephone network, the infrastructure behind PSTN landlines and ISDN business lines, is being phased out. This isn't a future possibility. It's happening now.
ComReg has published the framework for this transition. As fibre broadband rolls out to an area under fibre networks, the countdown begins for legacy phone lines in that area. Once a local exchange is upgraded, traditional ISDN and PSTN services in that region are switched off.
Unlike the UK, which had a fixed national deadline, Ireland's switch-off is happening region by region. There is no single date to put in your diary, which makes it easy to put off. But once your area is announced, providers typically begin the process of migrating customers. Acting before that notice arrives gives you the time to choose the right solution without the pressure.
What this means in practice:
• Monthly line rental on legacy ISDN lines has jumped to €88+ per month on average, a 175% increase since 2024.
• New ISDN and PSTN lines can no longer be ordered in areas where fibre is already available.
• Fault repair times on copper lines are increasing as providers prioritise the new digital network.
The earlier you switch, the more control you have over the process and the system you choose
Business Phone Systems in Ireland: What Are Companies Switching To?
The answer for most Irish SMEs in 2026 comes down to two options, depending on your current setup and requirements.
1. Cloud Business Phone System Ireland (Hos
A cloud phone system in Ireland runs entirely over your internet connection. There's no physical PBX hardware on your premises, calls are managed through a hosted platform that your team accesses through desk phones, laptops, or mobile apps.
This is the most popular choice for growing Irish SMEs. It's easy to set up, easy to scale, and comes with a range of features that traditional lines simply can't match:
• Auto-attendant and call routing
• Voicemail to email transcription
• Call recording for compliance and training
• Mobile and desktop apps, staff can make and receive business calls from anywhere
• Video calling and conferencing built in
• Microsoft Teams integration, your phone system and Teams work as one
Businesses switching to VoIP in Ireland are typically saving up to 50% compared to traditional phone lines, and getting significantly more functionality in the process.
2. SIP Trunks - The Alternative Business Phone System for Ireland
If your business already has a PBX phone system on-site and you want to keep using it, SIP trunks are the right move. Rather than replacing your existing system, SIP trunking connects it to the internet, replacing the old ISDN lines while keeping the hardware you already have.
It's a cost-effective transition for businesses that have invested in their existing phone infrastructure and aren't ready to move to a fully cloud-based system yet.
Legacy Lines vs Modern Business Phone Systems: The Honest Comparison
Feature | Legacy Phone Lines | VoIP / Cloud Phone |
Monthly cost | €88+ per line (up 175% since 2024) | Significantly lower - pay per user |
Call quality | Declining as copper ages | HD voice quality over broadband |
Remote working | Desk-bound only | Works from any device, anywhere |
MS Teams integration | Not possible | Full direct routing available |
Adding new lines | Engineer visit required | Done in minutes, online |
Voicemail to email | Not available | Standard feature |
Future-proof | Being switched off now | Built for the digital network |
Microsoft Teams as a Business Phone System in Ireland
A growing number of Irish businesses are now using Microsoft Teams as their business phone system in Ireland, and it's a route worth considering if your team is already working in the Microsoft 365 environment.
Through direct routing, your Teams app can make and receive external calls just like a traditional phone system. Staff can call clients, answer incoming calls, and manage their voicemail, all within Teams, on any device.
The quality of your Teams calling experience depends heavily on the quality of your internet connection and your VoIP provider's direct routing setup. Getting this right from the start avoids a lot of frustration down the line.
Switching Business Phone Systems in Ireland: What to Check First
Moving from legacy lines to VoIP is straightforward when it's planned properly. A few things worth checking before you make the switch:
Your broadband connection
VoIP quality depends on a stable, low-latency internet connection. If your broadband isn't up to scratch, sort that first, your phone system will only be as reliable as the broadband connection it runs on.
Number porting
You can take your existing phone numbers with you when you switch. Number porting is standard practice across Irish VoIP providers and causes no disruption to incoming calls.
Other connected systems
Alarms, lift phones, CCTV systems, and card payment terminals that run on PSTN lines will also need to be migrated. Audit your premises before you switch so nothing gets missed.
The good news is that with the right provider, the transition is typically smooth and causes minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.
Why Now Is the Right Time to Switch Your Business Phone System
Ireland's switch-off has no single national date, it's rolling out exchange by exchange as the fibre network expands. That can make it feel like something to deal with later.
But later has a habit of arriving faster than expected. The businesses switching now are doing so on their own terms, choosing the right system, migrating at a manageable pace, and starting to see the cost savings immediately.
Those who wait will eventually be forced to switch under pressure, with less time to plan and fewer options. If your phone bill has been creeping up or your lines feel less reliable than they used to, those are the early signs that the switch-off is coming to your area.
Don't wait for the notice. Switch when it suits you.
Talk to Fastcom about switching to a modern business phone system
If you're looking at cloud VoIP, SIP trunks, or Microsoft Teams direct routing, we can help you find the right solution for your business, and make the transition as straightforward as possible.
or call +353 818 70 71 71
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