If your business is still on traditional phone lines, your bill is about to climb - and not by a little. Openreach is steadily increasing the price of legacy lines through 2026 to drive the last businesses off copper before the switch-off. Here's exactly what's happening and how to respond.
What's actually changing
Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) is the Openreach product that underpins traditional analogue lines. As part of retiring the copper network, Openreach is increasing WLR prices in stages during 2026:
- 1 April 2026 - a 20% increase.
- 1 July 2026 - prices rise to around 40% above current levels.
- 1 October 2026 - a further step, taking the total to roughly double today's wholesale price within the year.
These are wholesale figures - the price your provider pays Openreach. Providers typically pass increases on, so your retail line rental will rise in step.
Why Openreach is doing this
The increases aren't arbitrary. The analogue network (the PSTN) is being switched off by 31 January 2027, and with well over half a million business lines still on legacy products, the rises are designed to:
- Reflect rising costs of maintaining an ageing, obsolete network.
- Encourage migration to digital services before the deadline.
- Avoid a last-minute scramble as the switch-off approaches.
In Openreach's words, the deadline is "locked" - so this is the final push, not a negotiating tactic.
What it means for your bill
If you still have analogue lines, expect:
- Noticeably higher line rental through 2026, stepping up in April, July and October.
- No improvement in service - you're paying more for the same ageing line.
- A hard stop in early 2027 when the lines are switched off anyway.
In short, you'd be paying a rising premium for a product with a known end date. For multi-line and ISDN setups, the impact multiplies across every line or channel - see ISDN replacement for business.
What to do about it
The sensible response is to migrate before the rises stack up:
- Audit your lines - identify every analogue line and what it's used for, including devices that rely on phone lines.
- Cost the alternatives - compare against a digital line or hosted system.
- Keep your numbers - they port across, as we explain in keeping your landline number.
- Plan the connectivity - your replacement runs over broadband such as SoGEA or full fibre.
Our switch-off checklist puts these steps in order.
The opportunity hiding in the price rise
It's tempting to see this as just another cost increase, but it's really a prompt to do something you'd benefit from anyway. Moving to digital usually lowers your total spend while adding features the old network never had. The price rises simply make the case unarguable - see the full cost picture.
The bottom line
Legacy line rental is rising in three steps through 2026 and the lines switch off in early 2027 regardless. Paying a growing premium for a closing network makes no sense - migrating now both stops the increases and usually cuts your bill. Want to know what you'd save? Get a no-obligation quote or request a callback.
Frequently asked questions
How much is line rental going up in 2026?
Openreach is raising legacy WLR wholesale prices by 20% in April 2026, then to around 40% above current levels by July, and again in October - roughly doubling wholesale costs within the year. Providers pass these on to business customers.
Why is Openreach increasing legacy line prices?
To reflect the rising cost of maintaining the obsolete copper network and to encourage the remaining businesses to migrate to digital services before the PSTN switch-off on 31 January 2027.
Can I avoid the line rental price rises?
Yes - by migrating off legacy analogue lines to a digital line or hosted phone system before the increases take effect. You keep your numbers and usually reduce your overall cost.
Will the lines still work after the price rises?
Yes, until the switch-off in early 2027, but you'll be paying a rising premium for a network that's closing. Migrating sooner avoids both the increases and a last-minute rush.
