UK landline switch off compliance checker

What to build

A web app for UK small businesses, landlords, alarm installers and telecare providers that audits which devices (alarms, EPOS tills, telecare pendants, fax machines, lift phones) depend on the landline network and outputs a step-by-step VoIP/digital migration plan before PSTN switch-off.

Britland's 100-day PSTN switch-off deadline leaves businesses and installers scrambling to find and migrate devices still wired to the old copper landline network, creating a short-lived but urgent compliance gap.

Demand

Alarm installers, landlords, EPOS resellers and telecare providers need a fast way to identify at-risk devices and prove compliance before the deadline, driven by fear of alarms, tills or telecare pendants going dead overnight.

• Hacker NewsEngagement

  136 points, 115 comments on HN discussing the Britland PSTN switch-off deadline — high engagement at the source

Stack

• Next.js
• Supabase
• Stripe (paid PDF reports)
• React PDF or Puppeteer (report generation)
• Typeform or custom checklist UI
• Resend (email delivery of audit reports)

Solo + AI difficulty

Easy to build as a rules-based checklist/quiz that maps device types to migration steps and renders a PDF — no complex backend or integrations needed; the hard part is sourcing accurate, up-to-date migration guidance per device category. A solo builder with AI could ship an MVP in about a week.

Entry threshold

Can be built as a simple quiz or checklist web app in a few days with no capital or licensing required, but the 100 day countdown means distribution to UK business and landlord communities has to start immediately or the window closes.

Window

0-3 months

Where to find first users

• r/smallbusinessuk
• UK alarm installer and locksmith trade forums
• Facebook groups for UK landlords and letting agents
• Cold outreach to VoIP and alarm upgrade installers as a lead-gen partner

Counter-signals & risks

• Past UK PSTN switch-off deadlines have slipped before (Openreach's original 2025 target was pushed to 2027 after industry and regulator pressure), so a strict 'no extensions' 100-day deadline may be overstated.

• Telecare and critical alarm sectors have historically received special-case extensions from Ofcom and operators due to vulnerable-user safety concerns, undermining the 'no extensions' framing.

• Low confidence score (0.52) and no historical match suggest the claim may rest on a single unverified source rather than an official Ofcom or Openreach announcement.