GEMS telecoms update: what schools and trusts need to know

At first glance, that may sound like a change for whoever manages the school telephone system. However, the guidance specifically mentions fire alarms, burglar alarms and lift alarms.

These systems may still rely on analogue telephone lines or older mobile connections. That makes the update an estate-management issue, not simply an IT or telephony issue.

What changed on 3 July?

The underlying network changes are not new. The move away from traditional analogue telephone services has been under way for several years, while mobile operators have been retiring their older networks.

What is new is that the DfE has now placed these changes directly within its school estate guidance.

The updated section says analogue phone services need to transition to digital by the start of 2027. It also asks schools and colleges to consider equipment that may still communicate through an analogue line or an older mobile network.

This is not a new law or a deadline created by the DfE. The landline migration is an industry-led programme. The Department is making clear that schools need to consider its effect on equipment beyond their normal telephone handsets.

The telecoms timeline

24 March 2026: the 2G Switch-off Charter

The government published its 2G Switch-off Charter.

Mobile operators committed to announcing their withdrawal dates at least three years before switching off 2G. Organisations using connected equipment are also expected to identify affected services and plan how they will remain connected.

That matters because 2G is used by more than older mobile phones. It can also be built into alarms, monitoring equipment and other connected devices.

29 May 2026 (update): the UK’s 3G switch-off was completed

Ofcom confirmed that Vodafone, EE, Three and O2 had all completed their 3G switch-offs.

Any system that relied exclusively on 3G now requires urgent investigation. This is no longer a future risk: the networks have already been switched off.

The remaining issue is 2G. Those networks are still operating, but every 2G-only device will eventually need upgrading, replacing or reconfiguring.

3 July 2026: the DfE updated GEMS

The revised guidance brings these telecoms changes directly into school estate management.

It specifically identifies fire alarms, burglar alarms and lift alarms as systems that may still depend on analogue connections.

By 31 January 2027: most fixed-line migrations

Most customers are expected to have moved away from traditional analogue telephone services by the end of January 2027. All users of the Openreach Public Switched Telephone Network are due to be migrated by 31 January 2027.

However, the timetable is not identical for every provider or service. Government guidance notes that not every analogue service will necessarily disappear on the same date.

Telecoms providers will manage their own migrations, but they may not know what equipment a school has connected to each line.

Schools and trusts therefore need to identify those systems themselves, working with the contractors responsible for maintaining them.

From May 2029: 2G switch-offs begin

The currently announced timetables are:

• EE: from May 2029
• Virgin Media O2: from summer 2029
• VodafoneThree: the Vodafone 2G network in spring 2030

Three does not operate its own 2G network.

All remaining UK 2G services are due to close by 2033 at the latest.

Although this provides more time than the fixed-line migration, schools may need to include replacement equipment in maintenance, estate and capital plans well before the networks disappear.

Which systems could be affected?

Begin with the equipment named by the DfE:

• Fire alarms
• Burglar alarms
• Lift emergency communication systems

Then consider anything else that sends information outside the building, such as:

• Boiler or plant monitoring
• Building management systems
• Door-entry and intercom equipment
• CCTV or security monitoring
• Lone-worker devices
• Payment terminals
• Other monitored alarms

Most systems will not be affected. The challenge is establishing which ones are.

A modern alarm panel may still contain an older communications module. A regularly maintained lift may still have its emergency telephone connected to an analogue line.

The appearance, age or condition of the equipment will not necessarily tell you how it communicates.

What should schools and trusts check?

For each relevant system, establish:

1. Does it use a PSTN or ISDN line?
2. Does it contain a SIM or mobile communications module?
3. Is that connection restricted to 2G or 3G?
4. Is the equipment compatible with the proposed digital service?
5. Who supplies the line, SIM or monitoring connection?
6. Who maintains the connected equipment?
7. What happens during a power, broadband or mobile-network outage?
8. Does anything need replacing, adapting or reconfiguring?
9. When does the contractor recommend completing the work?

This will usually involve more than one supplier.

The telephone provider can confirm the type of line and explain the migration arrangements. The alarm, lift or specialist contractor must confirm whether the attached equipment will continue to work.

For trusts with several sites, the answers may differ between buildings. Systems installed at different times may use completely different communication methods, even where they appear similar.

Power resilience also matters

Digital telephone services do not necessarily behave like traditional analogue lines during a power cut.

Digital handsets need local electricity, either through the mains or power over Ethernet. Depending on the setup, the service may also rely on a router, broadband connection or mobile signal.

The DfE advises schools to consider an uninterruptible power supply and cellular connectivity. However, the correct resilience arrangement for a fire alarm, lift emergency telephone or other essential system must be confirmed with the relevant contractor.

Telecoms providers have obligations relating to access to emergency services during power cuts. Those protections do not automatically guarantee that a school’s alarms or lift communications will continue operating for as long as the site requires.

Schools should therefore check the complete communication chain rather than assuming the digital replacement will behave in the same way as the old analogue line.

What hasn’t changed?

The DfE update does not create a new inspection regime or require schools to collect another certificate.

It does make the expectation clearer: schools and trusts should understand how essential equipment communicates, whether it is compatible with digital services and whether the supporting network is being withdrawn.

The question is no longer only:

“When was this alarm or lift last serviced?”

It is also:

“What does it connect through, what happens if that connection fails, and how long will the network remain available?”

The telecoms changes were already under way. On 3 July, the DfE placed them firmly on the school estate agenda.

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