Business Lines and Numbers for the All‑IP Future

Stay connected as the UK moves away from traditional lines. Chess helps you replace or protect legacy phone services with flexible business numbers, cost‑effective MPF lines, and Line Assurance for peace of mind. We make it simple to prepare for the Great British Switch Off.

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The Cost of Unreliable Phone Lines

When your phone lines fail, your business slows down. Customers cannot reach you, payments may fail, and your team is left without a vital communication link. As PSTN services are withdrawn, older lines become harder and more expensive to maintain.

  • Lost calls and missed opportunities
  • Delays in taking payments or processing orders
  • High engineer call‑out fees for line faults
  • Increasing risk as PSTN services are phased out
  • No built‑in disaster recovery if the line is down
  • Difficulty scaling or managing numbers across sites

See How Cloud Voice Helps Organisations Stay Connected

1in 3 of consumers say they wouldn’t trust an SME that only uses a mobile number.

Zen Internet Research, 2025

Business Line Solutions from Chess

Whether you're preparing for the all‑IP future or need a reliable, cost‑effective solution for your current setup, we provide options that help your organisation stay connected. Choose from MPF copper lines, cloud‑based Business Numbers, or Line Assurance for guaranteed protection.

MPF

Keep analogue phones, alarms and devices running through the PSTN switch off.

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Business Numbers

Non‑geographic numbers with flexible routing and national presence.

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Line Assurance

Protection against engineer charges and downtime for your business lines.

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Instant Line 4G

A simple voice‑only line replacement designed for the PSTN switch‑off.

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MPF: Keep Analogue Services Running Through the Switch Off

Metallic Path Facility (MPF) delivers phone and broadband over existing copper lines. It is ideal for organisations that still rely on analogue services and need a stable, cost‑effective option during the transition to an all‑IP future. MPF uses alternative network paths, making it unaffected by the PSTN switch off in the same way as standard PSTN services.

Best for:

  • SMEs using analogue phones, alarms or card machines
  • Locations not ready or eligible for fibre
  • Organisations wanting a low‑cost interim solution
  • Businesses needing minimal disruption

Benefits:

  • Widely available across around 95% of UK exchanges
  • Unaffected by the PSTN Switch Off
  • Lower cost than fibre or full IP alternatives
  • Minimal disruption to existing devices and processes
  • Keep your existing number in most cases
  • Reliable bridge until full fibre is available

Enquire about MPF for your sites

Business Numbers: Go Beyond a Local Presence

Business Numbers (also known as non‑geographic numbers or NGNs) help organisations project a professional, national image. Managed through a cloud portal, they offer flexible routing, call insights and better customer experience. Thousands of businesses use NGNs to improve responsiveness and scale.

Best for:

  • Growing organisations wanting national reach
  • Multi‑site businesses needing one central number
  • Teams running campaigns and needing trackable numbers
  • Businesses needing built‑in resilience

Benefits:

  • National coverage with 0800, 03 and 0845 options
  • Call tracking for marketing and sales campaigns
  • Flexible routing by time of day or location
  • Single number for multiple offices or teams
  • Disaster recovery by diverting to mobiles or other sites
  • Enhanced features via Number Manager (IVR, call queues, voicemail)

Talk to us about Business Numbers

Line Assurance: Protect Against Fault Costs and Downtime

Chess Line Assurance protects your business from the costs and disruption caused by faults on your phone lines and broadband services. When downtime impacts your ability to serve customers, Line Assurance ensures issues are fixed quickly and without unexpected charges.

Best for:

  • Businesses reliant on phone or broadband services
  • Organisations needing predictable support costs
  • Customers wanting peace of mind
  • Multi‑site operations with high call volumes

Benefits:

  • No engineer charges for broadband faults (subject to checks)
  • Business continuity support to restore service quickly
  • Replacement router within two working days if yours fails
  • 4G backup if broadband issues last more than two days
  • Free upgrades to new connectivity where available
  • Great value with in‑ and out‑of‑hours cover

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Instant Line 4G: A Simple Voice Line Replacement for the PSTN Switch‑Off

Instant Line 4G provides a straightforward replacement for traditional voice‑only phone lines ahead of the PSTN switch‑off. Designed to minimise disruption, it delivers voice services over the mobile network, without the need for broadband, and can typically be plugged in where your existing phone line already is. It offers a like‑for‑like alternative to legacy services at a similar cost, while helping customers avoid significant price increases associated with ageing PSTN‑based lines.

Best for:

  • Businesses using a voice‑only phone line for inbound and outbound calls
  • Sites without broadband connectivity
  • Organisations wanting a quick, low‑impact migration
  • Locations where alarms, lifts or safety‑critical systems are not connected to the line 

 

Benefits:

  • Works without broadband
  • Keep your existing phone number, even if you move address
  • Quick installation with minimal disruption
  • Uses mobile connectivity instead of copper lines
  • Helps avoid rising costs on legacy phone services 

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Making IT Work For You

Chess is one of the UK’s leading independent and trusted technology service providers, employing more than 240 skilled people across the UK, supporting over 18,000 organisations.

We believe IT should work for you, reduce costs, deliver efficiency, keep you secure, enhance your work-life balance, improving performance. At Chess, we’re passionate about our unique culture and our continuous investment in our people to be industry experts.

We’re extremely proud that our people voted us No.1 in ‘The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work for’ list 2018, and we continue to celebrate more than 17 years in the top 100.

Frequently asked questions

MPF (Metallic Path Facility) delivers phone and broadband over existing copper lines but uses different exchange equipment from traditional PSTN services. This means your analogue phones, alarms and card machines can continue to work, even through the PSTN switch off, making it a practical and cost‑effective option while you plan your journey to an all‑IP future.

No. Unlike standard PSTN lines, MPF services are not affected in the same way because they do not rely on the PSTN network. MPF is often chosen by businesses needing to keep analogue devices running during the transition to IP-based services.

Business Numbers are non‑geographic numbers such as 0800, 03 or 0845. They help organisations project a national presence, manage calls more effectively, and give customers a single, easy‑to‑remember contact number. They also offer advanced features such as call routing, tracking and disaster recovery.

Line Assurance protects you from unexpected engineer charges linked to phone or broadband faults. It provides fast support, replacement equipment if needed, and even temporary 4G connectivity during longer outages. It gives your organisation peace of mind and helps reduce the impact of downtime.

In most cases, yes. Our team can transfer your current number when switching to MPF, Business Numbers or other line services. We’ll check your setup and manage the process for a smooth transition.

It depends on your current equipment, location and how ready you are for an all‑IP future. MPF is ideal for keeping analogue devices running. Business Numbers are perfect for improving customer experience and national reach. Line Assurance protects you from unexpected costs. Our experts can recommend the best mix for your organisation.

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