BT plans to switch off all analogue telephone services in January 2027 which means the University needs to migrate its critical and analogue lines from the current Chorus telephony service to a chosen alternative solution by that deadline.
The Chorus service contract (provided by ATOS/Mitel) ends in July 2026 and the University is taking this opportunity to move to a new cloud-based supplier.
Aligning with the University’s Microsoft First policy, the preferred new service will be Microsoft's Telephony over Teams (subject to approval by appropriate decision-making bodies).There are approximately 3000 University or college staff already using Telephony over Teams.
What are digital lines?
Digital lines refer to VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) telephony, as opposed to analogue lines that use dedicated copper wiring and network infrastructure. If you have a Chorus desk phone, this uses VoIP telephony which is a digital line.
What does this mean for my college or department?
All existing Chorus desk phones will be removed and staff will start using a new telephony service that, for most, will be accessed via a dial/keypad on their computer using the speaker or a headset. The project will coordinate the move to the new service for all telephone numbers, but will not supply personal handsets or headsets.
There are also approximately 9000 shared phones in common areas, for example in Reception areas, which are likely to require handsets. A decision on how these will be funded requires further investigation.
Detailed information
