Dates to Remember: Will Your Phone Lines Still Work in Two Years? February 1, 2024 – Posted in: Comms, Dates to Remember, IT Support – Tags: isdn, pstn, switch off, telecoms, VoIP
In 2015 BT announced they will be turning off Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN) by 2025, meaning landlines will no longer be active.
Referred two as the Big Switch Off this means that the old copper wire solutions will no longer be available, you will need to run your voice communications over an internet connection. A report by National Business Communications found that nearly 70% of businesses are still using PSTN landlines, and over half of them are not aware that they only have until December 2025 to find a new solution.
As of September 2023 the process has already begun, BT Openreach is no longer selling new PSTN lines. Your current line will keep working until 2025, but you can’t purchase new services or change your existing services if they rely on PSTN or ISDN. A year may seem like a long time to sort out an alternative, but if you want to have the time to make the right choice for your business you need to start thinking about where you are going now!
There are a number of things to consider:
- Will you go for a voice over IP (VoIP) based, or a mobile phone based alternative?
- What alternative line options are available in your local area?
- Is your current internet connection up to the job of carrying your calls as well?
- Are your current phones compatible with a VoIP solution?
- Are you using anything else that runs over your PSTN/ISDN lines?
It isn’t just phones that will be affected – many businesses are still using alarm systems, ATM machines, franking machines, faxes, printers and card machines that reply on the old style lines. The sooner you assess what you need to change and what your options are, the more time you will have to find the right alternative for your business. Don’t forget that there are over 25 million connections to be switched over by 2025, if you leave it until the last minute you could end up struggling to find a supplier when they are swamped by all the requests.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, changing technologies is challenging but once you’ve switched you will have access to cheaper call packages and high quality lines. You won’t have to change your business number, and if you get the right package then once you switch your new provider will send you the new router and phones you need to make it work.
If you’d like help working out whether you need to make any changes for your business, or if you know you have a PSTN or ISDN line and are looking for someone to help you navigate the options available give us a call on 01245 265100.