Openreach are moving the old analogue public switched telephone network(PSTN) to a fully digital network and its already started.The plan is for everyone to have moved over prior to Openreach stopping the (PSTN) network fully by 2025. By then, every phone line in the UK will be digital, routing calls over IP(Internet Protocol) otherwise known as VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), rather than the old traditional PSTN.
‘Everyone’ means everyone! Businesses and residential. If you are using a phone, then it needs to be upgraded to a VoIP solution and its not only phones. Any device that is currently using the old phone network, such as alarms, EPOS (PDQ) machines, faxes, door entry systems and CCTV will also be affected.
What most people don’t realize is that even their current internet connection may be based on the PSTN services and so, when the switch off happens, they may lose connectivity!
The PSTN has been the backbone of the UK’s phone network for decades, However technology moves at an amazing pace and its all around us, Smartphones, apps, the Cloud, Zoom, MSTeams, IoT and more.
What isnt so obvious is the infrastructure that enables the PSTN to continue to work, Cables across street poles and a web of copper cables beneath our feet which mostly has been there since the 19th century.
Digital offers endless possibilities so the time has come to move forward.
2025 is the final date – not the start date!
Planning should be considered now as there could be a lot more to do than you think. Remember its not just about your telephone system, everything that is connected to a phone line, Analogue, ISDN will need to be addressed to ensure you continue to operate effectively and continuously without downtime.
Due to the massive size of the project, Openreach have already started the roll out, turning exchanges off across the country or announcing different phases for individual area or exchanges and unless your provider notifies you, you wont even know!
The benefits of going digital are immense and delivers complete flexibility and a true Unified telecoms service allowing you to choose which device you use, where you want to use the services and offers a range of additional business applications. The cost implications are normally positive as you no longer need your own equipment either, so costs of overhead drop to.
In fact, most customers that we speak to actually reduce the monthly costs over the expensive “PSTN rentals & calls” that they currently use and experience a huge uplift in working efficiency
It costs you nothing to find out but could cost you everything if you don’t.
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