Category: News
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE GATEWAY TO YOUR BUSINESS?
BT Have finally announced end of life for ISDN & analogue lines.
***SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT***
(Updated ISDN news 27.01.2020) BT announced in 2015-16 that from 2020 you will no longer be able to purchase ISDN lines with a target date of 2025 for a switch off date. They have now revised the date and have stated as of September 2023 you will no longer be able to purchase ISDN lines. There will be a forced migration phase between April and December 2025 which is the beginning of the end for the old network.
What’s happening?
The Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) will close in December 2025 and it will start being phased out in 2023. In 2015, every phone line in the UK will have moved to a fully digital network that uses Internet Protocol (IP) across a fibre-based service.
This won’t just affect voice services, it may also mean you need to upgrade your broadband and make changes to any analogue run alarm system or fax machine. Any equipment that currently uses the PSTN will stop working: alarms, EPOS machines, door entry systems, CCTV, faxes, and so on.
The Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) will also stop working.
You may be already be aware that BT have plans to phase out the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), which will affect all phone services as we move to more technologically enhanced ways of working via the internet. These plans were originally set out to be phased out in 2025, but we have recently learned that the phase out is actually happening in 2023. If you are a business or organisation owner or director – you need to act fast to ensure that your company is not left behind before the ISDN switch off!
What does this mean for me?
Most businesses have started to migrate to the new network. At some point before 2025, you’ll need to move from PSTN to the latest IP technology.
To help make that possible, Openreach is busy rolling out the full fibre network (fibre to the premises or FTTP) in phases across the UK. Traditional phone lines in all exchange areas will stop being sold by September 2023.
You will need to move all your communications over to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution. The longer you wait, the more risk you run of excessive charges when BT phase out the network completely (starting next year).
IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS!
Although the network we have all relied on is finally being retired, it brings endless benefits for business communications. Missed call alerts, remote working seamlessly, call recording, music on hold, faster broadband speeds and so much more! Don’t wait, get a quote today!
The History of ISDN
We are passionate about business communications. The story behind how we communicate has been unfolding since the world’s first telephone was invented, with the first phone call taking place in 1876. Here we have listed a few telecoms milestones that you may not be aware of:
1876 – First phone call was made
1879 – The first telephone exchange was created
1937 – Introduction of the first emergency services phone number 999
1976 – The last UK manual exchange closes
1981 – British Telecommunications (BT) was established
1985 – Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) created
2000 – The first UK home broadband service is launched
2013 – The first fibre only exchange goes live in Dedington, UK
2019 – Salisbury becomes the first UK City to have Openreach Full Fibre
It is amazing how far telecoms technology has come over time and we are now working with clients and businesses to ensure a smooth move over to the new network supply, which is being restricted in September 2023.
It will be important that all businesses or organisations that are currently using a PSTN network, that systems are moved onto the new system before the network is restricted and well in advance of the 2025 closure, where all copper networks will no longer be in operation due to no longer being fit for purpose.
As a business owner, what do I need to do about the PTSN/ISDN analogue closure?
Speak to your telecoms providers about the closure and plan a timeline of how you will move to the new network. You will want to ensure that this is done as early as possible and in plenty of time to ensure that your services are disrupted as little as possible before the analogue shut down begins in September 2023.
At FutureTel, our teams are working hard to ensure that all clients have the relevant information needed to complete the exchange. If your business has not yet started this process, or if you have any questions or concerns around the BT ISDN switch-off, please contact our friendly, expert teams for advice and to help you put a plan in place. Don’t wait! Call us on 0300 838 4000 or email us at info@futuretelscotland.co.uk or use our online quote form today.
For more information, you can also visit these helpful resources:
https://business.bt.com/insights/digital-transformation/uk-pstn-switch-off/