In 2015, National telecoms infrastructure provider, Openreach announced huge changes coming to their telephone infrastructure with the copper wire based Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN) being switched off in December 2025.
As a result, several services that business and consumers use for their telecoms will become redundant including analogue phones that rely on copper wires, ISDN services often used by businesses and many broadband products.
Whilst the shutdown will not occur until 2025, from 2020, Openreach is no longer offering Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) products to businesses or telecoms providers to ensure that businesses are not investing in technology that will become redundant.
In our latest blog post, we explain everything you need to know about the upcoming changes and how you can ensure your business is prepared.
What’s Happening?
As broadband capabilities improve, Openreach is pushing towards a high-speed fibre first network by closing the copper wire based PSTN network which is ageing and becoming more difficult and costly to maintain.
As a result of the shutdown, several services that businesses across the UK rely on and use every day will no longer be available, these include:
- Analogue phones – Any analogue phones that use copper wires running between your phone and the exchange will stop working.
- ISDN – Integrated services digital network services that are commonly used by businesses to make calls will no longer be available.
- Broadband – Several broadband products will become redundant.
The PSTN network supports several Openreach products which telecoms and broadband providers then package up and sell to consumer and businesses – Openreach has announced that these will no longer be available from 2020, with a full “Stop Sell” to be issued in September 2023.
These plans are already in effect and everyone will be upgraded in the next four years. In fact, some areas have already been upgraded meaning that whilst businesses are still able to use ISDN services until 2025, they have reduced flexibility and control over their systems.
What Do I Need to Do?
The impact on your business will be dependent on your current reliance on the legacy technologies that are being phased out.
Since the changes were first announced, businesses have slowly been making the shift over to alternative technologies, with VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) being the most popular to replace legacy technology.
VoIP telephony offers several benefits to businesses including cheaper calls, additional functionality, remote working options, better scalability, and more flexibility.
If your phone or broadband contract is coming to an end soon, or if you are looking to upgrade your phone systems, we recommend talking to a telecoms supplier to discuss your options based on your business needs to ensure you are prepared for the 2025 switch.
Be Aware of Cold Calls!
Since the changes were announced, there has unfortunately been a rise in unscrupulous providers selling unnecessary upgrades behind the guise of preparing for the shutdown, with businesses often paying for expensive systems that do not meet their needs.
Additionally, any businesses that are talked into investing in technology that relies on the PSTN and ISDN instead of fibre technology will find that they may need to upgrade again before the 2025 shutdown.
If you are contacted by any supplier offering to change/upgrade your broadband or phone system, please contact us so that we can review what they are offering and confirm that it will meet your needs.
Talk to the Experts
What preparations has your business made for the 2025 PSTN and ISDN shutdown? Preparing now will help save you time and money down the line.
If you want to find out more about the upcoming changes and how you can ensure your telecoms and broadband systems are ready, or if you’ve been contacted by a telecoms provider offering to change or upgrade your hardware, we can help.
Give us a call today on 0117 975 9523 or fill out a contact form below and one of our team will get back to you.