We have previously stated that the copper based Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) will be retired in 2025. However in May 2024, British Telecom (BT) Group confirmed last week that the deadline for migrating customers off the PSTN & ISDN networks, has now been extended to January 2027. The reason for this change of policy, is to give BT more time to address various concerns about the switch-off (particularly for vulnerable groups, as nearly two million people in the UK are using personal alarms, which rely on landlines, for example).
Recent reports suggest that many businesses in the UK still have no plans to manage this switch-off, and many are not even aware of this happening at all. Ultimately, this does not change the need for your sites’ telecoms arrangements to be “future proofed” away from PSTN/ISDN lines, but obviously the delay provides you with more time to prepare for this (if you have not already done so). If you would like us to review your current setup now ahead of this switch off, please feel free to get in touch. Equally if you are moving or opening a new site, we can assist in ensuring that your new setup is future proof.
