How to Prepare Your Business for the UK’s Telephone Network Switch Off in 2025

Learn all you need to know about the upcoming changes in the UK’s telecom industry and how to choose the best VoIP provider for your business.

The UK’s telephone network switch off, also known as the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) switch off, is a major transformation in the UK’s telecom industry that will affect millions of businesses and households. It is a plan by BT to phase out the traditional copper-based phone lines and replace them with digital, internet-based alternatives by 2025.

This means that by 2025, all voice calls in the UK will be made over VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology, which uses the internet to transmit voice data as packets, rather than using analogue signals over copper wires. VoIP offers many benefits over PSTN and ISDN, such as lower costs, higher quality, more features, and greater flexibility.

The move is happening for several reasons. Firstly, the PSTN and ISDN networks are outdated and expensive to maintain, as they require a lot of physical infrastructure and equipment. They are also prone to faults, interference, and degradation, which can affect the quality and reliability of voice calls. Secondly, the demand for VoIP services has increased significantly in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people and businesses have switched to remote working and online communication. VoIP offers a more modern, efficient, and scalable solution for voice communication, as it can handle more traffic, support more features, and integrate with other applications and devices.

Lastly, the the move is part of a wider digital transformation strategy by the UK government, which aims to improve the country’s broadband infrastructure and connectivity, and support the development of new technologies and services, such as 5G, IoT (Internet of Things), and smart cities. By switching to VoIP, the UK will be able to leverage the full potential of the internet and the cloud, and create a more innovative, competitive, and sustainable telecom industry.

The time to start is now. With this being a UK wide change, leading up to December 2025 when the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) will be changing, there will be a backlog for line moves and VoIP migrations nearing this time, so getting your lines changed needs to happen now.

This is also a good time to review your current VoIP provider and your current Internet Service Provider to ensure you are getting the most reliable service, best response times, and the most valuable solution.

The UK’s telephone network switch off is a major change that will affect how you communicate with your customers, suppliers, and partners. By switching to VoIP, you can benefit from lower costs, higher quality, more features, and greater flexibility.

However, you need to prepare your business for the switch off, by checking your current phone system and service, choosing a reliable and reputable VoIP provider, and planning and testing your VoIP migration. By doing so, you can ensure a smooth and successful transition to VoIP, and enjoy the advantages of the UK’s digital telecom future.