With the biggest change in UK telephony rapidly approaching, now is the time to understand what is happening and ensure your business is not affected. 

What is PSTN and ISDN?

PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network and is the landline technology setup for analogue voice communication and was first invented in 1875! PSTN technology is used by many across the UK to transmit telephone calls and faxes.

ISDN stands for Integrated Services Digital Network and is a telecommunications technology that enables the transmission of digital data over standard phone lines and is used for voice calls. The ISDN standard was set in the 1980s making this technology over 40 years old! At this same time the world wide web was just being invented, mobile telephony was just finding its feet – and was still analogue, and Urgent business documents were often sent by fax.

PSTN and ISDN technology is a fundamental infrastructure for many businesses communications, causing a great business continuity risk when these systems are turned off.

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Why are PSTN and ISDN being switched off?

Since their launch, many changes have taken place in the business world, and PSTN and ISDN technology simply cannot keep up.

In many ways, using PSTN and ISDN is like driving a classic sports car. The car represented cutting-edge technology when it was launched but these days it’s not as efficient as its modern counterparts, the cost to keep the old model running is higher than a modern alternative, reliability is a worry and issues can take days to resolve and although a classic, sticking with the old model may no longer meet your basic needs.

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Who will be affected?

All UK businesses using Openreach PSTN or ISDN technology will be affected by the UK 2025 switch off.

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When is this going to happen?

Openreach will be withdrawing the PSTN and ISDN networks up to and during 2025, and you will no longer be able to purchase services from 2023.

It’s important that if you are renewing your telephony services with PSTN or ISDN that you ensure you do not have any growth plans before you can no longer purchase in 2023.

We recommend at the point of your next renewal that you strongly consider migrating to an alternative solution such as SIP or Hosted VOIP as this will allow you to carry out this migration in your own time, without being effect by deadlines and price hikes.

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What is going to replace this service?

The two main solutions replacing these services is Hosted VoIP and SIP.

These services have been around for many years and are tried, tested and reliable for business telephony, in-fact they are even more reliable than your current PSTN and ISDN technology.

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Hosted VoIP

Hosted VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and is a telephone system that resides virtually in the cloud rather than in your office. Users access the system through a standard IP desk phone or a softphone. Calls are made and received over a broadband connection.

A Hosted VoIP solution does not require ISDN or PSTN technology meaning your business continuity will be maintained beyond the 2025 switch off.

Compared to traditional, capex-intensive, on-site systems, the financial advantages of Cloud Communications are clear and compelling. But the economics are just the beginning of the real business value.

• Expand your opportunities – Free from the constraints of a physical location and a fixed workforce, you can expand your opportunities and grow your business.
• Ensure seamless experiences – By integrating multiple communications and collaboration services across fixed and mobile devices, you can deliver the seamless experiences that your employees and your customers expect.
• Work smarter, anywhere – With access to all the information and tools they need – anywhere, anytime – your employees can significantly improve their productivity.
• Stay ahead with the latest technology – Always being up-to-date with the latest technology, and having access to sophisticated new features, ensures you stay competitive and don’t fall behind.
• Reduce your risks – Equipped with built-in resilience and security, you significantly reduce the risk of damaging downtime.
• Free up time – With your cloud services provider managing and maintaining the system, you can focus on growing your business, not your phone system.
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SIP

SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol and allows you to handle your voice traffic without the need for ISDN technology. It can bring many benefits to your business, including:

• Improved service features for greater efficiency gains
• Increased flexibility to meet the changing needs of your workforce
• Improved scalability to help drive business growth
• Enhanced quality of service for customers
• Improved resilience with built-in disaster recovery provisions
• Reduced cost with significant savings to be made on call costs and line rental
• Increased visibility of performance metrics to improve productivity and overall business performance
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Is it easy to change to a new service?

With the right provider, yes.

We understand that the thought of migrating your telephony to a new infrastructure may be daunting but that’s what we’re here for.

Our team of experts manage this migration process every single day, ensuring a seamless transition with zero downtime.

But don’t just take our word for it, “I have just had a new internet & VOIP package installed by Uplands and cannot thank my account manager enough for the work she carried out and how smoothly the process was made for myself/my company. Uplands worked with my IT company to get all settings & phones set up before install date and minimised the disruption for everyone in my office. Have used Uplands for a few years for all my business mobiles before this and would recommend them to anyone, especially after managing to get a whole new system installed for me during the global pandemic.” – Trustpilot Review.

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What do you need to do?

Our advice is free, with no-obligation, so you’ve got nothing to lose.

Call us today on 0800 24 00 00 to speak to an expert advisor who will provide you with all the advice you require, helping to give you peace of mind.

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To speak to a friendly expert today call us on 0800 24 00 00

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Everything we deliver is underpinned by our multi-award-winning level of Customer Care, most recently recognised at the Comms National Awards 2020 as Best SME Reseller and Best Mobile / IOT Solution and at the Mobile News Awards 2020 as Best B2B Dealer, and by our valued customers through our 5* Trust Pilot Rating. 

During these uncertain times, we are prioritizing the flexibility and adaptability of our services. Which means we are able to facilitate businesses continually changing requirements, so you benefit from flexible contract terms, great value and dedicated customer service.

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* Content within this blog post is subject to change, terms and conditions. Uplands Mobiles Ltd accepts no responsibility for the results generated by this blog post.