What is the 2025 switch-off?

2025 promises to be a momentous year for telecommunications in the UK. That’s when the ISDN and PSTN telephone networks are deactivated for good, which means saying goodbye to what most of us affectionately refer to as the ‘landline’.

But 2025 is four years away, so why are we talking about it now? That deadline is actually the endpoint of a process that has already begun. Openreach has stopped selling ISDN lines in a couple of trial areas, and over 200 exchanges across the country will be in this “stop sell” phase by January next year.

After that, the process picks up speed. No new lines will be available anywhere by the end of 2023. Meaning that, not only will your business not be able to add new lines, you won’t be able to make any changes – however minor – to the ISDN/PSTN services you already have. And in 2025, the plug will be pulled on both networks.

If you think your phone lines need upgrading – get in touch!

Why fix what ain’t broken?

The fact is, 2025 will creep up more quickly than you think, and as a small local business, you would be wise to start thinking about possible replacements for your ISDN line now. Businesses that fail to prepare for the switch-off – and at the moment there are lots of those – are liable to end up with an internet-based voice service (aka VoIP or hosted voice) that doesn’t completely meet their needs, or costs them too much money.

But why fix what ain’t broken, you may be asking? Your landline has never let you down. So why is BT forcing you to replace it?

The fact is, this technology is old, slow and liable to break. It might not have let you down yet, but with every passing year there’s an increasing chance that it will.

When ISDN was first implemented in the UK in the 1980s, it was a revelation, because for the first time it allowed voice and data to travel over the same line. But today we want to do so much more with our telephony and communications solutions, and ISDN struggles to cope. BT has decided to switch off the network to speed up the widespread adoption of more advanced and efficient communication technologies.

What will replace ISDN?

There’s a carrot and a stick here. The stick is the ISDN switch-off. The carrot is that the demise of ISDN gives businesses of all sizes the opportunity to revolutionise their communications, and maybe even save themselves money.

That’s because the hosted voice/VoIP alternatives to ISDN are, on the whole, more efficient, feature-rich and cost-effective than ISDN. So it’s not just that ISDN is becoming obsolete. It’s also that a better alternative is now widely available.

Those of you who remember the early days of Skype might shudder at the memory. Back in the early Noughties, internet telephony could be a deeply frustrating experience, with regular drop-outs and missed connections.

But as connectivity has progressed, so has VoIP. Internet-based telephony is now robust and reliable, and can do so much more than traditional ISDN.

The different flavours of VoIP

There are many VoIP services out there, so which one is right for you? It depends on your budget, your business, what you use telephony for and how that might change in future. But VoIP solutions you’re likely to come across include:

• Basic VoIP. Even basic VoIP services come with conferencing, voicemail and other useful features, and can be considerably more cost-effective than traditional landlines.
• Unified Communications (UC). UC brings all your business communications tools together in one package, from voice and video calls to conferencing, chat and email. It can also include collaboration tools like presence and screen share.
• Hosted voice. Hosted voice puts all your communications infrastructure in the cloud, which means you no longer have to house, manage and maintain telephony hardware. It also means your complete service is available from anywhere, on any device, wherever you have an internet connection, which is perfect for home and hybrid workers. It’s simple to scale, too. Plus, you take the same phone number with you wherever you go.

Whichever you choose, the right VoIP solution can be a boon for your business, offering the kind of features, scalability and agility that ISDN just can’t match.

Working out the right one for you can be confusing, but that’s where we come in. As a telecoms specialist, ConnectaPhone can help you assess your current and future needs and recommend a solution tailored to your circumstance. We’re a local supplier with 30 years of experience. That means we know the kinds of challenges small businesses in this area face and the VoIP alternatives available.

So, what is the 2025 switch-off? Really, it’s two things. It’s the end of the landline era, but it’s also an opportunity to future-proof your communications for years to come. There’s lots of choice out there and lots to consider, so it’s worth starting to think about it now. And the good news is that the sooner you adopt the right VoIP services, the sooner you’ll start enjoying the benefits of scalable, flexible, cost-effective telephony.

To learn more about VoIP and what ConnectaPhone can do for you, please get in touch with our friendly team on 01732 449 000 or book a call.