A Cardiff-based telecommunications firm has expanded its team and taken on additional office space to accommodate the increasing demand for services in the run-up to the switch off of traditional copper telephone lines.

Experienced sales account manager, John Cutter, joins Blend Telecom from Complete, one of the UK’s leading providers of business supplies and services, to help prepare businesses for the inevitable disruption of the switch off in 2025 which will see telephone systems cease to work unless they move to a newer, digital system.

With 10 years of experience and business connections across the region, John joins the team at a crucial time as the demand for new phone systems increases among businesses.

Blend Telecom, which is based in Lambourne House at Llanishen Business Park, has also opened an additional 1,500sqft office at Colomendy Industrial Estate in Denbigh to service its growing customer base across North Wales. The business specialises in providing broadband, mobile, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), energy and IT services, to both large companies and small businesses.

The switch off refers to the change from the existing 150-year-old analogue telephone network of copper wires, to a new, fully digital network that will provide faster and more reliable communications across the UK.

Telecommunications companies are facing a high-demand for services as the deadline to switch draws nearer and time is running out to upgrade systems. As well as expanding the team, Blend Telecom has been preparing by future-proofing their customers and educating them on what the switch-off will mean for their business’ communication and connectivity needs.

Jay Birch, founder and managing director at Blend Telecom, said:

“Over the past five years we have been successfully switching our customers phone systems to fibre, as copper lines are phased out. The switch is going to affect businesses in unprecedented ways, with vital communication networks at risk if they are not updated in time. With hybrid and fully remote working now more common than ever, businesses have a real opportunity to invest in a system that will allow them to stay connected and available to customers regardless of where staff are working from.

“We are excited to welcome John to the team, as an experienced sales manager he will be playing a key role in facilitating our ongoing growth by using his connections to identify new business across Wales and beyond. The opening of an office in Denbigh gives us a base closer to our customers in North Wales and the North West of England.”

Blend Telecom was established by telecoms expert Jay Birch in 2018, following 15 years’ experience in the industry, including 10 years at BlackBerry during the smartphone boom and managing mobile communications for the likes of Vodafone Group, HSBC and Lloyds Bank.

The businesses’ current clients include Capital Law, Hugh James, Gambit, Powell Dobson Architects, Kaleidoscope Project and PR Signs.