Back in 2017, BT Openreach announced their intentions to switch off all of their existing PSTN and ISDN networks by 2025, leaving businesses just over six years to find a suitable alternative.
What are PSTN and ISDN?
PSTN and ISDN telephone networks have been used by homes and businesses for decades. PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) provided us with analogue voice communication via a network of copper cable before ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) took over in 1986. Using advanced technology, ISDN could carry digital voice, video, data and other network services over the traditional PSTN networks.
Why is BT Shutting Down Analogue Phone Lines?
ISDN is still widely used in homes and offices but it is fast becoming outdated with a host of different options available. Technology has advanced rapidly. With the recent investment in superfast fibre optic Internet and new ethernet products, there are now faster and more flexible alternatives available. New technology is not just faster and more flexible but it also provides a world of new opportunities for businesses. Therefore, BT Openreach has decided to discontinue its analogue phone lines and focus on developing and providing newer technologies.
What are the Alternatives?
There are a variety of alternatives to analogue that provide a much better solution for businesses. One popular choice is VoIP or cloud telephony. VoIP moves your entire phone system online and offers an array of additional features such as:
● Call recording
● Call queuing
● Unified communication – allowing the system to be accessed on multiple devices
● Omnichannel communication – allowing you to handle all of your communication channels such as calls, emails, social media and WhatsApp as one smooth, continuous interaction.
Moving to Digital
ISDN is now considered legacy technology. In the build-up to 2025, businesses still using ISDN will likely find that they are no longer able to add new lines. With the abundance of different alternatives on the market, it's essential that businesses explore options and move to their preferred supplier before they become automatically locked into a contract that doesn’t suit them with their existing providers. Free 2020 Audit Porthlas Communications, a Cardiff based telecommunications consultancy, are offering local businesses a free, impartial, no-obligation audit to help them identify the systems they have in place and the potential changes that they may face. Porthlas is offering to produce a free report that will give a business all the information they need to make a calculated decision and move forward with their transition from analogue to digital.
Tom Briscombe is the Technical Director at Porthlas Communications said.
“We enjoy helping businesses to get the most out of their communications systems. We are always happy to talk, consult and educate on anything relating to the world of communications and technology.
Many businesses have already moved to VoIP, and are reaping its benefits, but many others still haven’t even considered it. Our concern is that these organisations will be left behind and may be limited to certain suppliers when analogue is no longer available. That’s why we are happy to be able to provide free advice and educate businesses on the options that they have available, to not only ensure they get the best deal but to make sure they have access to all the features that will benefit them as a business.”
Porthlas Communications are offering a free audit, email them on [email protected]
