What does the PSTN switch off mean for your business?
BT Openreach are withdrawing their Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) facilities. These services have been utilised to carry voice and data for business through copper cables.
However, these copper cables are becoming increasingly obsolete. The world is going digital, and communications will be no different. All voice and data connectivity will become IP-based, so there’s no requirement to keep aging networks running.
Openreach began their copper-retirement process in December 2020, with another 166 BT Exchanges closed by the end of last year. The entire UK network will be switched off by 2025.
Why is this happening?
There is no longer a demand for the old copper circuits. Most businesses are already transitioning to leased-lines and fibre-based broadband that offers much greater speed and bandwidth. Many are also taking up digital voice services, hosted in the cloud, to provide wider scope for scalability and flexibility.
Similarly, businesses across the UK were already adopting more cloud-based services pre-pandemic, however COVID-19 forced operations to become disparate and remote, accelerating the use of video conferencing and other collaborative tools.
This in turn boosted the business demand for better bandwidth. The growth in using online services is continuing to rise, meaning stronger IT security is needed to protect endpoints and networks across various locations. These additional measures add to the increasing bandwidth requirement.
What should I do?
There is no longer a demand for the old copper circuits. Most businesses are already transitioning to leased-lines and fibre-based broadband that offers much greater speed and bandwidth. Many are also taking up digital voice services, hosted in the cloud, to provide wider scope for scalability and flexibility.
Similarly, businesses across the UK were already adopting more cloud-based services pre-pandemic, however COVID-19 forced operations to become disparate and remote, accelerating the use of video conferencing and other collaborative tools.
This in turn boosted the business demand for better bandwidth. The growth in using online services is continuing to rise, meaning stronger IT security is needed to protect endpoints and networks across various locations. These additional measures add to the increasing bandwidth requirement.
