THE BT OPENREACH ISDN SWITCH OFF STARTS IN 2020

On April 12, 2019

BT Openreach have announced their intention to cease the PSTN (Analogue line) and ISDN network. Openreach are starting with a cease in new supply in 2020 and a full migration to newer technologies by 2025. This announcement is going to affect many businesses in the near future, especially those wishing to increase their existing ISDN channel capacity or those looking to upgrade their current business telephone system.

With over 30 years serving the UK’s SMEs Midland Telecom is a specialist in ISDN to SIP conversions, and offers bespoke solutions tailored to your business. Whether it’s an upgrade to your existing system using your current handsets or a no physical handset telephony solution we’re here to help.

Why Are BT Openreach Phasing Out ISDN and PSTN?

The short answer is that they are old fashioned technologies with associated maintenance costs and limitations. PSTN is the traditional telephone line network which carries analogue voice data over copper lines. This technology dates back to the late 1800’s and has served us well. However, new technology brings cost savings and increased reliability which means the end for the traditional telephone line.

BT Openreach ISDN Switch Off

The ISDN switch off will mark the next evolutionary step of telecommunication technology. Introduced in 1986 ISDN technology allowed both voice and data services to be delivered simultaneously. For the technology and services at the time, it served its purpose very well and continued to do so for many years. Technology has since moved on and old telephone solutions are lagging behind the cheaper, more flexible alternatives in an increasingly fast paced digital world.

How to Prepare for The BT Openreach ISDN Switch Off

Although the BT ISDN end of life of 2025 has not been set in stone, businesses will be unable to buy systems that use ISDN and PSTN after 2020. If you currently have a traditional ISDN/PSTN based system, now is a good time to look into your options with Midland Telecom.

FREE INSTALLATION AND SETUP OF YOUR UPGRADED SOLUTION WITH MIDLAND TELECOM

Teaming up with our partners, Midland Telecom is able to offer no upfront cost upgrades to your legacy system. Although there is plenty of time until 2025 rolls around, it’s always best to plan ahead. You may actually find you want to migrate sooner rather than later after discovering the benefits of upgrading now.

IP Technology – Life After The BT Openreach ISDN Switch Off

IP (Internet Protocol) telephony has been around for a while and many businesses have already benefited from the technology. New HD VoIP has addressed all of the early issues associated with the newer technology and VoIP is here to stay promising cheaper calls around the globe.

Openreach’s announcement is driving the switch to VoiP/SIP solutions Eventually all phone lines will be superseded by IP technology, which is vastly superior to what we have used in the past.

Here is a quick overview of the main business benefits for using hosted VoIP such as Midland Cloud Voice.

It’s very affordable/cost effective

There’s no need for masses of on-site equipment, you only pay for as many users as you require and calls are made through internet lines.

Easy setup & maintenance

Because there is so little on-site equipment, setting up and maintaining the system is a much simpler job than with a traditional telephone system.

Freedom

The flexible nature of the technology allows you to easily add and remove users as you need. Physical location doesn’t matter, anywhere you’ve got an internet connection, you can have a number

Further information can be found here: https://www.midlandtelecom.co.uk/sip-trunking-explained/

If you have any questions or if we can help you any further, please don’t hesitate to contact us using our enquiry form or call 0121 214 1110 today.