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ISDN switch off scam

What is the ISDN Switchoff?

Openreach, (the division of BT that concentrates on delivering the fixed line services), has announced that they want to switch off the entire copper based, fixed line network, by the end of 2025. With over 7000 telephone exchanges, which are approaching 40 years old, it is time to dump the old digital network. This method uses copper wires to connect the telephone lines to the telephone exchanges and replace it with an Internet Protocol version (IP) with fibre optic cables and no telephone exchanges or voice services.

Some might say it is well overdue but the impact will be profound, every broadband, telephone line, alarm line, fax machine, credit card machine and telephone system in the UK will need to be modified or replaced to cope with the changes, in the next five years.

To avoid a chaotic final year (where the entire industry shares doubts there are not enough resources to cope with changing the 16 million lines that are currently in service) some planning is required to replace key internet and telephone services, well before the deadline date.

Attention ISDN Customers

The technology to replace PBX ISDN and multi-lines is already well proven and has been in service for 15 years. The new lines are called “SIP trunks”. They have lots of advantages over ISDN, are lower cost and give a much better experience to users. Savings in rental costs should just about cover the cost of upgrading your equipment.

Midland Telecom will offer a free upgrade to all customers with a minimum of four ISDN or Multi-lines if they take their lines with us for three years. We guarantee you will pay no set up fee, installation charges or any more for your line rentals and calls.

Avoiding the ISDN Switch off – Timeline

Benefits of Switching to SIP

A SIP connection can provide a lot of useful features besides saving you money in rental costs. See some of the features below. To see more info on our SIP solutions, please head over to our SIP page.

Work as a Team

Easy to transfer and park calls so your customers can get in touch with the right person

Security & Fraud Prevention

Features such as call barring, Spend limits and much more can be configured.

Professional Image

Caller Experience features including Call waiting, Music on Hold, Auto-Attendants and Customer Diverts.

Increased Efficiency

Intuitive features such as Call recording, Queuing, Diversions and Call stats.

Retain your Numbers

Midland Telecom will handle the porting of your existing numbers for you.

No Installation Costs*

Midland Telecom will offer free installations for the big ISDN Switch off.

What products are replacing the copper lines?

All solutions depend upon a fibre optic cable being delivered either to the local cabinet in the street or direct to the premises. Because the telephone exchange is going to be scrapped (that all current lines are dependant upon), virtually all existing services except fibre leased lines will need to be changed.

Voice services are being abandoned and you will source them from your current service provider, porting your number to their Voice Over IP based service, that plugs an IP phone into the new broadband line, called Single Order Generic Ethernet Access or SoGEA.

There are four possible routes.

1.Direct Fibre To The Premise or FTTP, a direct fibre optic provides a high speed broadband service up to 1Gb in speed (where available – mostly new builds have this)

2.Fibre to the local cabinet then copper to the premises, but a new type called Single Order Generic Ethernet Access. Or SoGEA. This computer style ethernet link can carry VoIP and broadband services in a combined link. It has Quality of Service (QoS) to provide good quality voice services and a broadband as well.

3.Fibre to the local cabinet and then copper carrying a high speed broadband called Single Order GFAST or SoGFAST. This high speed broadband will run at 300Mbps.

4.Finally in areas where the new services will take a time to reach, there is a transitional product that connects the old to the new IP network called SoTAP. Single Order Transitional Access Product.