PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Service, the circuit-switched telephone networks used for public telecoms. For BT, this means the network of copper wires that connects the UK.

BT announced they will shut off their ISDN and PSTN services completely in 2027, enabling every phone line to go digital. In preparation, Openreach put a stop to all ISDN & PSTN sales in 2023. Businesses can continue using the already installed product until 2027, but it cannot be modified, improved and has a lot of restrictions. Broadband services over ADSL, FTTC, EoFTTC and EFM are also affected and need to be migrated to next generation services.

September 2023 saw Openreach issue a full ‘Stop Sell’ of new supply and there will be no new lone installation for ISDN. By 2027, it will be imperative that you switch to alternative solutions by this date, in order to avoid ultimately being left without a service. Your provider should be aiming to migrate all services and offer alternative solutions. At Onecom, we will be helping our customers to find the best solution to suit their individual situations by assessing their business requirements and using our independent status to offer a bespoke solution.

If you currently have an ISDN line, you will have to upgrade your telephony by January 2027. With modern technology, telephone services no longer have to rely on the ageing copper infrastructure. Services can now be provided using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). However, for your new VoIP phones to work effectively, you’ll need a quality internet connection so that your solution can run seamlessly, our connectivity solutions can provide you with increased speed and intelligence. Although you don’t currently have to do anything, be aware that when your contract is up for renewal you may want or have to switch to a hosted telephony system. If you are looking into future-proofing your business now, you will need to ensure you have a business-grade broadband solution. We can help you to assess your hosted options and ensure you are getting the most of your services.