Did you know that phone companies in the UK plan to deactivate the country’s existing analogue telephone system?
This system, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), is due to be ‘switched off’ in December 2025 (Clark, A. 2023).
Switch off support!
Ofcom have confirmed that while the switch off is scheduled for this date, no communities will have their PSTN turned off until they have access to a full fibre network.
Just as full fibre networks are installed area-by-area, the PSTN will be turned off area-by-area. Rest assured, if your town or village does not have access to a full fibre network by December 2025, you will not be left without internet access. Please see the links we’ve provided below for further reading, or call Ofcom for switch off advice on 0300 123 3333 or 020 7981 3040. They will be able to answer all your queries! If you have any questions about your specific connection, be sure to contact your current service provider.
Why?
Because this network simply cannot handle our internet and broadband needs of the day. It’s a rapidly aging network that is becoming harder and more costly for companies to maintain.
While the decision is industry-led, the UK Government is working alongside Ofcom to ensure service providers are meeting their obligations so that communities are prepared for this change.
What is the PSTN?
This network is made up of copper wires and was first introduced in the late 1800s as the line of transmission for landline telephones. Needless to say, this technology, which is close to 150 years old, is no match to host the broadband needs of today. When the internet came into the picture, landline transmissions now had to share their transmission route with their new neighbour, broadband. Signals running on copper tend to get weaker the further they travel. This, coupled with competing landline and broadband transmission, means copper wires are cramped, slow, and unreliable.
What’s next? Full fibre broadband is the UK’s newest, fastest, most reliable broadband technology.
Instead of copper wires, full fibre networks rely on fibre cabling. Made from 100 per cent fibre (made from thin strands of either glass or plastic), these cables use light signals to transmit data. This means signals transmitted along these cables are travelling at the speed of light!
So, how will my landline still work?
Easy! Your landline transmission will use full fibre broadband technology to send the signals through the same cables as your internet. This new format of the classic home phone has been dubbed Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP.
What is VoIP?
VoIP is just the fancy new name the telecoms world has given to the landline of the future. The only difference between your current home phone and VoIP, is that the messages will be transmitted via full fibre cables instead of copper cables.
How do I make the switch?
Another easy one! The sooner you make the switch to full fibre broadband, the sooner you can get your new home phone (or VoIP) set up too. At Fusion Fibre Group, we make the switch as simple as possible – you can even keep your current number! Instead of waiting until the last minute, switch over now and secure some certainty for the future.
Contact us to secure the future of your landline!
Chat to our friendly team by calling 0333 305 7560 or email sales@fusionfibregroup.co.uk. To find out more, visit our website.
Sources
Clark, A. (2023). Digital telephone switchover. London: House of Commons Library. Retrieved from https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9471/
Further reading and information
- (2021, Oct 11). The UK’s PSTN network will switch off in 2025. Retrieved from https://business.bt.com/why-choose-bt/insights/digital-transformation/uk-pstn-switch-off/
- (2022, Feb 16). Getting ready for the 2025 PSTN switch-off. Retrieved from BT: https://business.bt.com/why-choose-bt/insights/digital-transformation/five-steps-to-digital/
- (2023, Apr 06). The big PSTN switch off: What’s happening between now and 2025? Retrieved from https://business.bt.com/why-choose-bt/insights/ip-technology/big-ptsn-switch-off-2025/
Openreach. (n.d.). We’re retiring our copper network. Retrieved from Openreach: https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/retiring-the-copper-network
