Future of PSTN and ISDN

The Public Switch Telephone Network allows calls to be made over copper telephone lines and fibre telephone lines using analogue signalling and is known as “traditional telephony”. As broadband services have increased in reliability and quality over the past 10 years, the PSTN has evolved to support this change to an almost completely digital network using digital technology. This means there will no longer be a requirement for the majority of traditional fixed line telephony users for fixed-analogue services in the coming years and traditional fixed lines and calls will cease to exist. The priority for Openreach moving forward, is to maintain a high availability fibre first network, as a result their legacy infrastructure and equipment serving the PSTN is now ageing and becoming more difficult to maintain

Openreach held a consultation with communications providers over plans for the huge task of shifting around 16 million telephone lines in the UK to VOIP by the year 2025.

This move is part of the nationwide Openreach plan to “turn-off” its traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) in the UK and move customers onto mainly fibre-based networks. As part of this move, Openreach will be withdrawing its Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) products towards the end of 2023.

The following is an exceprt from Digital Wholesale Solutions our telecommunications partner.

Openreach’s method to withdraw WLR and ISDN telephony products is still to be confirmed. Their strategy for UK wide withdrawal is still undefined in regards to if this will be at exchange level, geographical area or premise technology availability. Openreach have begun trailing the withdrawal in two exchanges, with the first starting as early as September 2019. This is the date CPs expect Openreach to issue a formal notification of stop sell in their Salisbury Exchange, Wiltshire. This exchange is the Openreach Full Fibre Trial and is the first of two Openreach Trial Exchanges, which will see full withdrawal of WLR and ISDN by December 2022. The second exchange is the Mildenhall Exchange which will see the first Single Order (SO) trial begin circa January 2020. This exchange will focus on a complete withdrawal of services by the December 2022 also, even if no fibre is available. Premises serviced by the Mildenhall Exchange will be replaced with SOGEA and SOTAP products and the communication provider will need to provide an over the top VoIP replacement service such as a hosted PBX system license or SIP Trunking

The BT Openreach PSTN and ISDN 2025 Switch Off – Digital Wholesale Solutions

What does this mean for me ?

With the end of PSTN and ISDN services quickly approaching, and the retirement of existing “analogue” phone systems, it’s the right time to look at your future options, why not contact RRA Services Ltd and we’ll help recommend the right options for you, get in touch today on 01531 556005 to discuss your options, alternatively you can visit our Telephone Systems page to learn more about the systems we offer.

Be sure to check out our PBX/VOIP Phone System Calculator and if our Business Telephone Challenge form, both of which have been designed to help save you money!