So, what’s happening?
BT has announced that ISDN services will cease by 2025. ISDN and PSTN hardware will stop being sold after 2020. This might seem like a long time away, but BT is moving its entire voice network over to Voice over IP (VoIP) in stages before then. If you have not already adopted VoIP, then organisations now need to start planning for the switchover, either by ensuring their current system is IP (SIP Trunk) compatible or starting a completely new VoIP deployment.
Why are BT doing this?
BT have recognised that existing ISDN and PSTN voice services are simply outdated, so have planned to migrate these legacy services to a single IP core network. Voice over IP (VoIP) has many advantages over PSTN and ISDN, it is much quicker to provision, more cost-effective and hugely out-performs legacy services with its flexibility and simplicity to scale up or down.
How will BT do it?
Much like when the digital TV network switchover happened in 2012, this will be forced migration. Although 2025 seems a long way off, with millions of ISDN customers in the UK, a good proportion of users have already had a switch-off date for their ISDN services. As of 2020, you will no longer be able to purchase any systems that use ISDN or PSTN, so if your current telephony contract is up for renewal within the next few years – now is the time to start exploring the benefits of IP technologies.
What do I need to do to get ready?
To find out how this will affect your business then speak to vivi, your IP switchover partner on 03333 447 445, and book an either no obligation site survey, or get a free quotation today & ensure that your business doesn’t get left behind.