There are three milestones you should be aware of:
- in 2023 Openreach will stop selling and making products available for new supply
- by April 2025 they will focus on the migration of ‘orphaned’ end customers to new voice IP services
- in December 2025, all ISDN and WLR services and relevant products will be withdrawn and no longer be in use
The WLR product family is made up of WLR analogue, ISDN 2, ISDN 30 and broadband that runs over analogue lines.
Key reasons for switching off:
- PSTN services are old and getting harder to maintain and will be shut down at the end of 2025,
- there is a growing global trend to move away from traditional phone networks to IP based voice solutions.
All end customers must move from the withdrawn products before the end of December 2025.
What services are affected by the PSTN switch off?
- Fibre Broadband (FTTC) and standard broadband (ADSL).
- Voice services over a landline (you will be unable to make and receive calls using your landline).
Other products and services affected by the change are alarms and payment terminals. Customers should begin looking into IP based solutions for these products before the PSTN network reaches end-of-life.
Other solutions available:
- VoIP (Voice Over IP) phone systems to make calls.
- FTTP (Fibre To The Premises)
- SOGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access).
FTTP and SOGEA services require a physical line, however calls cannot be made from it.
What do you need to do?
- Develop a migration plan
- Start now!
How Octagon can help you
We’re able to supply internet connectivity for your home or business. We also have VoIP solutions for your calls. If you would like to know more please contact us on 01522 797520
FAQ:
Can I keep my landline number after the PSTN switch off?
Yes. VoIP providers such as ourselves can port your landline number into our VoIP system within 10 working days.
I do not have broadband, but I want to make calls – what can I do?
Openreach are set to announce a new broadband product with reduced bandwidth which will be available at a considerably lower cost to allow customers to be able to use a VoIP phone system.
Octagon also offers a VoIP solution which will allow you to retain your existing landline number to use on your mobile phone using your mobile data in place of broadband.
What should you do now?
- Contact us to discuss your options
- Start on developing a migration plan – we can help you with this
- Migrate to new products – we can offer the solution for you.
Contact us on 01522 797520 or telecoms@octagontech.com.
