Traditional landline phone systems, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network, or (PSTN) will soon be a thing of the past.
Openreach has long planned to switch off this ageing infrastructure – and December 2025 is the end of the road for this Victorian-age technology.
So, what is the 2025 digital switchover and what does it mean for your business?
The 2025 digital switchover involves landline phones switching to digital alternatives as a result of all analogue telephone lines switching off by 2025.
Anyone still using the PSTN between now and the digital switchover date will need an alternative way to make and receive calls. Any systems that remain linked to your phone line, like CCTV or security alarms, won’t work either.
If you want to keep making landline calls and keep other PSTN processes working after 2025, you’ll need to switch to a web-based, digital alternative.
Many of us grew up with traditional analogue telephone lines using copper wiring to send voices worldwide.
First introduced in 1875 (literally Victorian times!), the PSTN is no match for the speed or reliability of digital technologies we use today.
PSTN technology was never designed to manage services like full fibre broadband, instant messaging, or video calls. It’s also incompatible with many of the features found on modern-day phones.
Throw in the high cost of maintaining this once revolutionary system, and the case for retiring it becomes even stronger.
For all these reasons, it is expected that Openreach will be switching off the PSTN in December 2025. This digital switchover date will affect all homes and businesses currently operating on PSTN and ISDN lines.
Companies that don’t make the transition to a digital alternative before 2025 could quickly find themselves left without a functional phone system.
Companies can prepare for the 2025 digital switchover by examining their current business communication system. If your enterprise still uses a copper, analogue telephone line, it will need to adopt a web-based, digital replacement.
To avoid losing that vital phone service, businesses should make the move to a Voice over IP (VoIP) system before the digital switchover date – 31st December 2025.
VoIP uses the internet to transmit calls digitally, offering several advantages over PSTN. These include:
One of the most important considerations when switching to VoIP is ensuring you have enough internet bandwidth for clear, reliable voice calls.
Keep your business up to date with speedy full fibre broadband that relies on fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology.
Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) networks use traditional copper phone lines, whereas full-fibre FTTP uses fibre optic connections that link straight to your home.
A trusted VoIP provider will manage the entire migration process for you, including porting your existing phone numbers to your new system to minimise any potential disruption or confusion.
We provide this at Ogi, as we aim to make sure that all Welsh businesses prosper from using our cutting-edge high-speed broadband services.
With the 2025 digital switchover looming, it’s never been more important for businesses to look at the VoIP options in front of them and join the many organisations already benefitting from next-generation telecom services.
Those who pop their heads in the sand will find themselves without a vital phone service in the not-too-distant future.
We are Ogi: Wales’s leading alternative network provider giving local families and businesses reliable and ultrafast services.
Check out our guide on how to choose the right VoIP provider for your business, or for more industry tips and news, here’s our blog page.
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Updated on 05/04/24
