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The Great British Switch Off: What is Digital Voice and how will it impact your home phone service?

Guest Jul 15 2022

Digital Voice is Zen’s new home phone service for fibre connections. Our Digital Voice service delivers high definition audio with the support of the speed of internet all without the need for a phone line.

What is digital voice and how does it work?

Digital Voice simply refers to the future of landline services shifting over to Digital Voice technology. This will allow you to make HD voice phone calls over an internet connection and will include built-in features such as a voicemail service, call divert and call waiting. For traditional landline users, your existing telephone handset will need to be connected to your internet router for seamless service.

Why are we shifting to Digital voice?

Currently, the UK is slowly withdrawing the old copper network and moving everyone to digital only. Through replacing old fashioned phone lines with electric cables, calls will be made over the internet providing a more cost efficient option than traditional wiring.

What is the big landline switch off?

The pandemic has highlighted that we rely on the internet more than ever. The switch off will allow cheaper and provide higher quality phone calls throughout the UK.

The Big Switch Off is the gradual processing of shifting from an analogue phone line to a digital line, which is made over internet connection. The Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) will both be switched off completely by 2025. This means both businesses and homeowners will shift to digital voice rather than through the traditional phone lines which is carried over copper wiring.

Internet communications have meant landlines are becoming less popular, with telecommunications companies highlighting how PSTN equipment is costly to maintain and lack high quality calls. Traditional telephone lines can be unreliable due to its infrastructure of copper cables which are impacted by external hazards such as weather conditions and being underground.

How will the big landline switch affect me?

The last few years has seen us all have embrace change via technology more than ever, from the use of mobile phones, applications and video calls. Your previous landline phone will still work when the big landline switch off happens when connected to the internet router.

One consideration to make when transitioning to Digital Voice is that it is not compatible with some monitored alarm systems, which commonly connect through phone lines. If you use an alarm system at your property, you should contact your alarm company in advance.

What are the benefits of digital voice?

Cost

Saving money is one of the major reasons many are migrating to digital phone services. Digital Voice allows you to adapt the package as is necessary and can help prevent surprise costs at the end of the month which sometimes happen with traditional landline service.
Both internet and voice communications will use a singular digital network with Digital Voice, allowing users experience reduced maintenance costs when it comes to repairing traditional phone wiring.
With a traditional landline service you usually pay for service charges, towards the installation, repairs and maintenance costs.

Features

Digital Voice incorporates special features such as voicemail, call waiting, call barring, and call diversion
Digital Voice also has a special feature which helps blacklist nuisance calls
Digital Voice offers HD-quality calling, and the call barring option helps prevents calls being made to high rate or international destinations so you do not exceed costs.

Will I need a new handset for Digital Voice?

Your existing telephone handset will need to be connected to your internet router for seamless service. Digital Voice services are cost effective, as you’re paying simply for an internet connection with a small additional fee for Digital Voice features.