Ask the expert: the PSTN/ISDN switch off

In our first ever edition of Ask the Expert, we’re putting your questions about the Great British Switch Off to Zen’s All-IP Migrations Manager, Jodie McGovern.

Jodie is our expert in all things related to the PSTN stop sell and the copper telephone network switch off, and she’s taken time out of her schedule to provide her expertise on some of your most pressing questions:

I’m gearing up for the switch to VoIP but have concerns about how my intruder alarm will continue to work. Do you have any advice?

To date, alarm services have been reliant on having an analogue phone line, so that in the event of an intrusion a call can be made to the ARC (alarm receiving centre) who will handle the incident. Like many other industries, alarm companies will have to be ready for the switch off, to ensure they are able to provide a service that is compatible with digital technologies.

My advice is to contact your alarm vendor as soon as possible to find out their plans and roadmap before making any changes.

Do we have to do anything now and if so, what?

While the PSTN/ISDN switch off won’t happen until December 2025, there are only a couple of months remaining until stop sell comes into effect. This won’t just affect the supply of new services that rely on the copper infrastructure (such as line rental, ISDN or ADSL, FTTC and G.Fast broadband), but also any current services that exist on these technologies.

For example, you will be limited in terms of any in-life changes that you might wish to make such as increasing ISDN channels or bandwidth on your connection. We advise upgrading your service as soon as possible to avoid these inevitable issues.

We have broadband from you and a PSTN line from another provider. We have six users on a telephone system. What would be the best solution for us?

From the circumstances you have described, it sounds like you would benefit most from our CloudComms offering. This would allow you to manage multiple phone users over a single connection. You can find out more about CloudComms here.

When can I change to full fibre?

This will depend on availability at your premises. If full fibre (also known as FTTP or Fibre to the Premises) is available, you can upgrade straight away. If full fibre isn’t available at your address yet but you want to upgrade your voice service, you can move to a technology called SoGEA (single order generic ethernet access), which is a fibre-based data only service that supports VoIP technology.

What will we need to do to comply with the copper switch off? Is there anything we can do to continue using our usual handsets but on the new infrastructure?

Yes, if you are not already using IP phones, you can use an ATA (analogue telephone adapter) with your existing handsets to convert the analogue signal to digital.

Are all companies switching copper off or just Zen?

This is a nationwide transition from analogue to digital driven by Openreach, and all telecoms companies will be managing the same PSTN/ISDN retirement with their own customers. It is worth noting that this extends to more than just telecoms providers though. There will be an impact on the CCTV, utility, lift, alarm and telecare industries too. In fact, any industry that relies on analogue voice connections to deliver their services will be affected, and they too will need to ensure that their products and services are ready for the move to digital.

Can I plug two analogue connections into my FRITZ!Box router using a splitter, such as one phone and one alarm making outgoing calls?

The FRITZ!Box 7530 can support up to 4 ATAs (analogue telephone adapters). Typically, an ATA has two ports, and each port represents a line. However, it is important that you contact your alarm provider to check that they are prepared for the switch to digital technologies before making any changes.

What if we don’t have fibre yet?

According to Ofcom, 97% of UK premises have access to some form of fibre broadband (full fibre or fibre to the cabinet). This will increase further as Openreach and the altnets continue their fibre rollout programmes across the country. It will be worth checking if there is a planned date for your premises. If you are unsure how to go about this, we can check for you.

Our landline is well known by our customers. Will we lose it when we get switch off ready?

When you upgrade your voice service, we are able to port your number for you to ensure that your customers can continue to contact you in exactly the same way.

Can we wait until 2025? Is there any point in switching early? What will happen if we don’t do anything?

We would not recommend waiting unnecessarily. Change is coming and it is unavoidable, but by make the switch as soon as possible you will be helping to safeguard and future proof your business communications.

Can I take Digital Voice with my business account, and would that impact on the cost? How easy is it?

This depends on your voice requirements. If you require a simple phone line replacement – dial tone only with some very basic call network features – then Digital Voice will be a great fit. If your voice requirements extend to a requirement for smart applications, then our scalable and feature-rich CloudComms service will be the best fit.