Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) service is being shut down and moved to a fully digital network service in 2027 (updated May 2024) , which is anticipated to impact businesses across the United Kingdom with an estimated 14 million lines total affected.
Because of the shift of communications deliver, the PSTN is no longer capable of serving multimedia delivery (voice, video, and data) at a high speed. The delivery will be switched to an Internet Protocol through Voice over IP (VoIP).
The UK switch off will impact all business that currently operate on PTSN or Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN), which was a first iteration of high-speed internet launched in the 90s.
Benefits of Voice over IP
VoIP can do anything that traditional landlines could, just as a next step up. There is no concern that your VoIP connection will cause a loss in key functions. VoIP has many additional benefits over a landline connection:
Scalability: It’s simple to add more employees or more applications as needed.
Unified communications: Integrating email, browsers, and intranet is simple when using an IP.
Affordability: Particularly for small and medium businesses, VoIP can actually be less costly than PSTN or ISDN.
Robust: The technology for VoIP has been around for decades and has matured considerably in light of high-speed internet connections, making this a robust, mature, and reliable technology for business.
Begin a Planning Phase Now
With 2025 only a few years away, it’s important to begin implementing planning now. The PSTN turndown affects more than just phone calls, but rather all technologies that are interconnected with phone lines, such as door entry systems and alarms.
You want your migration to go smoothly and strategising ahead of time can provide agility, as well as potentially saving costs.
The first requirement is to evaluable your network and make sure it can handle the additional voice traffic without affecting current operations or the quality of sound in voice calls. Any latency may result in dropped calls, or at the very least, voice delays.
Moving to an internet-based phone system requires hardware to connect and power voice over IP (VoIP) applications. KORE can provide the resilient routers necessary to optimise network traffic and you’re your calls on the line.
Connectivity and Hardware from KORE
KORE can provide future-proofed 5G routers, so you’re already prepared when ready to make the transition. KORE can also provide the resilient connectivity needed to keep business communications running seamlessly.
With cellular as a primary network, costly landline connections can be replaced with reliable wireless networks. With KORE Business Continuity solutions, routers and gateways are bundled with 4G LTE cellular connectivity to deliver cost-effective, reliable connections for communications.
Or for those not interested in migrating from landline connections to cellular, KORE Business Continuity offers cellular failover. With routers equipped with 4G LTE or those that are 5G-ready, KORE can build the solutions you need for secure, reliable communications. Learn more about our solutions!
Interested in business continuity solutions? Watch this on-demand webinar from KORE and Cradlepoint to see how seamlessly hardware and connectivity work together for resilient business communications.
Ready to make the switch? Connect with us to get started.
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