British Telecom (BT) announced that it would shut down PSTN and ISDN in 2025, just two years from now. Companies that still rely on PSTN telephony will have to upgrade their communication systems.
Read on to learn more about how this could affect you and what you can do about it.
PSTN & ISDN
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is an analogue telephony system similar to the one we use in our houses. It provides landline service via copper cable networks where signals are transferred via a series of exchanges that connect two phones.
Despite being generally stable, PSTN connections are losing ground in terms of price and effectiveness compared to their cloud-based alternatives.
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a digital system used to simultaneously transmit audio, video, and other data over the network.
Why Are They Being Shut Down
To put it simply, both ISDN and PTSN systems are unsuitable for modern telecommunications. BT has realized that IP systems are the future of telecommunication, and with many enterprises already adopting new technologies, demand for traditional systems has decreased over the last decade.
Who Will Be Affected
If your company is one of many that are still utilizing an ISDN connection, you will be affected.
Since the shutdown date is almost here, it’s time to begin considering your alternatives and making sure you’re ready with a replacement system. The alternatives have shown to work well for any firm transitioning away from outdated systems in recent years.
What to Do About It
When implementing IP solutions, you have two choices: SIP trunking and Hosted Phone Systems. Both solutions allow you to make internet calls, but they work and are configured in different ways.
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking enables you to make calls using your on-premises internet connection and your on-premises PBX. When you make a call, instead of going straight from your phone to the on-premise PBX, it goes through the SIP trunk over the internet. Incoming calls come into the SIP trunk, over the PBX, to the phone. This implies you don’t need physical phone lines to place or receive calls.
You can also transition your phone network to a fully hosted cloud solution with a Hosted Phone System or a Hosted PBX, which means you don’t need a physical hardware to place or receive calls or operate the system. To make calls through VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), simply link your headphones to the network, and you’re ready to go.
With such a flexible system, you can handle and configure your telephony system through an easy-to-use platform, work from anywhere with plug-and-play headphones and apps, and take advantage of a variety of included features.
Microsoft Teams supports both SIP trunking and Hosted Phone Systems, giving organizations the flexibility to choose the IP solution that best fits their needs. With Teams, both options are fully integrated, giving you the ability to manage and configure your telephony system through a user-friendly platform, work from anywhere with plug-and-play headphones and apps, and take advantage of a variety of included features such as call routing, voicemail, and call recording. Teams allows you to stay connected and productive no matter where you are, with the added benefit of having both options available to you.
Things to Consider
Moving to IP telephony systems is fairly simple, but there are some things you should consider.
Legacy Equipment
Depending on the number of people in your company, you may already have a lot of existing equipment in place. If you’re a small shop owner and use just one ISDN line in a small shop, you should consider upgrading to a completely hosted solution. It’s extremely affordable and adaptable, allowing you to effortlessly add new users and configure services like call forwarding.
If you have a large corporation with an on-premise PBX, it might be better to preserve your current equipment and modify it to be acceptable for use after the switch-off. In that situation, it’s critical that your PBX supports IP telephony if you’re considering a SIP solution.
Otherwise, the cost of building a new on-premise system just to stay compatible may not be worth it. To avoid large upfront expenses, you might prefer a hosted service.
Agility
With the rise of hybrid work, a lot of employees are working from home, so it’s important to take this into account when deciding on the best communication system.
If your company has a similar arrangement, you can benefit from a hosted phone system, which allows employees to use it regardless of their location.
Number Portability
If you plan to upgrade your system, be sure you have a strategy in place to transfer your numbers in a timely manner. If you utilize location-based phone numbers or wish to keep all the existing ones, you must remember to port the numbers from your old provider.
This process can take a while, depending on how many numbers you need to migrate over, so make sure to notify the provider in advance to avoid issues.
Connectivity
When upgrading to a system that significantly relies on broadband connectivity, it’s critical to have a system in place that can give good speeds and is stable.
If you can afford it, a leased line can provide you with guaranteed, uninterrupted speeds as well as SLAs that ensure you are always connected.
Special Features
Based on the way you use your existing phone system; you may have specific requirements. So, ensure that you know exactly what you need, and then ask your supplier if these features are available. You don’t want to select a new solution just to discover later that it lacks the capabilities that you require.
