You may have started to see mentions of a 2025 PSTN Switch Off for businesses. But what is the Switch Off and what does your business need to do to prepare? In this blog, we’ll run through what’s happening, why and simple next steps your business can follow to get ready.  

What is the PSTN Switch Off? 

BT announced it will be switching off its PSTN and ISDN networks in favour of IP voice services. A gradual phase-out of legacy systems began in 2020 and from 2023 BT will stop selling the supply of wholesale line rentals. All businesses will need to find other IP-based options for their business telephony systems. The switch off is planned for 2025. 

 
Should your business prepare? 

The switch off deadline might still feel far away but we recommend that all affected businesses start to put plans in place now. If your business currently relies on PSTN or ISDN, then it’s vital you evolve as you might hand the advantage to your more digital-savvy competitors. By 2025, businesses that haven’t moved to a digital telephone system will have no working telecoms. It’s as simple as that.  

Despite the looming deadline, you shouldn’t rush the decision of what to do next. Fail to choose the right communications provider, particularly if you’re a business that’s growing quickly, and you might be left with a phone system that causes more problems further down the line.  

Decision-makers must see their preferred telecoms as an investment in the future of their business. Considering your options while there is still enough time could make the difference between adopting a future-proofed system and one that needs replacing in five years due to further technological advancements. 

When choosing a new telephone system, look for a cloud-based voice over internet protocol (VoIP) product that can stand the test of time and offer greater flexibility than wired telephony. It should also easily integrate with other key business systems and software. Siloed telecoms will only create efficiency issues further down the line. 

Why VoIP? 

VoIP gives businesses the freedom to make and receive calls through their existing internet, rather than the PSTN or an ISDN network. This will help them overcome the upcoming PSTN/ISDN switch off and will open avenues for additional benefits that were not previously accessible. 

Cost efficiency aside, VoIP phone systems are more flexible. Cloud-based VoIP services allow you to make calls from anywhere and include additional features to integrate key Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business tools with your telephony system. With remote working in mind, VoIP is a key enabler of the “work from anywhere” model that is becoming dominant across industries. 

Being able to work from anywhere, at any time without seeing a negative impact on productivity or efficiency is now increasingly expected of all business systems – business communication tools are leading the way here. 

Cloud-based services also depend on the fastest speeds the internet can provide and as we move into a world of 5G, which we know is 20 times faster than 4G, there are no doubts that it will enhance VoIP for businesses and become the new global standard. 

What to do next 

To prepare for the switch off, business leaders first need to understand what telephony solutions are on offer to replace PSTN and ISDN. Ensuring the right technology is adopted that not only meets your current business needs but also needs that may arise in the future, is the most important consideration for businesses surrounding the switch off. 

VoIP is less rigid than traditional phone systems and is quickly becoming the norm for businesses of all sizes. When it comes to choosing your next phone system ahead of the switch off, we’re here to help you understand everything you need to know about VoIP. 

We’ve created a free guide that outlines what VoIP is, how much it costs and the equipment you’ll need. Click here to access your copy of the guide now.  

Our cloud-based phone system is intuitive, easy to use and scalable. It’s already used by growing businesses from all sectors, giving them the flexibility and reliability, they need to communicate effectively.  

The 2025 deadline might feel a long way off at the moment, but we’d recommend acting now. We offer a free trial of CircleLoop to give you an idea of how the system works and how it can streamline your existing communications.