New year, new you already feeling a little old? You’re not alone, a 2021 study found that around two-thirds of people quit their resolutions just a month after making them.
But while you may not read 52 books this year, or take up running, or up your water intake, there’s one resolution you should make and not break. And it relates to your business telephone.
You’ve probably heard of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) switch off. After all, we’ve been talking about it for some time. And, while the 2025 shut down date still feels a while away, it’s important you start preparing your business for its end this year.
There’s an important date in the diary this year — the stop sell. In September, Openreach will complete its UK-wide stop sell of several wholesale line rental (WLR) products as it begins to withdraw PSTN and integrated services digital network (ISDN) services. That includes new working line takeovers, migrations, Communications Provider (CP) transfers, the addition of broadband to copper voice lines and the addition of lines and channels to existing installations.
That means, if you want to buy products that rely on the PSTN, you won’t be able to do so after this year. You can still use your existing services until December 2025, but it’s much better to get ahead of the upgrade.
Shockingly, one in five UK businesses are thought to still be using traditional landlines over newer, cloud-based services. That’s a lot of phone lines to upgrade. Getting ahead, therefore, will ensure you’re already reaping the benefits of a fully-digital phone system before your competition.