The PSTN switch off – An all IP telephone network
By December 2025 Openreach, the organisation that manages the fibres, wires and cables that keep the UK connected, will withdraw all support for the old public switched telephone network (PSTN). The whole of the UK will have switched over to an all-IP network (an internet based, fibre-optic communication).
So what is Fibre-optic communication?
Fibre-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of infrared light through an optical fibre.
We want to help prepare our customers for the switchover from the traditional circuit-switched telephone network involving copper wires, to an internet-based connection. This is especially important for businesses in the security industry as this means that all alarm systems that rely on a copper landline will be affected, as the property will be unmonitored as the analogue phone network will no longer be available.
Internet connection:
For areas of the UK that do not have internet connection, all phones and alarms at these locations will no longer work after the switchover as internet connection is required.
Many older alarm signalling systems rely on the PSTN to dial out to ARCs when there is a signal to send, meaning once customers transfer to an all-IP connection, these devices will no longer be able to carry out their intended tasks.
As part of the switchover every home and business with an existing internet connection will receive information from their network provider notifying them of the upgrade in their area.
The benefits of an all-IP network
The new network is far faster and more reliable than the older copper network, providing a more energy efficient future-proof network. Data will be sent quicker, and the cost should be lower. Full fibre broadband could also help cut your carbon footprint, which is necessary in the growing emissions of Carbon dioxide from human activity across the globe.
Salisbury was one of the first cities to be tested on, learning how to do things better and faster in a more aesthetically and eco-friendly way. The cabling process in areas such as Salisbury is said to be far less obtrusive, and the process is also less disruptive because you don’t need to deploy as many diggers.
Click Here to read more about the change over to IP.
