How to handle the PSTN / ISDN switch-off

It’s strange to think that the connectivity most of the UK uses, both in business and at home, is still carried by our public switched telephone network (PSTN)—mostly unchanged since its inception way back in the 19th century.

Things are stranger still when you realise the PSTN isn’t that far off the one Alexander Graham Bell used to make the first ever telephone call!

But nowadays PSTN doesn’t just power voice: it also runs the UK’s asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) and fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) services.

So it came as a shock to many back in 2015 when BT revealed that they’d be switching off PSTN and ISDN in 2025, and halting new orders from 2023. Despite their age, millions still rely on these networks for their telephony and Internet needs; and while BT has named workarounds like SOTAP for people without access to full fibre, it won’t even enter testing until 2021. Even then, it’ll only be able to simulate the quality of existing ADSL and FTTC products at best.

It’s true that this is all part of their Fibre First strategy to make fibre more widely available, but it’s going to be a bumpy road getting there, and for many businesses it’s created the perfect opportunity to rethink their connectivity strategies.

This raises the question:

It’s been a staple for decades, but the range of services that need connectivity has far outgrown the PSTN—especially now that IoT has taken centre stage the way it has. From franking machines, cash points and lifts to EPOS services, asset tracking, fleet management, remote working… the list goes on. And as the world adapts to the new normal, businesses are leaning on innovative new IoT and connectivity solutions to stay open.

We’re getting to a point where ADSL and FTTC won’t cut it anymore. Waiting months for installation, battling with outages, and struggling through years-long billing commitments aren’t problems you want when you’re running a business.

And while fibre-to-the-premises solves some of these problems, you’ve got to jump through hoops to make it viable.

You go mobile.

Specifically, you use unsteered 4G Multi-network SIMs that swap networks if there’s a coverage dip or outage, so you can cover your offices, venues, or outlets with the same resilient solution; no matter where they are.

And with mobile connectivity , you can chop and change the contract however you need, whether you’re after 30 days or 3 years, 500 Megabytes or 500 Terabytes—so you don’t need to be trapped in a minimum 12-month relationship with fibre broadband that doesn’t give you what you need. Which means you can plan pop-up outlets stores around seasons and footfall, or set up remote offices for temporary projects.

Not to mention, many new fibre products are looking like they’ll be far more expensive than their wholesale line rental counterparts. Flexible, cost-effective mobile data packages mean businesses don’t have to allocate huge swathes of budget to fibre upgrades.

And for the most bandwidth-hungry applications, you can use hardware like a line-bonding router to build what I like to call the FrankenSIM™. By bonding up to 7 SIM cards together in one device, you can enable throughput of over 5Gbps!

Lastly, if fixed-lines still have a firm place in your plans, do your business a favour and grab a mobile backup solution that kicks in seamlessly when your fixed-line goes down; one with full mobile L2TP capabilities, including static IP and subnet services.

Now that 5G rollouts are ramping up and 5G solutions are available, it’s worth asking: does your next solution even need a fixed-line, or does it deserve better?

Sure, we’ve got by through digging up roads all these years. But where we’re going now, we don’t need roads. The future is here, and its name is mobile connectivity.

Ready to start planning for the switch-off? Give us a call, or shoot me a message on LinkedIn—we’ll talk about your business, your goals, and get you set up with a mobile strategy in no time.