What is happening?
By the end of 2025, BT Openreach will move all users from the analogue public switched telephone network (PSTN) to a digital network, meaning all telephone lines will route calls over Internet Protocol (IP). This includes fire alarm and security systems currently still connected to the network.
The PSTN has been in place across the UK for decades, and has been increasingly under pressure from the advances in technology and demand for instant communications and connection to the internet. Around the world, countries are making the switch from analogue to digital, with the ‘switch off’ of PSTN in the UK planned to be completed by December 2025.
In September 2023, Openreach will issue a notice to stop selling any new products operating with PSTN, or issuing any modifications to legacy systems. The September 2023 deadline is final, with many newtork areas in the UK already under the ‘stop-sell’ ruling.
What does this mean for your systems?
All monitoring services, including fire alarms and security provisions, attached to PSTN landlines will also switch off, therefore it is vital that businesses are ready to prevent any loss of monitoring.
If your system operates on the analogue newtork, it will require a replacement or upgrade in order to maintain your secured monitoring.
Systems installed within the last few years are likely to already be digital, however it’s important to check you’ll be ready by the time of the switch off.
A member of the Churches Fire & Security team will need to assess all customer systems and make the necessary arrangements for upgrades. With an all-digital system in place, the operation of your secured monitoring system will be smooth and in-line with the latest available technology.
What do you need to do?
If your system is reliant on the PSTN, it may require a simple upgrade from analogue to digital, or a full replacement. Our existing monitoring customers can expect to hear from one of our team shortly. We will talk you through the process of upgrading, how it will enhance your system and the next steps.
The move is an exciting step in the digital transformation of the UK, bringing telecommunications and internet usage up to speed with the rest of the world.
For further information on BT Openreach’s switch off plans, you can read their statement here.
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To discuss the PSTN switch off and how it affects your system, please fill in the form and we’ll be in touch.