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Hey there, Yankee here and just wanted to drop a quick thought about the upcoming ‘Big PSTN Switch-off’ slated for the end of 2025 in the UK. If you’re like me, you might’ve heard a bit about it but didn’t pay much mind until now. For a bit of context, we’re talking about the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), which have been the lifeblood of the UK’s telecommunication network for more than half a century.
This old school copper wire telephone network has been around since the 19th century and was a big deal for allowing phones to call other devices without a direct connection. But as we’ve moved more and more towards digital communication and data needs have blown up, these PSTN and ISDN lines just aren’t cutting it anymore. They just can’t handle the sheer amount of data we’re passing over them.
Here’s the kicker: this switch-off is going to impact a lot more than just our phone networks. Think about systems like door entry systems, CCTV networks, fax machines, and even electronic point-of-sale (EPOS) machines that depend on PSTN and ISDN lines. All of these systems are going to have to adapt to keep running after the switch-off.
So what’s the solution? VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol. It’s basically moving all of our voice, text, and video communication onto the internet using a single platform. Unlike the old systems, VoIP doesn’t require a new line for each phone or a tech guy to come in and install it. That saves both money and time.
Now, I work with a company called FlyNumber, and we’re all about providing modern, easy-to-use phone services. We offer virtual phone numbers, including for the UK, and support a bunch of VoIP providers in addition to SIP and Asterisk. In the face of this PSTN switch-off, our phone system can serve as a theoretical ‘backup’, providing options like call forwarding to a mobile phone number, voicemail, or another SIP address. This way, businesses can keep things rolling smoothly during the transition.
Yeah, the PSTN switch-off is a bit of a challenge, but it’s also a big opportunity. It means we’ve got to upgrade our communication systems, sure, but it also means we can start working more efficiently and save some cash. At FlyNumber, we’re stoked to be a part of this change. Our cloud phone system offers ‘backups’ like call forwarding, voicemail, or SIP address forwarding to ensure that businesses can keep communication lines open. Plus, adding new users to our system is a breeze and it can operate from any device with an internet connection.