Making the Most of the PSTN Switch Off

BT have recently extended the deadline of their PSTN Switch Off project by 13 months meaning you now have until January 2027 to suitably prepare systems for the removal of analogue landline technology. How can you make the most of the digital rollout?

With the UK’s extensive network of analogue phone lines becoming increasingly antiquated and fragile over time, BT have made the decision to gradually stop the use of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). This will be replaced with a full fibre network by Openreach.

The aim is to have as many properties using Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) rather than traditional Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) which means the last leg of the journey will no longer involve cumbersome copper cables but much faster fibre lines. Openreach’s ‘digital upgrade to All IP’ will provide homes with new opportunities that meet modern expectations for communication through more reliable and dependable broadband across the UK.

The change will affect all devices that plug into analogue telephone wall sockets, which includes many older alarm systems. Any customers with legacy systems installed using this outdated network will face signalling issues and faults on their alarm systems meaning it is vital to contact these homeowners and future-proof their systems.

This can be done in a variety of ways depending on budgets, requirements and age of the system. For older Enforcer systems, the Enforcer V11 Upgrade kit is ideal for enhancing to V11 with minimal costs and preventing any problems caused by the switch off. For systems installed before IP communication was available, fitting a new system – such as an Enforcer V11 or Euro 76 – will future-proof the installation and introduce the customer to the cutting edge of home security.

Due to the huge scale of the rollout, the deadline has been pushed back from 2025 to 2027. However, this should not be taken as reason to forget about the impending change but rather as an opportunity to contact all affected clients well before they are impacted by the switch off.

40-year-old analogue technology is increasingly fragile

The reason for the switch off is the antiquated and problematic analogue network and the pushing back of the deadline does not prevent the network from being unfit for modern requirements. Howard Watson, Chief Security and Networks Officer at BT Group, explained ‘the urgency for switching customers onto digital services grows by the day because the 40-year-old analogue technology is increasingly fragile’.

An impending switch off is the perfect opportunity to introduce customers to new products and upsell opportunities such as smart devices and rolling subscriptions to cloud services. Our HomeControl2.0 app brings peace of mind to customers 24/7 no matter where they are and through smart cameras, like the DoorbellCam they can review any disturbances anytime. The switch to digital is a great chance to upgrade from 20^th century technology to modern day security solutions.