The clock is ticking – how ready is your business for the ISDN & PSTN switch-off?
All PSTN and ISDN networks will be closed by 2025, transitioning all UK businesses to all-VoIP networks to mitigate the rising costs of maintaining legacy equipment. According to managed services provider Espria, millions of UK businesses are expected to be impacted, especially those who still rely on fax machines and landlines.
Andy Fung, Solutions Architect, Espria, stated, “Businesses need to address this issue now and avoid sticking their heads in the sand. It is going to happen whether they are ready or not. Decision makers should not wait until 2025, as exchanges are being phased out now.”
BT Openreach announced back in November 2017 its intention to switch off analogue and ISDN lines in 2025, affecting PSTN-based services and some broadband services. BT Openreach’s logic was based on the fact that since ISDN’s (Integrated service digital network) first iteration in the 1990’s, digital demands on networks for organisations and homes have changed dramatically, and the underlying technology needs to reflect and support modern requirements.
A rapid audit of your network is recommended to understand how many connections you have, of what type and what they are being used for. Leaving it to the last minute could result in increased installation costs and delays. Depending on the nature of your organisation, these could be anything from simple voice lines to DSL broadband, building alarm circuits or even all external connectivity to the telephony system in use.
“Organisations can get prepared for the 2025 switch-off because BT Openreach is taking a phased stop sell approach at individual city locations taking place between December 2020 to August 2023. When a location has met its stop sell deadline, then analogue and ISDN lines cannot be purchased or have additional features or changes made to existing service,” continued Fung.
“If your organisation is using analogue phone lines, ISDN or broadband services running over analogue lines, at the end of December 2025 these will be switched off and become end of life.”
These include:
- Analogue phone lines (including dial up devices, fax, modem, and PDQ machines)
- ISDN (ISDN2 and ISND30)
- Some broadband services (ADSL, Max, 2+ and FTTC circuits)
“If you’re still in contract with a line that is coming to end of life, like ISDN and PSTN, you need to start looking at your current technology ecosystem and get prepared”, continued Fung.
Espria has recommended the following tips:
- If you’re renewing contracts, look to move to a future-proofed solution
- When you’re opening a new site location, consider IP based connectivity options
- Assess your existing telephony options, if you’re using an on-site PBX with analogue or digital inbound/outbound lines review the marketplace for suitable VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) options including IP telephony and Microsoft Teams.
“However, this also presents an opportunity for organisations to reassess their business communications as a whole. Implementing cloud phones as part of a wider unified communications plan allows an organisation to overhaul outdated communications infrastructure and save costs with comprehensive and targeted change.
“This is best completed and managed with the assistance of industry experts able to bring together phone lines, video calls, email, chat tools, file sharing and more. With the right assistance, you can improve your company’s communications, save money and seamlessly integrate all aspects of communications and connectivity,” concluded Fung.
You may be interested in
Beyond Copilots: Why AI Agents Are the Next Competitive Advantage
AI is no longer a tactical tool, it’s becoming the engine of enterprise transformation. While copilots and other generative AI tools have helped teams work faster, the real breakthrough is happening with AI agents: autonomous systems that don’t just assist but act, learn and orchestrate entire workflows across the business. The question every executive should be asking is: “How will we harness AI to create value at scale before our competitors do?” High-performing organisations aren’t waiting. They’re embedding AI agents into daily operations and seeing measurable impact; accelerated decision-making, leaner processes and stronger financial outcomes. When markets move at digital speed, standing still means falling behind. Here’s why: So, the question isn’t “Should we adopt AI?”, it’s “What could…
Zero Trust Networking
Protecting Employees Without Friction Your workforce is your greatest asset, and your greatest vulnerability. Attackers know this, which is why phishing and credential theft remain the most common entry points. But here’s the leadership challenge: how do you protect employees without slowing them down? Zero Trust answers that question by making security invisible yet uncompromising. Employees work from anywhere, home, client sites, airports, without clunky VPNs or endless password resets. Behind the scenes, every login is verified, every device assessed, every anomaly flagged. If something looks wrong, a compromised credential, an unusual location, the system reacts…
Shadow AI: Executive Briefing on Real Risks, Business Impact and Mitigation
Shadow AI is here, and it’s growing Shadow AI is the use of artificial intelligence tools and platforms outside the oversight of IT, security, or compliance teams. This is not a hypothetical concern. KPMG’s 2025 global survey found that up to 58% of employees are using AI productivity tools daily, and nearly half admit to uploading sensitive company information to unauthorised platforms. Only 41% of employees say their organisation has a policy guiding the use of generative AI, revealing a significant governance gap. The Risks Are Real and Substantial The evidence from leading analysts and recent incidents is clear:…
Cyber Resilience in 2025: From Tick-Box to Boardroom Imperative
What the NCSC’s 2025 Review Means for UK Businesses The National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) 2025 Annual Review is a wake-up call for business leaders across the UK. The days when cyber security was simply an IT concern or a routine compliance task are over. With a record number of nationally significant cyber incidents handled in the past year (more than double the previous year’s figure), it is clear that cyber risks have become a central issue for organisational survival and national prosperity. The Evolving Threat: Why Businesses Can’t Afford Complacency No sector has been spared in the latest…
Is Your MSP Really Helping You Grow — Or Just Keeping the Lights On?
There’s a moment in every business where the question quietly surfaces: “Are we getting what we really need from our IT provider?” It’s not always easy to answer. On the surface, things seem fine. Tickets are resolved. Reports arrive. There’s someone to call when things go wrong. It’s familiar. It’s comfortable. And that comfort can be deceiving. Because beneath the surface, many organisations are stuck in a service relationship that feels safe — but is actually stagnant. And here’s the truth: comfort isn’t the same as progress. For many, the idea of changing MSPs or challenging the…
The 2025 State of Ransomware: Key Insights on Attacks, Costs, and Recovery
Ransomware continues to evolve — and so must our defenses. The State of Ransomware 2025 report from Sophos presents one of the most comprehensive views yet into how organisations around the world are being impacted by ransomware attacks. Based on an independent survey of 3,400 IT and cybersecurity leaders across 17 countries, the report explores how attacks are evolving, the operational weaknesses adversaries exploit, and the human and financial tolls that follow. Whether you’re building a cybersecurity strategy or assessing risk, this year’s findings offer crucial, real-world insights to guide your response. Key Findings from…