Will ISDN Switch Off in 2025?
In April 2017, BT Openreach announced that they will be switching off their existing ISDN network in 2025 (and will no longer have ISDN lines available for purchase from 2020), as they focus on a single IP network. ISDN stands for Integrated Services Digital Network and provides a high quality voice circuit with the ability to add features such as DDI services that are not available on analogue lines.
As a result, practices will need to look to alternatives for their communications – keeping personalised numbers and managing a high number of concurrent calls– and many see the switch as an opportunity to improve their telephone systems and even save money.
The two natural alternatives to ISDN are SIP Trunks and Hosted Systems, both of which deliver your voice services using VoIP.
Our supplier Switch Medical have put together a guide for members on what to consider when choosing a SIP Trunks through an on-premise system or a hosted system and we offer free advice to practices to help them understand what is best for them.
What is VoIP?
VoIP is Voice over Internet Protocol that delivers voice over the internet, in contrast to the more traditional ISDN lines. To use VoIP you either need a hosted telephony system using an internet connection or to have your own on- premise system connection to a SIP Trunk.
What is SIP?
SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol and enables voice to be carried over the internet, rather than a traditional phone line. SIP is set-up and uses SIP trunks to enable voice traffic to be sent over a data connection without loss of quality.
To use SIP, a business is assigned a virtual SIP address and will access the system with handsets and other internet enabled devices. Once you’re using SIP, new channels can be created and removed at any time to meet demands and reflect your capacity or seasonal trends.
What is Hosted Telephony?
Hosted telephony is where your phone system is housed in the cloud, rather than on your premises. It offers flexible telephony with all the features you expect from a telephone system and more and is particularly popular with practices that share workload across multiple sites.
As it’s all in the cloud, the system is maintained by a telecoms provider, updates are carried out for you and the system can be accessed using multiple devices, such as smartphones and tablets to enable the same user experience in and out of the office.
For further information, visit the Switch Medical supplier page. You can also complete the form on that page to request a quote/consultation, or simply download a guide to BT Openreach 2025 switch-off for your practice
Community Quicklinks
- Introduction
- Additional Member Services
- Advice for Members
- Loss of vaccines – Prevention and what to do in order to claim
- Will ISDN Switch Off in 2025?
- Business as (un)usual – Getting back to normal after a serious incident
- PRS & PPL Licensing – what it means and how to avoid it
- Establishing a Clean Desk Policy
- Benefits of Hosted Telephony for Practices and Federations
- Protect your future by insuring your past
- Income Protection and Business Overheads Insurance
- What's the right cover for you?
- Are your Ergonomics right? How to improve the way you work