What's happening?
The Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) will close in December 2025.
By then, every phone line in the UK will have moved to a fully digital network that uses Internet Protocol (IP) across a fibre-based service. This won’t just affect voice services, it may also mean you need to upgrade your broadband.
Any equipment that currently uses the PSTN will stop working; alarms, EPOS machines, door entry systems, CCTV, faxes, and so on. The Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) will also stop working.
Why is this happening?
Our current network is old and difficult to maintain. As an essentially 20th century technology, the PSTN is increasingly out of kilter with the demands of 21st century communications.
Traditional phone usage is changing everywhere as people switch to mobile and internet communications. We all expect much more from modern phone services than the traditional technologies can deliver.
What does this mean for me?
At some point before 2025, you’ll need to move from PSTN to the latest IP technology.
To help make that possible, BT is busy rolling out the Full Fibre network (Fibre To The Premises or FTTP) in phases across the UK. BT will stop selling traditional phone lines in all exchange areas by September 2023.
