PSTN is a Public Switched Telephone Network. This is the wired (copper) infrastructure that has long been used for telephone services & was later expanded to provide internet.

ISDN is an Integrated Service Digital Network. This is the system that many business phone systems have been built upon for many years & uses the same copper cabling as PSTN.

Optical Fibre. These are modern cables used to transmit data. Rather than having a metal core which suffers from various limitations (a maximum usable distance, interference, signal degradation), they instead use light (does anyone remember GCSE Physics and “total internal reflection”?!)

Fibre-to-the-Cabinet. This is still a commonplace internet service in many homes and businesses. It uses the PSTN network to connect your premise to the local cabinet & optical fibre is used from the cabinet onwards.

Fibre-to-the-Premise. This is an internet service being adopted by an increasing number of homes and businesses. It does not use PSTN & instead relies on optical fibre directly to your premise, delivering a vastly superior service.

PSTN Switch Off
In response to a growing recognition that it is no longer fit for purpose, the UK’s legacy copper network is being switched off in 2025. This was first announced in 2015 and parts of the infrastructure have been gradually shutting down since 2020. It is already increasingly difficult to procure these services & no further orders will be taken after 2023.

Who will be affected?
If you currently use traditional telephones (“landlines” plugged into a phone socket on the PSTN network), internet via this (Fibre-to-the-Cabinet), or ISDN telephones, these services will cease to exist. The same is true for both business and consumer services (i.e. your home internet and telephone will be affected).

What should I do?
Start looking at alternative services now. By adopting one of the increasing number of optical fibre services for your internet connectivity, you will not only be ready for the PSTN switch-off, but also receive a far superior experience. You can use your optical fibre internet to run a modern telephony service, thus removing your reliance on copper services.

Telephone Systems
There are an increasing number of digital telephone systems available, all of which can be delivered via your optical fibre internet service. These range from simple setups using traditional handsets, to full unified-communication platforms (e.g. Microsoft Teams) which allow wider collaboration incl. chat & video calling.

What if I can’t get Optical Fibre?
Don’t worry. The increasing number of providers has generated excellent competition, which has in turn driven an exponential increase in the rollout speed, even for the traditional remote & rural locations. If optical fibre is not viable for you, there are other services to consider such as 4G and 5G.