Have you heard? The Big Switch Off is going to be the largest change to telecommunications in 30 years so are you ready for this? The Big Switch Off will see an end to Analogue and ISDN phone lines meaning traditional telecommunication networks circuits will be replaced with the new GEA based or fibre to the premises technology, FTTP for short. Just so you know, GEA stands for Generic Ethernet Access or, to put it simply, Broadband without the Landline meaning your ‘landline’ will now become a piece of software on your PC!
The Big Switch Off is happening to EVERY business and home that has Analogue landlines or copper Broadband by 2025 and there is no opting out of it. To put it bluntly, if you use a business ‘landline’ then you will have to make the switch!
A cease to sell on products you may already be using will come into effect by the end of 2023 so here at Airtime Solutions we are already upgrading businesses regardless of time left on existing contracts so they are ahead of the rush and, most likely, rise in prices as the time to switch gets closer.
Some numbers to think about – There are over 3 million business lines that will be affected by this switch, it is estimated that less than 100,000 are connected to the new systems at this point (Oct 2021) and it is expected that 2 million will be coming out of contact and will switch over by the end of 2023. The completion of the removal of all analogue lines and PSTN is set for the end of 2025 at the latest. That’s a lot of connections in a limited time and this isn’t taking into account home landlines either!
The removal and exchange of the PSTN (Public Switch Telephone Network) might seem daunting but it is a change for the good and it could offer your business a cost saving of up to 30% whilst, in many cases, increasing broadband speeds. So it’s now time to forget the legacy approach to phone lines with charges for voicemail and other basic telephony features. GEA, VoIP, Cloud Hosted and Leaseline solutions will provide everything your business needs within a simple pay monthly licence cost with many more benefits to be had.
Fixed Landlines have been the main way of communicating for businesses for many years and they will continue to play a key role in the growth of most companies. Because of this it is vital that you have the highest level of support during your switch. Our partnerships with the largest ‘to the office’ phone line providers in the UK will ensure this is the case.
We will simplify (or tech up should you wish!) the features and benefits of each possible solution to enable you to make an informed decision based upon your requirements. Without over complicating it, we don’t sell products that our customers don’t want or need but we will let you know what is out there so you can decide what is best for your business!