BT have recently announced that the PSTN switch off has been delayed to 2027 (1). The project was originally scheduled to finish in December of 2025 but due to various reasons this has been delayed. The new deadline for the switch off is 31st January 2027 meaning that businesses, schools, hospitals, libraries, surgeries and many more have more time to transition onto the new IP (Internet Protocol) Network.
What's happening? The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) are the traditional infrastructure supporting the UK’s phonelines and broadband. However, these outdated systems are being phased out, with the stop-sell already put in place. The deadline for the switch-off is December 31st, 2025. After that date, your legacy systems simply will not work.
As BT accelerates its plans to migrate the UK voice network from copper to fibre, the pressure to change solutions becomes ever more urgent. BT will withdraw the Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) service by 2027. It sounds an age, but it isn’t. Schools need to be thinking about their future communications solutions.
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