Is your business ready for the ISDN switch off?

The use of ISDN lines to provide high-quality voice telephone services for business users has been common for many years. But ISDN lines are pricey and inflexible, and increasingly, the technology is being overtaken by IP-based services.
It’s no great surprise then that BT has announced its’ intention to switch off ISDN by 2025 and switch to an entirely IP-based model. In fact, the entire PSTN system is due to switch over to IP at this time. But what does this mean for your business and are there any steps you need to take in order to prepare?

Forced migration

Like the switch over to digital TV, this migration will occur whether you want it or not, and there is no option to stick with the older technology. From 2020, it will no longer be possible to buy new ISDN services, and after that, the phased withdrawal of existing services will start.

This is nothing to worry about, as BT is making the change because VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) has many advantages. It’s more cost-effective, more flexible when you need to ramp up your capacity, and offers equal, if not better, call quality.

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Switching to VoIP

You can wait to see what happens and switch over when BT tells you to. Or if your telecoms contract is due for renewal in the next few years, you can look at taking action then. However, there’s no reason why you can’t join the many companies that are already taking advantage of VoIP. By switching now, you can get the benefit of wholesale VoIP termination rates from suppliers like https://www.idtexpress.com/. This can cut your call costs and make it easier for you to adjust your call capacity to cope with peak demand.

If your business is heavily reliant on your phone system, and particularly if you need to make calls overseas on a regular basis, then VoIP can help you to make significant savings on your call costs. It gives you added flexibility too as you can take your number with you should you relocate, or even have separate geographic numbers to serve different parts of the country. There’s no reason why you should wait to benefit from all of this, and it’s worth talking to a supplier now to get ahead of the game.