What is the BT Switch Off?
BT Openreach will be switching off WLR Services in 2025. This basically means anything currently using a copper line; including Dial up devices, fax, alarm systems, modem, building management systems, lift lines, PDQ machines, ISDN 2e and ISDN 30e lines which are mainly used by phone systems and finally any broadband services that run over an analogue telephone line e.g., ADSL and also FTTC Fibre Broadband.
What’s Next?
The next major milestone will be hitting the industry in September 2023 this has been announced as the national stop sell date, after this date no new orders for WLR services will be accepted. To complete the Big Switch off, at the end of December 2025 all WLR and PSTN services will be switched off.
WLR Switch off Alternatives
SOGEA
A dedicated broadband line that delivers a broadband connection to business premises, Advantages of moving to SOGEA:
- Utilises existing Infrastructure.
- Costs are lower.
- Fixing Times are reduced.
- More reliable service.
- Quick and easy installation.
FTTP (Fibre to the premises)
FTTP provides a pure fibre connection from the exchange, all the way into your premises. It offers higher download speeds than traditional broadband for areas that have been enabled for FTTP. Advantages of using FTTP:
- Broadband speeds are incredibly fast.
- Upload speeds are impressive.
SIP Trunk or Cloud Telephony
Hosted voice is a cloud-based service where a business’s telephone system and PBX reside off-site and are managed by a third-party, providing telephone connectivity via the Internet using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Advantages of using SIP Trunk or Cloud Telephony services.
- Increased accessibility.
- Complete portability.
- Higher scalability.
- Advanced features for small and large teams.
- Clearer voice quality.
- Supports multitasking.
- More flexibility with softphones.
For more information on these alternatives click here. To contact us about the switch off and discuss the best options for your business visit our contact page.
