What is the 2025 switch off?
The government, in partnership with BT and Openreach, have been hard at work upgrading the cables underneath our roads by replacing ageing and rusty copper cables with fresh fibre cables that don’t degrade as quickly. This project also means that the ISDN and PSTN networks that have served our landlines and low speed broadband connections for decades are being turned off for good – hence the name.
But the odd rusty cable isn’t the major reason for all this upheaval.
The fact that your data is sent as rapid flashes of light on fibre, rather than electrical pulses like in copper connections, means you can take advantage of a far faster internet connection, and help your business embrace its digital future with a whole host of other benefits.
What is a ‘stop sell’?
Obviously, Openreach and BT don’t want to ‘pull the plug’ any solutions that are currently being sold, so they’ve taken a more phased approach where they stop resellers like us from selling new copper services in certain areas at a time.
This strategy started all the way back in 2021, when they trialled two market towns – Mildenhall and Salisbury – and over the last few years have slowly weened other areas off of legacy connections, to help promote the adoption of new fibre services at the same time.
The most recent announcement has named the next 98 exchanges to stop providing ISDN and PSTN connections, with the exchanges due to be deactivated on or before the 19th April 2023.
View all our new stop sell locations
Aberdeen Balgownie | Harrold | Ormskirk |
Aldridge | Hayes Common | Otley |
Alfreton | Hemsworth | Park Street |
Allesley | Herongate | Plympton |
Ardrossan | Heysham | Portglenone |
Aviemore | Highworth | Rainham |
Balham | Horwich | Rawdon |
Bamber Bridge | Hoylake | Redbourn |
Barrhead | Huyton | Rhiwderin |
Beith | Hyde | Rhoose |
Biggin Hill | Intake | Richmond |
Boston Spa | Irby | Ripley |
Brighouse | Irvinestown | Roade |
Broadwell | Ivybridge | Rushden |
Burnley | Kilbirnie | Sandwich |
Burton Joyce | Killeavy | Shipley |
Bury | Kircubbin | Sion Mills |
Chellaston | Kislingbury | Sketty |
Childrey | Laindon | Sleaford |
Cleckheaton | Langford | Somersham |
Creaton | Langley Mill | Stanford Le hope |
Dalkeith | Leigh | Stoneyburn |
Dawlish | Leven, Fife | Takeley |
Dunloy | Leyland | Theydon Bois |
Duston | Llandaff | Tipton |
Earby | Lowdham | Troon |
Easingworld | Magor | Turvey |
Exhall | Mayorbridge | Water Hayes Farm |
Feeny | Maze | Wheathampstead |
Foleshill | Milnsbridge | Whitchurch |
Gowerton | Morcambe | Wooton Bassett |
Grove Park | Moy | Wraysbury |
Guiseley | Mulbarton | xx |
But, if you’re in one of those towns listed above, the main question you now need to ask is…
How can I future proof my business?
While the future is most certainly fibre-based, there are really only a handful of technologies that can ensure businesses stay connected past 2025. Here’s our breakdown of what they are, and where they’re best suited.
FTTC
The most cost-effective connection available, ‘Fibre to the Cabinet’ means you still get a copper connection between the green cabinet at the end of your road and your premises, which limits speeds. But for smaller businesses or specific aspects of larger operations (like backups, or phone systems) bandwidth up to 76Mbps is plenty, and you’re not overpaying for speeds you don’t need.
Pros
- Lowest cost to adopt
- Most commonly available technology
- Super speedy installations
Cons
- Low speeds may hinder larger businesses
- Uploading large files may delay other devices
- Speeds will decrease during peak times
FTTP
Short for ‘Fibre to the Premises’, and sometimes known as ‘Full Fibre’, FTTP is an incredibly scalable solution that can be increased as your needs grow, offering the same kinds of high-speed connections that a dedicated Leased Line can provide, but at a lower cost.
Pros
- High speed connections up to 1Gbps
- Ideal for growing businesses and start-ups
- All your internet needs in one connection
Cons
- May not be available in your area
- Higher cost than FTTC
- Speeds may decrease slightly at peak times
Leased Lines
The main drawback of both FTTC and FTTP is that the connection is still shared with other businesses, once it reaches the green cabinet. However, with a dedicated Leased Line, you get a connection that is only for your business, all the way to the local exchange.
That means leased lines offer a far more reliable connection that doesn’t get affected by your neighbours when everyone’s on morning calls, for example. However, leased lines become increasingly more expensive as the distance between the site and the closest exchange increases, making it an unlikely solution for rural areas.
Pros
- A dedicated connection that’s all yours
- Symmetrical upload/download speeds
- All your internet needs in one connection
Cons
- The highest cost of any option
- Lengthy installation process
- May not be cost-efficient at your site
5G
As a wireless connection, 5G is great for businesses constantly on the move, such as mobile tradespeople, events and home workers, that find genuine advantages in leveraging a high-speed wireless connection. Though as with Full Fibre, it’s not exactly widespread just yet.
Pros
- High speed connections equivalent to FTTP
- Take your internet connection with you
- 5G mobiles can be hotspots for other devices
Cons
- May not be available in your area
- Can be affected by adverse weather
- 5G devices are still fairly expensive
So, if you’re looking to future-proof your business, it only makes sense to find a partner that matches your ambition – and ‘future’ is in our name after all, so why look anywhere else?
We want to be the connectivity and communications partner that you always wish you had, so don’t delay and get in touch with our team today!