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Ensuring you're prepared for PSTN 2025

Top 5 Tips for the Public Switched Telephone Network 2025 Switch-Off

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is being closed in Dec 2025. In preparation Grant Thain, Vendor Alliance Manager at Chess, has provided Top 5 Tips that you should be aware of when upgrading your PSTN-based products.

As the December 2025 date looms ever closer, many customers are still not prepared or aware of the PSTN 2025 Switch Off.

Below are top 5 tips that will ensure that you can maximise your potential in delivering your customers a seamless transition into the new Open-reach products now available.  

1. It’s never too early to start

Although 2025 seems a long time away, it will come around faster than you think. Don’t delay looking at your strategy around the migration of your base. While you wait, others will be actively targeting your customers.

2. Know your customers

There are no like-for-like product migrations. The destination product(s) depends on what your customer uses their existing service for. Please get to know your customer's use case so you can deliver the right service options to them. If you want to know more about FTTP and SOGEA click on our up-to-date guides below. 

3. Understand the timelines

Remember there are 2 projects happening in parallel, the National PSTN Withdrawal, and the FTTP Exchange Upgrade Project. Each will impact product availability, and each has a different timeline. The first 13 FTTP Priority Exchanges have Copper Stop Sells happening 29th June 2021, with further exchange stop sells happening in October 2021, January 2022, and April 2022.

4. Complete your supply chain

Moving forward, Openreach will provide Data Only products. If you want to continue supplying voice services, you need to have a VoIP supplier. Having the right mix of products/suppliers to meet your customer needs is key to your strategy.

5. Capitalise on the opportunity

We are at the start of the largest change in UK telecommunications in our lifetime. Every line and broadband customer in the UK will need to change before 2025. There is a huge opportunity to get your strategy right and increase your customer base.

If you would like to know more about the PSTN 2025 shut off, please make sure to visit our PSTN 2025 Hub, which has our connectivity series which is a 4 part series that covers everything from what 2025 PSTN is, to FTTP Priority and the new Open-reach products that are now available.

About the author

Grant Thain

Grant Thain is an experienced Connectivity and Voice specialist. He’s undertaken a number of roles at Chess, and is now Vendor Alliance Manager. He supports Chess customers, vendors and people with his in-depth experience and knowledge of the solutions that are both available now, and under development.

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