IN an age where connectivity is key, businesses must ensure they have the capabilities to compete and communicate easily on a global scale, or even within their own organisation.
In 2025, all public switched telephone network (PSTN) and integrated services digital network (ISDN) lines will be switched off, migrating land line users to a single IP core network.
This will mean all voice traffic, in addition to data transfer, video and conference calling, will be transmitted via an Internet connection, whether at a personal level or on a company-wide basis.
While 2025 seems like the distant future, PSTN and ISDN lines will cease to be available from 2020. This leaves only a couple of years for companies across Northern Ireland to start making the necessary in-roads to ensure a seamless and painless crossover.
There are sweeping benefits with this change. A greater level of accessibility by employees working remotely, needing only an internet connection, and then all internet-based systems including email or record keeping will be integrated.
It’s also cheaper. You will be rid of those expensive ‘line rental’ charges on your phone bill. International calls will have significantly lower tariffs, and internal calls will be free, even across multiple locations.
VoIP or ‘Voice Over IP’ is the default replacement method and has already been introduced by many companies, whether years ago or those looking to stay one step ahead of the changes.
These new lines can go in quicker and cheaper than the old system and can cut costs for companies with large teams or with multiple bases.
ISDN lines are simply not getting the attention they once did and at Rainbow, we are continually receiving enquiries from companies keen to switch early.
Big or small, companies throughout Northern Ireland need to be looking now at when their current corporate communications contract is due for renewal and look at how the roll back will affect them.
The clock is ticking and the future is calling, the time to answer is now.
:: Eric Carson is director of Northern Ireland’s largest independent telecom providers Rainbow (www.rainbowcomms.com) and has been a pioneer of the local telecoms industry for nearly 20 years.
