So what’s all this talk about BT switching off its ISDN phone service and why is it important?

To answer that we have to go all the way back to 1986. Cue time-travel music….

Back to when Aviators, curly perms and massive shoulder pads were all the rage; Tom Cruise was flying upside down in Top Gun and Dynasty was watched by millions; Chernobyl’s nuclear reactor exploded, Challenger disintegrated, Phantom of the Opera made its debut on the west end stage and mobiles still looked like this:

It was also the year BT launched its new Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) as a means to migrate outdated landline technology to a new digital phone system… What a time to be alive!

Fast forward 20 years and all hell broke loose in the telecoms industry as BT announced it would stop taking new ISDN orders from 2020 and would be de-activating the network completely in 2025. Great balls of fire! 

Like most decisions, it was one largely driven by money…. ISDN is out of date. People need fast connections so by investing in VoIP and SIP, BT can focus all their efforts into a technology that will allow them to

1. make more profit because they’re no longer supporting 30 year old technology
2. actually meet the demands of businesses in the future.

So why is this important to know?

Well 2million people are still using ISDN, and they can’t for much longer. We get it, change is scary but seriously there’s no need to worry. You don’t have a lot to do really.  

What do I have to do?

Swap your ISDN phonelines from BT and change your current system to Internet Protocol (IP). That’s it. Simple right?

Well it would be if people just said it how it is. Truth is, you’re probably hearing a lot about VoIP and SIP at the moment, mainly because the Telecoms industry loves its confusing acronyms!

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol which is just a really boring way of saying you can make cheap or free calls over the internet.  SIP is the technology that will actually replace your ISDN phone lines. Simple

If your current ISDN phone contract is up for renewal soon, now is the right time to start exploring your options about SIP lines and VoIP. If you want people-friendly jargon-free advice on that, you know where we are.

We’ve even written 4 handy tips on how to make sure you’re in the best position for the BT Switch Off…

Or if you just want to get on with it, contact hello@icloudtelecom.co.uk to request a demo…Nick may even pull out his best Top Gun impression for you!