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The Public Switched Telephone Network has been the backbone of communication for decades. However, its reliance on copper lines and analog devices pushes it ever closer to obsolescence. All over the world, businesses are looking to make the switch from the PSTN to the cloud once and for all.
Some businesses may find this easier said than done. Healthcare organizations, for example, often rely on many different analog devices. They may need help from an experienced service provider to navigate this change.
This is Continuant’s guide to the PSTN switch-off.
Let’s quickly review why the PSTN switch-off is happening.
The biggest reason is the infrastructure the PSTN runs on. To call it aging is an understatement. Copper lines are too expensive to maintain, and the companies and institutions that maintain them are desperate to get rid of them.
One of the main ways they do this is by ballooning phone bills. Think about it from their perspective. A high bill will either get them enough funds to justify maintaining the copper lines, or compel their customers to cancel, allowing them to decommission the copper sooner.
PSTN users, therefore, are chiefly motivated by maintenance costs. At the same time, as technology advances, significantly more attractive options become available to businesses of all kinds.
VoIP and unified communications (UC) have been around for a long time now and have only gotten better. No business wants to stay bound to landlines if they could just as easily use a solution like Microsoft Teams or Cisco Webex.
Once the PSTN is gone for good, the cloud is the next stop.
The global PSTN shutdown forces organizations to reevaluate the entire architecture behind their communications systems.
Traditional PBX environments were designed around carrier-based voice circuits. As providers phase out copper lines and legacy switching technology, maintaining those connections becomes increasingly difficult, not to mention expensive. In many cases, organizations will need to migrate away from legacy connectivity whether they planned to or not.
Cloud communications platforms offer a natural path forward. Instead of relying on physical circuits and on-premise switching, voice services can be delivered over IP networks and integrated with collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams or Webex.
Many organizations, with proper preparation, will be able to treat the PSTN shut off as a chance to accelerate their modernization agendas. The cloud's already on the horizon, and this will get them there faster.
The most obvious systems affected by the PSTN shutdown are legacy PBX phone systems that rely on traditional carrier circuits. In some cases, however, the impact extends far beyond desk phones.
Many organizations still rely on analog connections for critical infrastructure. Elevator phones, alarm systems, fax machines, paging systems, and building access controls often depend on the same PSTN connectivity that's now being phased out.
Because these systems operate quietly in the background, they're easy to overlook during migration planning. Yet they can be some of the most important devices to account for when legacy circuits disappear.
A successful transition starts with identifying every system that depends on PSTN connectivity and determining how those services will function in an IP-based environment.
As the PSTN switch-off carries on, different parts of the world will follow different timelines. Local organizations will simply have to follow their respective region’s guidelines, but bigger businesses with global networks will have more difficulties. These organizations will need to stay aware of this regional variance.
Great Britain has a set date. Telecom provider BT Openreach has announced that the PSTN will be completely switched off by January 31, 2027. As of September 2023, British communication companies are no longer selling PSTN services, encouraging their customers to transition to digital alternatives as soon as possible.
America, on the other hand, has no federally mandated date set. Instead, it's going for a more subtle approach, changing regulations and letting the market apply pressures. In March of this year, the FCC reduced the required notice period for carriers to discontinue traditional phone lines from 180 days to 90.
American companies may not have their government breathing down their neck, but with a plan to have the PSTN phased out completely by the end of 2025, it’s still better to transition sooner than later.
Many European countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Estonia, have already turned their PSTN off and replaced them with VoIP technology. Other countries like Denmark plan to have this finished by 2030, carrying out similar plans to decommission traditional phone systems.
Japan has been phasing out the PSTN since 2010. The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) has since then rolled out fiber optics and digital solutions to replace its services, with the plan to switch it off for good in 2028.
Regardless of region, these are the steps an organization can take to be prepared for a full PSTN switch-off.
When organizations begin planning for the PSTN switch-off, they often assume there is only one solution: replacing their entire communications system. In reality, there are several migration paths depending on the environment.
Some organizations choose a full cloud migration, moving telephony entirely to a UCaaS platform. Others modernize their infrastructure with SIP-based connectivity while continuing to operate their existing PBX systems.
A third option involves hybrid architectures that combine on-premise systems with cloud communications platforms. This allows organizations to migrate users and services gradually while maintaining existing infrastructure during the transition.
The right approach depends on factors like system age, operational requirements, and long-term communications strategy. The key is understanding the available paths before the switch-off timeline forces a rushed decision.
For almost 30 years, Continuant has helped organizations in every industry across the world optimize their communications to save boatloads of money. 
Back in the day, we did this through industry-leading third-party maintenance for phone systems. Now we have new and improved solutions to help our customers keep the same level of efficiency and cost-savings with a sleeker, more modern communication environment.
Continuant Connect is a platform that makes migrating from PSTN-connected legacy systems to modern cloud-based applications like Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams easier than ever. Once the migration is complete, it serves as a sort of command center for your communications, giving you a single pane of glass to see and control every device, platform, and channel.
For organizations with contact center needs, we’ve got the Continuant Connect Contact Center (C4). C4 is an omni-channel customer experience (CX) platform not unlike the contact centers you’d see from industry giants like Genesys and Five9. Powered equally by advanced AI and human intuition, it enhances interactions with customers while also making life easier for you and your agents.
One of our customers, Intrust Bank, migrated over 1,300 users to Microsoft Teams using Continuant Connect. With this, it was able to decommission its legacy Cisco devices, cancel the licenses, and save no small amount of money in the process. When the PSTN is gone for good, Intrust will be secured in the cloud.
We’re ready and willing to do the same for you. Connect with us today and to set up a free discovery call to begin your journey.
