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What is the ISDN Switch Off 2025?

The UK copper line switch-off (also known as the ISDN Switch Off or Great British Switch Off here at Zen) is the official end of the analogue phone or copper line infrastructure. When it takes place, traditional PSTN and ISDN lines will stop working altogether, to be replaced by IP phone systems like Digital Voice and CloudComms. The stop sell has already happened across many telephone exchanges and the switch off itself will happen in 2025.

The UK’s copper wire telephone system (also known as PSTN or the Public Switched Telephone Network) has been relatively unchanged for more than 100 years. In an increasingly connected world, demand for digital connectivity is rising. Ultimately the ISDN switch-off in 2025 will improve the quality of communications nationwide as the country transitions away from copper lines to more reliable FTTP or full fibre connectivity.

If you haven’t already done so, it is time you future-proof your home and business against the disconnection of ISDN and PSTN telephone services. Find out when and how to make this essential update, and stay connected for the future.

Great British switch off map

Don’t get left behind – trust Zen to guide you through the 2025 Switch Off.

 

Discover how Zen can help you as a:

Residential user
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Business user
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Zen Partner
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The ISDN Switch Off: key dates

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How Zen can help you?

Access to reliable communications to connect with friends, family, colleagues, customers, and suppliers will always be essential. As ISDN and PSTN lines become a part of history, make sure you’re equipped for the future of communications with the analogue switch-off coming in 2025.


We’ve found that most businesses still use landlines for:

Customer communications (72%)
person taking a support call
Supplier and Partner communications (61%)
Partnership 2 people
Colleague communications (62%)

Don’t get caught out continuing to pay for analogue telephone contracts that tie your business in well beyond the switch-off date. They’ll either leave you disconnected or out of pocket from 2025. Future-proof your personal and business communications with Zen.

Discover how Zen can help you as a:

Residential user
Business
Zen Partner

Residential users and small businesses

Zen Full Fibre

Our Full Fibre package offers a true fibre to the premises (FTTP) broadband connection. It is capable of providing both WiFi and Digital Voice connections, so you can keep your business online and your home connected.

 

Superfast Broadband
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Single Order Generic Ethernet Access (SoGEA)

If your business is already using voice technology such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), SoGEA might be the option for you. When full fibre isn’t available, with SoGEA you can order an FTTC internet connection without the need for a phone line, combining all your services into one handy order.

 

Digital Voice

Still using your landline or ISDN network? Digital Voice is the future-proof solution for making and receiving calls over your internet connection. It’s high quality, reliable, and doesn’t depend on those old copper telephone wires. Just plug your phone into your router and you’re ready to go.

 

Great British switch off map

Mid-market & Corporate businesses 

VoIP systems like Digital Voice aren't the only solution for large or growing businesses. Experience clear-as-day audio and video calling to colleagues and customers with CloudComms by Zen. We provide flexible and cost-effective business communication services to suit your budget and needs. Be confident in the connectivity for your business with 24/7 management and monitoring.

✔ Connectivity from anywhere

Ensure maximum business comms continuity with guaranteed 99.99% uptime. CloudComms allows you to answer your business number on any device and provides automatic call rerouting – making working from home a breeze.

✔ Pass on the benefits to your customers

Enjoy greater efficiency when responding to customer queries, whatever channel they come through. With seamless integration across departments and communication channels, your customers will be more than satisfied with your service.

✔ Seamless management

Use our 24/7 portal access to add and remove users, access call logs and recordings, and change permissions. With Zen CloudComms, your business communications are exactly that – your business.

✔ Easy integration

Discover a streamlined solution. CloudComms is designed to integrate with your existing communication systems for ease of set-up. From the office to the call centre, to the home office – all your business communications are unified with Zen.

Partners

✔ Network and connectivity

Choose from a range of broadband, ethernet leased lines and MPLS IP VPN options to suit the usage and connectivity needs of your business.

✔ Cloud and hosting

Make your customers’ cloud transition as smooth as possible with IaaS, Baas, and DRaaS services for efficient and secure data management.

✔ Voice

With competitively priced business phone lines and cost-saving hosted voice, Zen guarantees to keep your business talking.

Resources

The 2025 Switch Off: frequently asked questions

The 2025 switch off is the gradual deactivation of BT’s Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) between now and 2025. Homes and business owners are no longer able to buy products connecting to these networks – fibre connections will become the new standard.

In 2025, all landlines will be disconnected. You will still be able to use a landline handset at home or in your business – but the network that connects it will be digitised. To make calls from a landline phone, you will need an internet connection.

Landlines will be replaced with the FTTP broadband network, delivering calls via Digital Voice technology. This connects your handset to your WiFi router and uses broadband data to make and receive calls. To find out how to stay connected with Zen, check out our Digital Voice packages for businesses.

The concept of landlines will still exist, only in digital form. The copper landline infrastructure, however, will no longer be operating from 2025. You will still be able to use your old landline handset with a new Digital Voice landline contract by plugging it into your router.

With Digital Voice, landline calls are set to become better quality and cheaper than most mobile contracts. The new landline phone system offers a range of benefits and supports your WiFi connection. Find out more about Digital Voice.

VoIP is Voice Over Internet Protocol. It works by converting your voice calls into a digital signal, providing landline phone service via the internet. With VoIP, you can make a call from a computer, landline handset, or another data-connected device.

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Whether you need advice on choosing the right service for your business, or you just require further information, our expert team will be happy to discuss with you. Give us a call, or fill in the form and we'll get back to you.

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