Manx Telecom Scraps Free Email and Migrates Users to Paid Platform | ISPreview UK

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Broadband, phone and mobile operator Manx Telecom (MT), which is the primary telecoms network for premises across the remote Isle of Man, has announced that their free email service (Manx.net) is to be migrated to a new platform run by Junara. But customers that wish to continue using the service will, from 21st Jan 2026, need to pay £65 a year (or £6.50 per month).

Unfortunately, Manx are by no means the only internet provider to replace their free email platform with a paid or semi-paid one in recent years, with both TalkTalk and Plusnet being two of the most recent UK ISPs to follow a similar sort of trend (here and here). Most internet providers stopped advertising email as a package feature many years ago (plenty of freemail choices these days), and thus most of the users that remain are often legacy ones.

NOTE: The Isle of Man is a British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland.

Manx claims that the move will enable them to “focus on [their] core telecommunications offerings,” while at the same time appearing to suggest that the transition is also about “protecting islanders from scams“. But the operator acknowledges that, for over 25 years, it has “subsidised the Manx.net service, providing it free of charge” and that “technology and security requirements have evolved significantly” since then.

In short, Manx Telecom indirectly indicates that they’re no longer willing to acquire the “increasingly specialised expertise” and commit the extra infrastructure investment necessary to maintain their current approach. As a result, Junara (a brand of Atmail), which has been providing the technical platform for Manx.net for several years, has now assumed full ownership and customer support responsibilities.

What this means for customers

If you wish to keep your @manx.net, @isleofman.com, or @isleofman.org email address: 

  • Go to www.manx.net — type it directly into your browser (don’t click any email links). 
  • Register with Junara between 21 October 2025 and 20 January 2026. 
  • Choose your plan: £65 per year (discounted from £79) or £6.50 per month (discounted from £7.50).
  • Payment options: Register now and pay later (by 20 January 2026), or pre-pay during sign-up. 
  • Once registered and paid, your email service will continue without interruption.  

Important dates 

  • Registration window: 21 October 2025 – Tuesday 20 January 2026 
  • Subscription starts: Wednesday 21 January 2026 
  • Suspension period: 21 January – 20 April 2026 
  • Permanent deletion: Tuesday 21 April 2026 

Accounts not registered and paid by 20 January 2026 will be suspended from 21 January 2026
A grace period for reactivation runs until 20 April 2026, after which accounts will be permanently deleted on 21 April 2026

However, if maintaining your Manx address isn’t absolutely essential, then a better course of action would be to use this time to adopt one of the many free email (Outlook/Hotmail, Gmail etc.) platforms that already exist.

Gary Lamb, CEO of Manx Telecom, said:

“We have been proud to support the Island community with Manx.net for more than two decades. Transitioning the service to Junara, who already power the platform, ensures customers can continue using their @manx.net email address with specialist management. This change protects customers and the service itself for the long term, while Manx Telecom continues to focus on fibre broadband, mobile networks, and business connectivity for the Isle of Man.”

As we’ve said many times before, it’s always wise to use a separate email service from the one provided by your broadband and mobile provider, not least because it can make it harder for you to switch providers (i.e. you run the risk of losing access to your address) and email services aren’t usually regulated (i.e. there isn’t much support for those who experience difficulties).

Court Fines BT £9K Over Permits and Substandard Roadworks in Cumbria UK | ISPreview UK

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Broadband and telecoms giant BT (Openreach) has been fined a total of £9,000 at the Barrow Magistrates Court in Cumbria (England) after Westmorland and Furness Council (WFC) brought a successful prosecution against the operator for carrying out roadworks “without permits“, while also “failing to reinstate the road adequately“.

The offences are said to have taken place during January 2025 in the parish of Seathwaite, within the Lake District National Park. The company, which we assume to actually be Openreach (only BT is named), carried out significant roadworks, installing more than 3 miles of underground duct and 20 carriageway chambers, albeit “without following correct procedures for closing the road or with appropriate permits in place“.

NOTE: Openreach is currently investing up to £15bn to expand the coverage of their new “full fibre” (FTTP) broadband network to 25 million UK premises by December 2026 (currently 20m+ completed), before potentially rising up to 30m by 2030.

Just to make matters worse. The council had earlier “refused the issue of a permit” because several of them would have been needed to cover the whole works and road closures then also became a requirement, “without which the works would be considered dangerous“. The works performed also left the road in an “inadequate state and not at the required standard“.

Cllr Peter Thornton, WFC Cabinet Member for Highways, said:

“We don’t like having to prosecute utility companies as we recognise the important work they do. However, we do insist that this work is done to a proper standard, to strict health and safety regulations and that permits are properly applied for.

We will continue to demand the highest standards from anyone working on the public highway in Westmorland and Furness.”

The operator, which pleaded guilty, ended up being charged under Section 71 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and Regulation 19 of the Traffic Management Permit Scheme (England) Regulations 2007, which has over the years been used to levy similar fines against various other broadband operators (recent examples here, here and here).

As well as being fined, the company was also ordered to pay the council’s costs of £5,000 and a victim surcharge of £2,000. We have asked Openreach to comment and await their response. Credits to one of our readers, Graham, for the news tip.

ASA UK Ban Broadband ISP Zzoomm’s Ethically Questionable Direct Mail Ad | ISPreview UK

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The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has today banned yet another direct mailing advert for alternative full fibre broadband ISP Zzoomm, which occurred after it was found that the mail was NOT “obviously identifiable as a marketing communication” and misled recipients about the importance of its content.

In short, Zzoomm sent out a direct mail (letter) to homes in some of their deployment areas, which on the front was marked “Important notice. Disruption in your area” – indicating some urgency. But the letter inside said: “Not the disruption you were expecting…But it’s the best kind. Homes across your area are switching to faster, more reliable Full Fibre broadband from Zzoomm – loving the difference…”.

Issues like this one have cropped up before. For example, ISPreview recently ran a piece that questioned the boundary between ethics and advertising when using exactly this sort of tactic (here), which often makes such letters look like an urgent government, police or HMRC communication etc. Unsurprisingly, the ASA noted how five people complained about Zzoomm’s similar letter and promptly upheld those complaints.

In its response, Zzoomm agreed with the concerns raised and pointed out that the relevant marketing campaign was designed and distributed by a team that no longer worked with them. The campaign was conceptualised in April 2025, before a new team was appointed in June 2025, following their merger with FullFibre Limited (here). “They had no knowledge of the campaign and therefore did not review it. They said that, had they been given the opportunity, they would not have circulated the campaign,” said the ASA.

ASA Ruling (REF: G25-1297639 Zzoomm plc)

The ASA considered that the text “Important notice. Disruption in your area” implied that the letter received was an official communication related to an interruption of service in the recipients’ local area. We further considered that the text “Important notice” indicated a sense of authority to recipients. We also noted the appearance of the envelope, which was brown and windowed. We considered that this further contributed to the overall impression that the circular was official correspondence.

While we acknowledged the presence of the Zzoomm logo on the envelope, we considered that, the inclusion of branding alone was not sufficient to make clear the commercial nature of the communication, particularly when presented alongside wording that suggested an important service update.

In that context, we considered that the contents of the envelope would be understood to contain a formal notice about potential disruption to the recipients’ usual broadband service in the local area. Furthermore, we understood that Zzoomm had previously carried out infrastructure improvements in the relevant areas, and we thus considered that furthered this impression.

The letter stated “Not the disruption you were expecting…But it’s the best kind. Homes across your area are switching to faster, more reliable Full Fibre broadband from Zzoomm […]” and “Broadband disruption… but for all the right reasons”. We considered that, once opened, most recipients would understand that the letter was a marketing communication promoting Zzoomm’s broadband offering. However, because that text was not visible without opening the letter, we considered that it was not obviously identifiable as a marketing communication.

Because the ad implied it contained an important notice about broadband disruption in the recipient’s local area and did not make its commercial intent clear from the outset, we concluded that the ad was misleading and breached the Code.

The ruling is important because it sends a clear signal to the rest of the industry that it is not appropriate to adopt this sort of tactic with Direct Mailing adverts. This is likely to impact a number of other providers (e.g. like the one we previously highlighted in our aforementioned article) as some of those communications were even less obviously promotional than Zzoomm’s.

As usual the ASA banned the advert in its current form (a move Zzoomm had already taken) and told the internet provider to ensure that their ads were “obviously identifiable as marketing communications, and that they did not mislead consumers by presenting them in a way that implied they were important notices about broadband disruption“.

We should point out that this is not the first time Zzoomm has been at the wrong end of the ASA’s ban hammer (here), albeit previously for a different issue.

Elevate Make Rapid Progress on New Fibre Broadband Network in St Helens | ISPreview UK

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Alternative network operator Elevate, which back in April 2025 secured the contract to build a new “hyperfast” full fibre broadband network in the Merseyside (England) town of St Helens (here), has today revealed that they’ve made “substantial progress” on the deployment with 4,874 metres worth of fibre already installed.

Elevate, which are using their own engineers, added that this means they’ve already completed the subducting required for the project and laid over 99% of the track, helping to pave the way for faster internet speeds and better reliability for residents and businesses in the town centre – less than six months after the project began.

NOTE: St Helens is home to a population of around 120,000, although the new network is only focused on the central part of the town.

The new network, which is said to be supported by funding from the previous Government’s £3.6bn Town Fund Programme (details), is being built on behalf of the St Helens Borough Council and its Digital Infrastructure Programme. “The network will significantly increase internet speeds and reliability for residents and businesses across the Town Centre,” said Elevate’s original announcement.

The deployment itself adopts a “Dig Once” strategy, which typically reflects the wide reuse of existing cable ducts, street furniture and other infrastructure to run new fibre (i.e. reducing the need for new street works). Projects like this tend to focus on building a full fibre network to connect local public sector sites, rather than individual homes and businesses, although the latter may often follow via additional private investment.

We should point out that the central part of the town is already partly covered by gigabit-capable broadband from Openreach (BT) and Virgin Media (O2), with outer areas also being reached by various alternative networks.

Councillor Keith Laird, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member, said:

“We’re really pleased with the rapid progress that’s been made, and the reception from businesses and residents across the town centre who recognise the social and economic benefits this project will deliver. The new full fibre network is essential digital infrastructure which will help to make us one of the most digitally connected towns in the region.

We’ve also been working with Elevate to absolutely maximise the social value of this project, providing new opportunities and better connections for hundreds of people across the borough.”

Elevate has also been working proactively with local institutions and community interest companies to extend the impact of the project, such as via a £30,000 contribution to Thrive, which will fund targeted services for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). The operator also donated £10,000 to St Helens Borough Council to cover the cost of 800 lessons through the Tute ‘Virtual School’ program.

Finally, the operator is providing a free, lifetime 1Gbps internet connection to the St Helens Coalition of Disabled People (Buzz Hub), based at Nuttall House.

The Council were supported in the development of the Project by Digital Infrastructure experts CJ Founds Associates, who helped to develop the Commercial Case and Contracting Strategy.

Broadband ISP TalkTalk Tries to Entice UK Customers with 900Mbps for £30 | ISPreview UK

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet provider TalkTalk has today continued their efforts to boost the take-up of their home broadband services by launching their self-proclaimed “lowest ever price” on a 900Mbps full fibre (FTTP) package, which drops it from £38 to £30 per month on a 24-month minimum term for new subscribers.

The package also includes a wireless router, free installation, built-in HomeSafe online security (inc. features like KidSafe, scam site filtering, and protection from malicious content). But as usual it’s worth noting that customers will be subject to the provider’s mid-contract price hikes policy, which raises the monthly price by £3 every April (i.e. £33 from April 2026 and then £36 from April 2027).

So far as we can tell, the £30 offer appears to be available regardless of whether you’re covered by their CityFibre or Openreach based networks, although TalkTalk hasn’t said how long they’ll keep offering the package at this price point to new customers.

CEO of UK Broadband Altnet MS3 to Step Down at Christmas After 4 Years | ISPreview UK

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The CEO of Hull-based alternative UK network operator MS3, Guy Miller, has today announced his intention to “step away” from the company at Christmas after an “incredible four years“. The provider’s full fibre (FTTP) broadband network currently covers 234,000 premises (212k RFS) in the North of England and has connected 20,000 customers.

The provider, which offers access to its network at wholesale for retail ISPs to harness, has become known for helping to weaken KCOM’s grip on the broadband market in Hull (East Yorkshire). But in recent times they’ve also had to slow their network build in order to focus more on commercialisation of their existing network, due to wider market pressures (here).

NOTE: MS3 is backed by £100m of funding from investors like Asterion and supported by ISPs such as TalkTalk, Open Fibre, Squirrel Internet, MTH Networks, Hull Fibre, Octaplus, Home Telecom etc.

Guy’s full statement doesn’t explain why he’s leaving, although that’s not uncommon when bosses depart.

Guy Miller said:

“A couple of weeks ago I announced internally that I will be stepping away from MS3 at Christmas. It’s been an incredible four years, but the time is right now for this amazing local business to be run by an incredible local team.

In that time we’ve secured over £100m in investment, taken the business to over 20,000 customers and 200,000 RFS, signed 40+ wholesale partners including recently Zen Internet and PXC, we’ve won Fibre Provider of the Year twice in a row and set the record for most award wins; we’re maintaining an amazing 4.8 stars on Trust Pilot, we’re debt-free, about to have our first EBITDA+ year and are fully funded to cashflow positive.

Not only that but we have done this all in the one part of the country that everybody said was impossible to compete in. The monopoly is on its way to being over.

We’ve built one of the most sustainable, efficient and dynamic altnets in the UK and with a ruthless focus now on commercialisation, it is the right time to put the business in Tony Jopling’s extremely capable hands. As someone who has spent his adult life passionately working in telecoms in Hull, there is no-one better to ensure MS3 reaches its full potential.

Every day our team work to improve the financial position of their neighbours, of their friends and of their families who for years in the area have been overcharged and had no choices when it came to broadband. It’s fitting that the business is now again run by an amazing leadership team made up of local people who understand what their communities really need.

I will leave at the end of the year with a little part of me left behind in Hull.”

Vodafone taps Wind River to support Open RAN rollout in Germany | Total Telecom

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

white concrete building with flags on top under blue sky during daytime

News

The collaboration will see thousands of sites rolled out across the company from early next year

This week, Wind River has revealed its selection by Vodafone to help deploy Open RAN in Germany and the rest of its European markets.

The partnership covers the use of Wind River® Cloud Platform as the containers-as-a-service (CaaS) layer, which Wind River says allows for the “development, deployment, operation, and servicing of distributed edge networks at scale”.

“Vodafone continues to advance and collaborate with the industry in realizing the promise of Open RAN. We’re proud to extend our partnership to enable the next wave of large-scale deployments,” said Paul Miller, chief technology officer, Wind River. “Wind River Cloud Platform delivers the scalable, distributed cloud infrastructure service providers need to run next-generation networks efficiently.”

The news follows Vodafone Group’s ‘Spring 6’ announcement earlier this month, which provided an update on the company’s ongoing RAN refreshment strategy. The update said that the company would continue to lean on Ericsson, Huawei, and Nokia for its transition to 5G Advanced, but would bring in Samsung as a strategic vendor for the deployment of Open RAN across Europe.

Germany will be Vodafone’s first market to implement Open RAN at scale, with Samsung reportedly set to equip “thousands of sites” throughout the country. The first Open RAN site is already live in Hannover, with Wismar planned as the first city fully equipped with Open RAN from spring 2026.

Thousands more Open RAN sites in other markets are planned for deployment over the course of the five-year investment programme.

How is the German connectivity landscape changing in 2025? Join the industry in discussion at Connected Germany 2025

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Openreach Publish October 2025 Update on UK FTTP Broadband Rollout | ISPreview UK

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National network operator Openreach (BT) has published the latest quarterly update on their roll-out of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based gigabit broadband ISP technology. The update reflects all the recent changes and progress with their existing locations and doesn’t appear to add any new areas beyond those confirmed in July 2025 (here).

Just to recap. The operator is currently investing up to £15bn to expand the coverage of their new “full fibre” network to 25 million premises by December 2026 (here), which will include around 6.2m in rural or semi-rural areas. On top of that, they’ve also expressed an ambition to reach up to 30m by 2030 (there are c.33m in the UK), which is often said to be partly dependent upon a favourable outcome from Ofcom’s next Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR) and government policy (planning and taxation etc.).

NOTE: Openreach’s average FTTP build rate is currently passing c. 1.1 million UK premises per quarter, with a take-up rate of 38% (rising to over 50% in older cohorts). The operator’s network has so far covered well over 20 million UK premises.

The new network is currently capable of delivering download speeds of up to 1.8Gbps (uploads of 1Gbps are also possible in some Project Gigabit build areas) via older GPON technology. But Openreach recently revealed to ISPreview that they would trial real speeds of up to 8.5Gbps via their new XGS-PON based full fibre network with 40,000 premises in Guildford during early 2026 (here).

In terms of their network deployment. Openreach has already announced their commercial roll-out plan up to the December 2026 target – reflecting c.3,500 towns, cities, boroughs, villages and hamlets. The latest October 2025 Build Plan (and Interactive Map) thus largely represents a progress update for those locations. But take note that this only covers their commercial deployments and there are some big exclusions (i.e. new sites/retro new-sites and other smaller scale programmes or infill and publicly subsidised builds under the government’s BDUK linked contracts are sadly all excluded).

Unfortunately, the format adopted by the operator makes it very difficult to identify any key changes to this list, or even removals. Build lists like this are always tentative, which means that some locations may be removed (e.g. if found to be too expensive due to complications) or delayed and others added in their place. Inclusion should also NOT be considered as equating to 100% coverage of each area.

At present it seems unlikely that Openreach will announce a big list of new FTTP build locations / coverage expansions, such as for their future plan for going from 25m to 30 million premises by 2030, until after or around when Ofcom is due to publish their final telecoms market review proposals (final statement is due around March 2026). Even then they’ll probably announce it gradually, rather than all at once.

Openreach currently has 15,000 people focused on their UK deployment of full fibre technology and the average per premises build cost continues to hover around the £280 mark (roughly £1.2bn per year). The new service, once live, can be ordered via various ISPs, such as BT, Sky Broadband, TalkTalk, Vodafone and many more (Openreach FTTP ISP Choices) – it is not currently an automatic upgrade, although some ISPs have started to do free automatic upgrades as older copper-based services and lines are slowly withdrawn.

Credits to forum member ‘Some Edinburgh Guy’ for spotting the latest update.

Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine plan Black Sea cable to bypass Russia | Total Telecom

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

body of water under blue and white sky at daytime

News

The Kardesa submarine cable system will connect Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey, and Ukraine

This week, Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine have announced their intentions to build a new submarine cable spanning the Black Sea, the first for almost two decades.

The €116 million Kardesa cable will include landings in Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey, and Ukraine, notably excluding Russia.

It is expected to deliver an additional 500 Tbps of capacity to the Black Sea region, providing a much-needed altnerative for limited and aging infrastructure currently in the area.

The cable is being built by specialist Xtera, with the first cable landing expected to be built in Bulgaria in 2027.

Given its prominence as a gateway to the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea is currently home to surprisingly few submarine cables. Here’s the region’s subsea cable infrastructure at a glance from Telegeography’s subsea cable map.

 

Source: Telegeography

Along the west coast runs Turk Telecom’s KAFOS cable (purple), connecting Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. On the east coast, is a system simply known as the Georgia–Russia cable (orange), built by the two nation’s operators to connect the countries in 2000.

The only cable currently spanning the Black Sea is the 2008 Caucasus Cable (pink), linking Bulgaria to Georgia. Another route crossing the sea – a joint energy and telecoms system called the Black Sea Submarine Cable (BSSC), running from Georgia to Romania – was announced last year.

Finally, the tiny cluster of dots at the north of the picture, at the entrance to the Sea of Azov, is in fact two cables: Russian telco Miranda Media’s Kerch Strait (blue) and Energy Bridge (orange) cables.

The question of why there are so few Black Sea subsea cables, while nuanced, can be broadly answered in two parts. Firstly, the digital economies in South and Southeast Asia have grown far more rapidly than their Central counterparts. As a result, routes passing along Asia’s south coast and through the Red Sea, have become highly developed, reducing the need for a Black Sea crossing to Europe. Secondly, the Blacks Sea’s geopolitical sensitivity has made building routes difficult, presenting projects with a myriad of complex regulatory and security challenges.

For the Kardesa cable, on the other hand, geopolitics is a major motivator. The cable will offer regional traffic a route that does not pass through Russian territory, which Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he hoped would help “establish Ukraine as a key hub for internet traffic between Europe and Asia, bypassing Russia”.

Keep up to date with all of the latest telecoms news from around the world with the Total Telecom newsletter

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Are you lagging on the PSTN switch-off? | Total Telecom

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

clear hour glass with brown frame

Contributed Article

by James Lilley, Director of All-IP at Openreach

The UK is gearing up for a historic moment – the final full-scale infrastructure transition of our lifetimes. The Public Switched Telephone Network will be switched off on 31st January 2027 in favour of internet-based (All-IP) networks. Even though this deadline is fast approaching, many businesses are still resistant to the move. Switch-overs are continuing to happen, but the progress is slower than expected, considering the finality of the deadline. By 2027, most people in the UK will need to have a digital phone line, or risk being left behind.

 

Why aren’t businesses moving?

Many businesses are avoiding the switch due to the perceived difficulty of switching. Continuing with current systems seems like an easier option. The classic idea of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ echoes with businesses happy to stick to their current trusted systems. Many organisations will have only ever used their current networks and are satisfied with the way they run.

However, as the world becomes increasingly digital, PSTN simply can no longer keep up. Legacy PSTN networks already have far more service disruptions and outages than all-IP systems, and in 2024 alone the number of PSTN incidents reported to Ofcom increased by 45%.

Many businesses aren’t fully aware that though the PSTN switch-off is scheduled for January 2027, the practical deadline for businesses to act is December 2025. After that, support for legacy services will diminish, and businesses could be exposed to operational risks. The reason being, that Openreach has formally notified Communication Providers (CPs) that the current Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) contracts will terminate on 31 December 2025.  After this date, any remaining WLR assets i.e. services not yet migrated or cancelled, will be subject to new contract terms. Under the revised terms, Openreach reserves the right to terminate any remaining WLR services with just 90 days notice.  After that, services may continue only at Openreach’s discretion, and with reduced service guarantees. This could mean businesses facing things like slower repair times and reduced service response guarantees.

So, while ‘it ain’t broke’ currently, delaying the switch will only create bigger problems for businesses in the near future as well as further down the line

There are common misconceptions about the difficulty of switching over from PSTN to all-IP. The switch over is simple and for many can be completed in just a number of days. By resisting the transition, businesses may actually be costing themselves more money and time. Legacy infrastructure is expensive to maintain. Reliance on copper materials and outdated hardware means that maintenance and replacement parts are costly and difficult to source. This not only drives up maintenance costs but also leads to longer repair times, meaning that delaying the switch ultimately results in greater disruption and downtime for businesses

Alongside technological improvements, an all-IP network is actually cheaper to run and maintain than the current legacy network. Streamlined all-IP systems use less hardware than legacy networks. With fewer pieces of hardware involved, there’s less that can break, and if something does go wrong, repairs are faster and more affordable.

A final reason that businesses may be delaying is due to assumptions that the deadline may move but there are several reasons why the January 2027 deadline is non-negotiable. Since September 2023, Openreach has enforced a “stop sell” on PSTN and ISDN services. This means no new analogue lines can be activated and existing ones can’t be expanded which means the infrastructure is already being phased out, not just planned for future removal. The January 2027 extension was granted to allow more time to safely migrate vulnerable customers, especially those using telecare devices like personal alarms. Around 2.3 million people rely on these services, and some devices failed during early migrations. Since then, more safeguards have successfully been brought in to protect those deemed vulnerable.  This was more of a one-time reset than a rolling extension. In addition, industry-wide migration is well underway with providers already migrating tens of thousands of customers weekly.

The role of CSPs in helping businesses transition NOW

Customer Service Providers (CSPs) are crucial to this switch-off. To begin the transition, businesses should reach out to their communications providers (CPs), who can guide them through the process. The deadline is the same across the UK, but some CSPs will require businesses to move ahead of the switch-off. Transferring to the all-IP and VoIP system will bring different benefits across the various service providers so businesses should check for any extra benefits.  With some CSPs, calls over the internet may be cheaper than analogue phone lines or even mobile, particularly if you’re calling someone abroad, and some providers will be offering add-ons and enhanced services made available by the digital system.

Improvements for businesses using all-IP networks

Even without the extra benefits provided by CSPs, all-IP networks will bring significant improvements for businesses. All-IP networks are purpose-built to meet the demands of modern businesses that operate in the digital world.

  • Reliability – They are more reliable than traditional networks, as fibre is more resistant to environmental damage. This means reduced downtime for businesses whose critical services run on connectivity.
  • Scalability – Running services over the internet means new lines and services can be added easily, without needing to adjust physical infrastructure, to scale with business needs.
  • Bandwidth – Fibre technology can handle massive amounts of data at the same time. This makes it possible for technologies such as IoT that demand high bandwidth to be more performant. As more business operations become digital, we need the infrastructure to keep up.

Moving to all-IP allows businesses to gain the network performance required to keep pace with today’s digital demands.

New revenue opportunities

All-IP can also create new revenue streams unavailable on the legacy network. All-IP networks will allow businesses to harness more modern technologies, including cloud-based communication systems such as Zoom or Teams, more efficiently. These advanced communication platforms can play an essential role in opening new revenue streams. For example, chat functions between businesses and customers can be better supported by an all-IP network. An all-IP network enhances chat functions by handling all communication types – text, voice, and video—as data packets over a single, unified infrastructure. This can help create upselling opportunities that were difficult or impossible to achieve over legacy networks. Many businesses are already reaping the rewards of the all-IP network and PSTN connections are now only 27% of residential landline connections.

With the 2027 deadline rapidly approaching, the reasons for businesses’ hesitance to switch must be addressed. The deadline will not move again, and holding back from switching means a delay to the benefits of an all-IP system. The increased capabilities of an all-IP network will allow for digital transformation for businesses previously reliant on outdated hardware, so while business can wait until the end of 2026 to switch, the benefits of switching earlier are clear.

Keep up to date with all of the latest telecoms news from around the world with the Total Telecom newsletter

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