BT Openreach are switching off all traditional landlines by January 2027, in a move that was announced back in 2017. Potentially millions of businesses who still operate using these landlines are going to suffer a serious loss to their communication channels because of it.
If these businesses don’t upgrade their telephone lines, they will be waving goodbye to their telephone ringing and their broadband will no longer connect to the internet.
So why in 2023, over 5 years after it was announced and a couple of years before The Big Switch Off finally takes place, are IT providers like us giving you all the ins and outs?
2027 might seem ages away to you and you’re kind of correct in the grand scheme of things.
However, there’s one big point on The Big Switch Off timeline that we need you to be aware of.
Originally scheduled to be complete in 2025, 2027 is the date of the turn off. It’s when the power is completely cut from the traditional landlines. It’s when it’s too late to make a change without being cut off for a period of time. Without making the switch sooner, your business will be left in the dark.
The important date to really note is September this year. This is when BT Openreach stop selling and products relating to traditional landlines. This is the last step before the tipping point which is usually a good time to abandon ship and seek more stable grounds.
So, keeping that in mind and couple it with the fact that it’s always good to give yourself a bit of time to test new products and ways of working, we recommend that businesses start to prepare to make their switch.
There are lots of easy things that you can do to feel more prepared. Many businesses say that they don’t feel prepared because they either don’t know what The Big Switch Off is, what it means for them or when it is happening. At Affinity, we’ve pulled together a checklist of things to make sure you feel a bit more ready.
They are:
- Read up on The Big Switch Off – what it is, when it is and how your business may be affected
- Make sure you know when the key milestones and notifications are by clicking here
- Find out when your landline telephone and broadband contracts are due to expire
- Check if any other products in your business may be affected. Click here to have a look at some examples
- Take a look at the alternatives to traditional landlines
- Contact Affinity’s technical experts who will help you implement the alternatives and train your staff on how to use them – don’t forget you can always contact us with any support issues during your contract
Time is flying at the minute but this is not something that you want to put off for much longer.
We would absolutely hate for you to miss sales calls because of The Big Switch Off
