Entanet asks: “Is the UK really ready to ditch its traditional phone network?”
Leading comms provider questions the viability of BT’s request that its obligation to support the legacy PSTN system should be dropped to allow more focus on digital
Telford, 13 July 2015 – Entanet, the leading wholesale communications provider, has questioned whether the timer should be put on Britain’s Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) system, following reports that BT has asked Ofcom to lift the obligation that it continues to place on the company to provide a traditional copper-based phone network, as well as running a digital system.
BT is asking for a ‘sunset clause’ that will effectively allow BT to press on with its plans to switch all users to IP-based voice over the next decade, while allowing the older analogue network to be gradually shut down and the focus shifted to supporting a single network infrastructure. BT has also implied that this would enable further investment into the advancement of broadband and connectivity services.
But Entanet, while acknowledging the merits of the argument, also sees major hurdles. In an article on its blog site (see www.enta.net/opinion/2015/06/30/uk-ready-ditch-traditional-phone-network/#.VZz4P_lViko), Paul Heritage-Redpath the company’s Product Manager says: “Whilst we understand BT’s intentions to move to a newer technology and applaud its plans for investment into future-proof networks and infrastructure, we’re not convinced that it will be plausible to fully remove the existing PSTN infrastructure within the next ten years.”
Potential problems include the fact that there may still be a number of areas in which broadband connectivity will remain quite poor, even a decade from now, and complications with emergency services. In addition, such a move would almost certainly prompt a backlash from customers who will resent being forced to have (and pay for) an Internet connection simply to make and receive voice calls.
The article can be read in full at www.enta.net/opinion/2015/06/30/uk-ready-ditch-traditional-phone-network/#.VZz4P_lViko)
— ENDS —
About Entanet
Entanet is a leading wholesale voice and data communications provider and operates via a network of wholesale and resale channel partners. It was founded in 1996 and employs over 80 staff at its offices in Telford, Shropshire.
In February 2014, mid-market equity investor Mobeus Equity Partners made an initial £6 million investment to support a £14 million management buyout.
Entanet offers an extensive portfolio of connectivity services, including wholesale and packaged broadband, leased lines, EFM, IP VPNs, hosting and co-location, VoIP and traditional telecoms. The company operates its own fully-resilient nationwide next generation network which enables it and its partners to provide up to 10Gbps capacity to customers right across the UK. In addition, it has further connectivity into Amsterdam and Frankfurt and over 900 peering relationships across Europe.
The quality of Entanet’s services and its commitment to partners has been widely recognised. The company was recently named ‘Wholesale Provider of the Year (Large)’ in the 2015 Comms Business Awards and received the 2015 ISPA award for ‘Best SME Business Broadband’ and CRN Sales and Marketing Award for ‘Best Vendor Account Management Team’. The company has also been listed on a number of occasions in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100, Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA and other listings of fast-growing, privately-held UK companies.
For more information contact:
Darren Farnden, Head of Marketing
Entanet International Ltd
Tel: 0333 101 0000