Openreach is intensifying its efforts to transition businesses off the outdated Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) by announcing substantial price hikes for legacy services. With less than a year until the PSTN is officially shut down, approximately half a million business lines remain unmigrated.
Transition to Digital Services
The infrastructure division of BT Group is moving towards an all-digital, Internet Protocol (IP) based service over fiber. To expedite this migration, Openreach is raising charges on its legacy products. The PSTN shutdown deadline has been extended multiple times, but Openreach has now set a firm date of January 31, 2027, for the discontinuation of copper-based services.
Price Increases Scheduled
Openreach has already ceased the sale of legacy products under the Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) category as of 2023. To further encourage migration, the company will implement a series of price increases: a 20 percent hike starting April 1, followed by an additional 40 percent increase on July 1, and another 40 percent rise on October 1. This means that businesses still relying on legacy lines will face costs that are double what they paid last year.
Impact on Vulnerable Customers
Openreach asserts that all technical barriers to migration have been addressed, including protections for vulnerable telecare users. The company is offering special pricing for businesses migrating to Single Order Generic Ethernet Access (SOGEA), which provides broadband without a phone service. Openreach Director of All-IP, James Lilley, emphasized that the legacy PSTN network is becoming increasingly costly to maintain and operate.
Future Connectivity Options
For customers who do not migrate by the shutdown date, Openreach warns they will lose service entirely. The company has outlined various options for those without broadband, including potential migration to SOGEA if fiber is available, or to a transitional digital service known as SOTAP. If customers take no action, they may be placed on an Emergency Voice Access (EVAC) service, which is a basic version of SOTAP.
This article was produced by NeonPulse.today using human and AI-assisted editorial processes, based on publicly available information. Content may be edited for clarity and style.
