BT Openreach Move to VoIP by 2025

BT Openreach prepares to move 16 million phone lines to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) by 2025.

12:10 27 May 2018

As part of its plan to shut down its traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN), BT Openreach has started consulting with communication providers as it prepares to move 16 million phone lines to VoIP by 2025.

 

In order to transfer to a fibre-based network as quickly as possible, BT is to withdraw its products and services that rely on PSTN. It is committed to shift 3million premises to full fibre and 10 million customers to its ultrafast hybrid fibre and copper G.Fast product by 2020.

 

James Lilley, BT Openreach’s General Manager for Copper and Services Products, said: “Our aim is to have as many customers as possible on fibre products. But there will still be a gap for those who can’t get fibre. So, as part of the consultation there will be a new copper product to fill that gap that will be VoIP compatible.”

 

“This is obviously a big challenge, as there are a lot of WLR customers. So, we have seven years to move 16 million lines to new services.”

 

“We have deliberately put a long-time window on this, giving it plenty of time to work with industry.”