Embracing the switch to IP

BLACKBURN, England - Nov. 17, 2021

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), is an analogue phone network used in the UK by businesses and households as a connection to make phone calls, receive emails, and browse the web. It has served the UK for generations, but the technology is now becoming obsolete, and a new system is required to meet our communication demands. Andrew Collinson Operations Director for Electronic Security at Chubb shares his insights on how the switch will affect those businesses with security systems in place.

As a ‘last century’ technology, the PSTN network is increasingly unable to deal with the demands of modern communications and no longer sustain the amount of data being shared. As more people switch to mobile and internet communications, our use of these technologies broadens, and our world gets faster. Consumers expectations of performance are therefore much greater than the traditional technologies were once designed to deliver. The new IP system will present new digital ways of working and opportunities to change how we communicate.

Who will be affected?

Businesses and individuals in the UK will be affected if they have a PSTN phoneline. Openreach (the business responsible for telephony transfer in the UK) will be switching to a digital IP (internet protocol) based system shortly, so many of the devices designed to operate on the old PSTN system will not work. For businesses, this could mean EPOS devices don’t work, faxes certainly won’t operate, and in the security sector; alarms, CCTV and access control solutions many not function, leaving people unprotected

How can you prepare for the switch?

The first step is not to panic. The switchover has already begun, but is due to continue until the end of 2025, when the PSTN network is closing and the all IP network will be fully operational in the UK. This will signal the beginning of a new era in communications technology. Although support for the network with not be withdrawn until 2025, businesses and customers need to plan now and review their communication technology and find out how they will be affected by the changes. Those who wait until the last minute to make the change are likely to experience delays and find it difficult to get faults fixed.

Service providers such as BT and Redcare are a great source of information and will be happy to help their customers. They will also be able to offer solutions which are compatible with the new IP system to ensure continuity resulting in minimal disruption to the business.

Faster with more features

The switch is a positive change as these digital systems are faster and boast far more features than you may be used to. When used with latest generation security products, they can easily integrate with mobile devices and apps, provide detailed reporting, and help gather insights about customer and employee behaviour.

How Chubb can help

At Chubb, we know this change will impact our customers, and therefore have developed a robust plan to provide advice and assistance. We have contacted our customers to ensure that they are aware of the changes and what impact these may have. We are working with our partners, including Openreach, to ensure our message is consistent, and we can offer the most appropriate support tailored to each business.

As an innovative and forward thinking business, Chubb has anticipated the needs of our client base, and have already invested significantly in these new technologies and selected, tested, approved an array of new products digitally compatible to your needs and which will enable us to work with customers to manage the change seamlessly. Switching from the PSTN to the digital network earlier can be easy with minimal disruption to businesses.

Our specialist team are happy to talk to customers about what this may mean and provide advice and guidance on the next steps to ensure we can continue to protect and safeguard their most important assets. If you are not a customer but would like further information, please contact us at [email protected] or call 0800 321 666.

About Chubb

Chubb is a leading provider of fire safety and security solutions & services for customers worldwide. We have been protecting people and assets for over 200 years. Today, our 14,000 employees in 250 branches in 17 countries work to make the world safer, protect people and provide peace of mind. Our fire, security and monitoring services cover more than 1.3 million sites around the world. Chubb is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions. For more information, visit chubbfiresecurity.com/en/worldwide.

Media enquiries:

Carla Sousa

07776 773 145

[email protected]

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