UK telco BT issued a rallying cry last week urging the UK's Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) providers to move away from the outdated analog copper landline network by the end of this year. The telco warned that the country's switch from its historic Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is affecting a wide range of critical public systems. BT wants to retire its PSTN network by 2027.
According to BT, this could include water monitoring sensors, phone lines for doctors and pharmacies, fire and burglar alarms, lift alarms, emergency phone lines by roads, help points at train stations, and some older card payment machines. BT called the transition from analog to digital a "once in a generation" program to future-proof communications for everyone.
“With the aging copper landline network becoming increasingly fragile, it’s simply too risky to run the UK’s essential public services on outdated networks," said Bas Burger, CEO of Business at BT. "BT is committed to moving these services onto future-proofed modern connectivity well ahead of the closure of the analog copper network – but we can’t do it alone. “We're urging all Critical National Infrastructure providers to act now to help protect their services and reap the long-term benefits of going digital. Waiting until the analog switch-off is too late. We’re working with customers to review their technology estate, test their critical devices, and switch to more reliable connectivity by the end of 2025."
