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Business telecommunications and UK broadband ISP Spitfire has today called on Openreach (BT) to provide “much needed clarity” for service providers, and the businesses they support, on new contracts related to the looming switch-off of the old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in favour of IP-based digital phone (VoIP etc.) services.
Just to recap. The big switch-off was recently delayed to 31st January 2027 in order to give broadband ISPs, phone providers, telecare operators and consumers more time to adapt (details). But the main focus of this delay was the 1.8 million people who use vital home telecare systems in the UK (e.g. elderly, disabled, and vulnerable people), which often aren’t compatible with the replacement VoIP / IP-based digital phone services (i.e. for everybody else the deadline is still technically the end of December 2025).
However, Spitfire notes that the existing contract between UK Internet Service Providers (ISP) and Openreach will expire on 31st December 2025 (i.e. for WLR), and the network access provider has already given notice that this agreement won’t be renewed in its current form.
Openreach has previously informed ISPreview that they would introduce new terms and a three-month termination notice period to continue services, where needed, and enable some flexibility to support future processes (i.e. a new contract will be issued). But Spitfire complains that they still don’t know what the new contract will actually contain.
“Exactly what it will contain remains unknown. What is expected, however, is a marked change in support terms — most notably, less favourable service level agreements (SLAs) for repairs and response,” said the provider. “The impact could be damaging for [ISPs] and their customers – it means businesses who leave their migration until the last moment will not only face potential delays from capacity bottlenecks but could also find themselves tied to less responsive support structures. In other words: when something breaks, it’ll take longer to fix.”
Harry Bowlby, MD of Spitfire Network Services, said:
“The truth is no one yet knows what the new contracts will look like. But based on the trajectory of telecoms policy, the focus will be digital-first, and the terms for legacy support will decline. The writing is on the wall for PSTN and ISDN services, and while the final stages of this transition are still in motion, the direction is still unclear. Businesses need guidance, not guesswork.
This is where working with experienced partners, those who understand both the legacy environment and the future IP landscape, can make all the difference. It’s about making the right switch, in the right way, at the right time.”
In fairness, Openreach has released some details of the new contracts and has been engaging with the industry over this, although we have asked the network operator to respond and will report back when they furnish us with a comment. At the same time it’s worth considering that Spitfire does have a vested interest here in both promoting the issue, as it sees things, and its own related services.