The PSTN / ISDN Great Switch Off
The PSTN / ISDN switch off has started and affects, any services supported on Wholesale Line Rental (WLR), including Single Analogue Lines, Multi-Lines, ISDN2 and ISDN30, will need to move to alternatives.
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The withdrawal will also affect broadband customers. Most broadband ADSL and FTTC services are supported by Single Analogue Lines. When this analogue line is switched off, the broadband product will need to move to a Single Order variant.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FIBRE EXCHANGE UPGRADES
The Stop Sell Policy – Trigger for Stop Sell
- Exchange will have more than 75% Ultrafast Coverage* based on premises with Customer Ready for Service (CRFS) availability
- Exchange coverage is determined against Total Network Address Points (NAD Keys) within the exchange
The Timing of Stop Sell
- Stop sell will be notified once an exchange has over 75% of Customers Ready for Service (CRFS) Ultrafast enabled or when there is a high guarantee that the exchange will reach 75% within 12 months
- Openreach have, as of June 2020, identified 117 exchanges that they believe will reach 75% fibre availability by June 2021 so have issued 12 months’ notice to Stop Sell Copper products in these exchanges
- Openreach have also added an additional 51 exchange locations as of the 5th October 2020. These 51 exchanges will have the STOP SELL policy applied as of the 5th October 2021
- If the trigger point of over 75% CRFS cannot be met within 12 months the stop sell will not be implemented until that exchange reaches 75% (which may take longer than 12 months)
- Further exchanges may be added at any time and the programme will be constantly reviewed by Openreach
Stop Sell Policy and Product Scope
Stop sell applies at a premises level only where that premise has access to an available GEA-FTTP product. Where a premise has access to FTTP there will be no new supply of other products, CP Transfers, working line takeovers, addition of broadband to voice lines, bandwidth modifications, start of stopped lines or migrations to non-Ultrafast products.
- If a premise has GEA-FTTP available to order, then only GEA-FTTP is available to that premise and instantly become within the scope of stop sell
- If a premise does not have GEA-FTTP available, SOGFAST, SOGEA, GEA-FTTC, SOTAP (where no fibre is available), MPF & WLR (only until September 2023) will be available
The same Stop Sell principles will apply for the fibre exchanges as the Salisbury trial exchange (note: the stop sell principle matrix has changed as a result) see below.
Considerations will also be given to investment policies in the copper network that may include VDSL Cabinet capacity and repairs of the copper network.
No move Back to Copper
In addition to stop sell – once a premise moves to FTTP a “no move back to copper” policy from the date of the stop sell notification being issued will come into effect. In this situation, the same stop sell situations would apply to that premise.
This will only come into effect from April 2021 (subject to regulatory enablers) and be applied at that point to premises with working FTTP lines that have had stop sell notifications published up to that date and onwards.
NEW SINGLE ORDER BROADBAND SOLUTIONS
Guide to the new technology:
The below diagram shows the like-for-like technology transitions from WLR/MPF + broadband to the new Single Order broadband.
Like for Like transition to Single Order Broadband
An additional module that Openreach plan to introduce will be the ‘Install UPS’. This will allow the Openreach engineer to install your third-party battery backup solution. To note, Openreach will not source or provide the battery backup unit.
IMPORTANT – OTT IP Services
OTT IP services are standalone products. They are not included with a single order broadband and require a separate order. For Voice only single lines or low data consumption services (e.g. payment card services), a single order low bandwidth product will be available. The Communication Provider should then offer an over the top Voice service and should be aware of any other required services on the line, though these might be supported by a third party.
EU = End User
WHAT MAY CHANGE FOR YOUR SITE SET UP?
Alongside your communications product set changing, the way you operate your day-to-day business functions is also likely to change.
Below is an example of a small business set up with analogue office telephones, payment devices and alarm services, all connected via physical wiring and socket extensions.
Following the migration to SO broadband, all devices will need to be compatible with IP. Onsite premise equipment may need to be changed.
Common Telecom Acronyms
ADSL : Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
ATA : Analogue Telephone Adapter
CNI : Critical National Infrastructure
CP : Communication Provider
CRFS : Customers Ready for Service
EU : End User
GEA-FTTC : Generic Ethernet Access Fibre to The Cabinet
GEA-FTTP : Generic Ethernet Access Fibre to The Premises
HVS : Hosted Voice Select
ISDN : Integrated Services Digital Network
LLU : Local Loop Unbundling
MPF : Metallic Path Facility
NTE : Network Terminating Equipment
OTT : Over The Top
PSTN : Public Switched Telephone Network
SMPF : Shared Metallic Path Facility
SOGEA : Single Order Generic Ethernet Access
SOGFAST : Single Order G.Fast
SOTAP : Single Order Transitional Access Product
VDSL : Very high-speed Digital Subscriber Line
VOIP : Voice over Internet Protocol
WLR : Wholesale Line Rental