From April 1st BT Wholesale (BTW) have increased their line rental charges. This comes as no surprise due to the PSTN networks becoming increasingly costly to maintain and the planned switch-off dates for the PSTN & ISDN networks looming.
Why is BT increasing line rental prices?
Back in 2017, BT announced its intentions to switch off its PSTN and ISDN lines (Public Switched Telephone Network & Integrated Service Digital Network) in favour of Internet Protocol (IP) voice servers. This transition was set to begin in 2020, with the complete closure of the networks to finish in 2025.
As 2025 draws ever closer, BT has likely increased its prices to encourage users to adopt the new IP services such as SIP Trunks and SoGEA. SIP Trunks, or Session Initiation Protocol Trunking, have been around for quite a few years now and essentially boils down to calling over the internet. This is a service many of our customers already benefit from, as it is both cheaper and more flexible than using traditional telephone systems and phone lines.
Also available from Gemini, SoGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access) is a new version of Fibre-to-the-Cabinet broadband that requires an analogue line to work over. SoGEA connections eliminate the requirement for the analogue line and are therefore cheaper than traditional broadband services and easy to transfer over to.
How do I avoid this price increase?
The last thing anyone wants is to be paying out of pocket for a weak internet connection with low average download speeds. At Gemini, we can help boost your business engine with the best broadband and data connectivity packages available for businesses today. Better yet, they can often be cheaper than using these outdated services companies like BT are trying to phase out! Get in touch with our Gemini team of experts and let us help strengthen your connection today.