BSIA supports BT decision to cease mass migration of PSTN network to IP

The news is welcomed by the intruder alarms sector, including the BSIA's Security Systems Section

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has welcomed the decision by British Telecommunications (BT) to cease the mass migration of the PSTN network to IP.

BT conducts regular reviews of the 21CN voice project, and during the most recent review, it was decided that the mass migration to the 21CN voice platform, including the 275,000 line migration planned for Pathfinder Volume POTs during 2010, will be ceased with immediate effect, along with all planned trials of ISDN. It is not expected that the proposed mass migration will be resumed or revisited in the future.

This comes as welcome news for the intruder alarms sector, including the BSIA's Security Systems Section, whose concerns over the communications difficulties caused by migration led to the formation of a close working partnership between the BSIA and BT.
Dave Wilkinson, Technical Manager at the BSIA, comments: "The sheer volume of legacy communicators on this network has meant much time has been spent by BSIA members in probing and testing 21CN. This change of direction, which also affects ISDN, now leaves the focus on fibre to the cabinet, and to the premises."

Mass migration to the 21CN voice IP platform, including the 275,000 line migration planned for Pathfinder Volume POTs during 2010, will be ceased with immediate effect

BT has cited customer experience, as well as an unexpected longevity of PSTN networks, as two key reasons why this decision has been reached. Alongside this, BT's need to recognise the direction that Openreach will take with a voice service over FTTP is important, along with the fact that large elements of the voice market have moved, or have announced plans to move, to fully unbundled lines no longer requiring a voice service from BT. BT also aims to avoid a negative customer experience for end users through multiple service-impacting migrations.

Dave Wilkinson continues: "The BSIA continues to break ground with Ofcom and now the newly-formed NGNuk forum to build on our understanding and awareness of the specifications of the network associated with the fibre offerings that BT and the other Next Generation Network Communications providers will deliver across the UK."

To read BT's official strategy statement and for more information on the BSIA's work with 21CN, visit the BSIA's dedicated 21CN web page.