BT has issued a warning to small businesses that they face increasing risk of outages if they fail to switch to digital telephone infrastructure, as the British incumbent moves ahead with plans to switch off its copper network by 2027. New research from the telco suggests one in five small British businesses (22%) still define […]
BT has issued a warning to small businesses that they face increasing risk of outages if they fail to switch to digital telephone infrastructure, as the British incumbent moves ahead with plans to switch off its copper network by 2027.
New research from the telco suggests one in five small British businesses (22%) still define themselves as “analogue”, relying heavily on traditional or 20th century technologies.
BT has said it will switch off the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) by January 2027, meaning any business still connected to the analogue copper infrastructure could see their service impacted.
According to regulator Ofcom, incidents on the PSTN rose by nearly half (45%) in the last year. But some connected devices and services – including payment machines and security alarms – are still hooked up to the ageing system.
Michelle Ovens CBE, founder, Small Business Britain, said: “Small businesses are the engine of the UK economy, but to reach their full growth potential entrepreneurs need to embrace digital opportunities as much as possible. We see a huge appetite among UK business owners to embrace technology and build digital skills – particularly since the pandemic when growing this capability helped many to adapt and survive.
“However, business owners also need support to make these transitions – which is why we highly value our ongoing partnership with BT to help small businesses on their digital journey so they can face the future with confidence.”
BT’s plan to help businesses switch to digital infrastructure is backed by both Ofcom and the government and is part of an industry-wide project to modernise British telecoms architecture.
The company said that in 2024 it moved customers off almost 300,000 legacy business lines.
In a study with Censuswide, BT also found that four in five (80%) who have invested in new technology say it has given them a competitive advantage, with 79% saying it had helped them to find new customers.
One in seven (14%) small business leaders admitted they had been sceptical or resistant to taking their business online when the internet took off in the 1990s, with 18% saying the same about social media a decade later and 11% dragging their feet during the advent of the personal computer in the 70s and 80s.
Kerry Small, chief operating officer – Business at BT, added: “The UK’s analogue copper telephone network has a proud history, but it’s no longer up to the task for businesses. It’s simply too risky to build the economy on a shaky foundation, and we’re calling on all businesses to move before the end of 2025 – well ahead of the switch-off.
“Analogue companies making the move now can benefit from rock-solid digital connectivity to help keep them in business for years to come. We’re supporting customers small and large through the move, so no business is left behind. Whether you’re a tech start-up or a family firm passed down through generations, when it comes to going digital – BT’s got your back.”
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